Welcome @Jimj! I see you’ve met @Countryboyjvd1971. @MattyBear and @dbrn32 are two other gatekeepers who know how to grow weed. If you want to tag someone, use the @ sign in front of their names.
@Willd, @Screwauger here’s a new grower from your neck of the woods haha. Any advice for a first timer in the Northeast?
The guys that grow outside normally start their plants a month or so ahead of planting outside: the larger they are before putting out the larger they will be when they finish. Photoperiod feminized seeds are generally what are used although autos can be grown fine outside too. You just don’t get trees out of them.
As for seeds; there are so many decent seeds available for a reasonable amount that it’s your smallest investment. Your best savings would be creating your own soil to plant in but I strongly advise you to read up on it before you do. Personally I think you will have enough challenges ahead of you that you should just get a grow behind you to see what issues you have and what growing cannabis is really all about. Outdoors is tough with pests, insects, bud rot, wild weather, thieves etc.
Here’s a current journal from a very experienced grower. This guy gets it done. (Hi Will!)