“Don’t overthink” is my mantra as I setup and dive into my first grow.
This diary is premature; I was not planning to embark upon this journey quite yet, but I couldn’t bear to simply toss the organic kitchen scraps I’d been kitchen countertop recycling since last week. My recycler was quickly filled, as was my overflow bin, and my second overflow bin… I had to do something pronto.
I started researching vermiculture, kobashi method, and couldn’t really settle on a method or product. Then I remembered, DON’T OVERTHINK.
A cooler-sized plastic bin sits on our deck… could I turn that into composting bin? I debated drilling holes in the bottom of it, but I spied a bag of perlite, leftover from my 13yo’s science fair project. Drainage enough. That was my bottom layer. Then, I dumped in the same volumeish of fluffed out coco coir. Onto this layer I dumped the oldest, slimiest scraps.
Next I took a brick of dehydrated coco coir and crumpled it directly onto the scraps, reasoning that it would dehydrate the slime a bit. I repeated these two layers (scraps and crumpled coco brick) till the top layer. Then I wet the coco coir bricks and sloughed off the fluffy coco coir for a cushy top layer.
Now what?
I’m thinking of dumping microgreen seeds (we have many leftover from aforementioned science fair project) into the bin to get some root growth going between the layers and when I have growth, add some ladybugs to take up residence and patrol against spider mite infestation. Is that crazy?
My tent arrived so I can set that up and place the bin inside when there is some sprouting and the ladybugs arrive. Set-up so far: Gorilla 4’x4’ and for lights I have Migro Aray 8. I ordered four EarthBoxes but they have not arrived yet. I am pretty settled on a Presh carbon filter but haven’t ordered yet.
But the most important part of my set up is Hawaiian Haze CBD Hemp and Bubba Kush CBD Hemp seeds from the wonderful souls that are @bassman5420 and @Pluckyevil. Magic beans that will stay slumbering until my whole system is healthy, stable (temps and humidity) and ready.
So my set-up is a boxed up tent, boxed up lights, slumbering magic beans, and a medium-sized bin of organic scrap + coco coir lasagna. And lots of microgreen seeds. Should I get worms into that bin?
Suggestions, advice?
Words of wisdom more than welcome!
-101
cc: @Old-Ron
Please let us know if you are wanting to try out anything else and we will see what we can do to get ya sorted out 
Looks like you are off to a nice start. Thank you for the shout out 
Happy growing, new friend. I like your style.
