Y’all have already helped me so much and before my seeds even hit water! I’m so grateful! My ILGM seeds arrived today. I popped 2 in some water and stored in a dark corner of my pantry.
A little about me: my SO is completely not on board with this so the entirety of my grow will take place outside and I can not spend more than $200 including the $100 I spent on seeds. But I will take what I can get! South Texas and late in the season but If I can get enough to last me till my next grow then this endeavor will be a success! I have vegetable gardening experience so that should help.
Soil: I used a make shift diy soil blend with what I have available to me (top soil, a small bag of gardening soil, vegetable fertilizer, and some food and grass scraps because my compost pile isn’t ready yet). I mixed it well before my seeds arrived and will mix again before transplanting. I bought used Aspera pH meter (their goes another $30… down to $70), that should arrive soon and until then I’ll start my seeds in seed starter jic my diy soil blend sucks. I plan to use 15 gallon fabric planters because I have clay soil and obviously don’t want to drown my ladies.
Light: My house is south facing and right off the road that has decent traffic so I’m staking out 2 permanent planting spots to see which gets more sun. One in plain view which is close to my neighbors fence, which scares me and the other hidden behind my chicken coop so we shall see. If their is hardly any difference I will go with the more secure location. Both spots get barely over 5 hours of full sun with some partial sun which is not ideal but the best I can do while keeping it covert.
Water: I collect rain water so I’ll rely on that as much as I can with tap water from the hose to fill in any gaps.
Fertilizer/nutrients: I’m going all natural and will plant clover seeds in pot as well for fertilizer (I’ll cut them down frequently leaving clipping in pot for increased fertilization). If plants show symptoms of being malnourished I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
Other: I have a pot of basil and sunflowers planted close to either growing spot and will make a chicken wire teepee to keep birds from stealing or harming seedlings as they will be planted outside as soon as they germinate.
Thanks for hearing me out! I’m stoked to be here and to have taken the first step! I have no one to talk about this exciting adventure with so I’ll update y’all here!
Hormone tea made out of propagated bird feed or alfalfa seeds, once they got like 1-2 inch tap roots throw them in the blender with the rain water. The growth hormones will go to your girls. This is a very cheap option that will probably help them most. Organic too
@Budz I have bird seed! Talk me through it once more please. How do you propagate bird seed? Then once they have tap roots, blend them with rain water and poor onto soil? Sorry if I’m being dense.
Just rinse the seeds well. Lay out on wet paper towels. Once they all have taproots. Do exactly as you said. Add enough water to keep it liquid and just blend er up. Fast growing stuff like alfalfa will have more growth hormones obviously. But convential bird seed, if it’ll propegate, will supply a good amount. Aim for over an inch average length of tap root. Pour the blended mixture as you would regularly water them.
Altho. If you’re not 100% apposed to jacks. I’d go that route for sure. Safest route. Cheap. 4lb kit like this would last you a few seasons if you don’t ramp up.
Decided the permanent location of my ladies will be in the woods. Clearing some poor plants out of the way so my girls get more sunlight. Sorry little trees! I’ll plant more in my front yard to make up for it though.
@anon86641082 sorry I disregarded you earlier. I sometimes try to be overly diligent to topic
Cover crops and hormone teas are about as completely different as two feed methods can be. So it’s not odd to know one well and have no clue about the other. Except in this case the other is mostly beneficial in early veg. there is another that is super at end of transition, also a hormone tea, I just forget what plants seed to use. Didn’t bookmark it. what you’re talking about is creating nutrient availability. What I’m talking about. For lack of a better term. Is technically. Organic GMO.
Using other plants hormones to genetically alter the sub plants growth cycle. Organic genetic modification. Best I can simplify it.
I feel like the other forums are overflowing their negativity to here. I apologize. Was merely trying to express that what you think this tea will do and what it actually does aren’t even covered in the same text book anywhere. Two entire different ends of the spectrum. The hormone teas are actually considered upper level. not base level like composts or salt nutrients. They are something that would improve ANY method. with zero chance of adverse effects. If you got critters, that’s not the soils or teas fault… Please don’t call beneficial rhizo critters or herd tho. Will throw me off 100% of the time. Since they aren’t critters. Critters aren’t beneficial. Herds follow the lead, not continually improve their own environment for the benefits of all occupants… including the roots of your girls.
I’m so surprised my beans have popped out of the soil already! Unfortunately I haven’t received my grow light yet. Hubs insisted on buying it from eBay instead of Amazon. Should be here next week sometime.
I moved them into my brightest windowsill for right now but will put back under my desk lamp later today. Currently foiling up a cardboard box to amplify the light I have to work with for now.
I still have bags over them to keep the humidity up. At what point do I remove it? Also I need names for these girls! Ideas?
I’ve been leaving clear plastic cups on top of my seedlings til they have 2 sets of real leaves. Not sure if there’s a golden rule but so far it’s been playing out okay.
Oh my gosh! A whole month has flown by! Penny lost one of her original 2 leaves within a few days of sprouting (I accidentally hurt her… oops!) so she’s an inch shorter than Marge but doing great! They both smell delicious! They have been living in my closet with a 24 hr (subpar) grow light for the last month but this last week they have been outside for the day and with a grow light at night. I have their spots outside almost set up. I’m weirdly nervous about moving them outside! My babies! Lol. They just received their second watering of sprouted seed (alfalfa and broccoli mix) tea so they are due for another growth spurt in the next day or so. I also added a sprinkle of brewers yeast to the tea as well. They LOVE it!
They ought to move into their permanent homes tomorrow!
But I will take what I can get! South Texas and late in the season but If I can get enough to last me till my next grow then this endeavor will be a success! 
I have vegetable gardening experience so that should help.
I have no one to talk about this exciting adventure with so I’ll update y’all here!
Hubs insisted on buying it from eBay instead of Amazon. Should be here next week sometime. 
