Indoor starts to yard
Raising vegetable and pepper starts indoors, then moving them outside without losing them. The gadget angle: knowing when a start is ready, and when the yard is.
Sketch of the plan, not a photo. Not built yet.
What it is
Seeds started indoors under lights, grown on until they are sturdy, then hardened off and transplanted into the yard.
The build part is small and practical: a way to track each tray, and a simple check of outdoor conditions before moving day.
Why build it
Transplanting is where a lot of healthy starts die. Too early, too fast, too much sun on the first day.
It connects the indoor lab to the outdoor test bench. The plants that leave the lab become the thing the outdoor sensors watch.
The plan, step by step
This is the plan as it stands. Steps get rewritten as the build teaches us things.
- 01
Pick a short list of plants
Peppers and a few vegetables that are forgiving to start with.
- 02
Set up one tray, done properly
One tray, one light, one watering routine. Get that boring before adding more.
- 03
Write the hardening-off routine
A day-by-day plan for introducing starts to outdoor light and wind.
- 04
Decide what to measure
Only what changes a decision: is the start ready, is the yard ready.
- 05
Transplant and track
Move them, tag them, and record which ones make it.
Questions this build should answer
Installed in Southern California and in Ghana. These are questions, not answers. The answers get logged when both yards have run.
Universal
- What makes a start ready to move, regardless of place?
- Which hardening-off steps cannot be skipped?
Geographic
- How do season, heat and rain change the right moving day?
- Which plants suit each yard at all?
Rules
- Are there rules on moving seeds or plants between places? To be checked before anything is shipped.
Soil and water node
A small outdoor box that watches soil moisture, a pump and a water tank, and sends simple irrigation alerts. Solar-ready. Built to keep working on a poor connection.
Backyard squirt turret
A pan-and-tilt water squirter for the yard. Low pressure, plain water, entirely silly. A fun way to learn motion control outdoors.