Good evening all. Decided to take the plunge on several fronts, and have mentally sketched out some first-time gardening plans to share with you all for critique and input.
This is a work in progress, and I will be providing updates as soon as possible.

With my current living situation, I have available to me a very large attic space, a small garage, and a small yard. Though some specimens may find their way outside, I live in the Southeast, and the soil here is more accurately described as sand and landfill. For that reason, one of the two inside locations will become a dedicated area for cultivating various exotic plants, for purely aesthetic purposes of course.
The attic may be ideal, provided I can run electricity to power the exterior fan, since summers get very hot here!

All I have on hand is an enclosure roughly 4'x4'x6', with a reflective interior, vertical and overhead lighting, and built-in, filtered ventilation. This has been gifted to me, and used successfully by its previous owner. While I am not at all adverse to investing in this endeavor, I'd very much like to make use of this.

In terms of botanicals, I have roughly ten sprouted Ipomea tricolor, which will eventually provide some lovely coverage on a trellis outside.

Here is a short and incomplete list of some specimens I hope to kick off my collection with, following some basic research into successful cultivation:
M. hostilis (I actually have a little experience with other sp. of mimosa, so this should be relatively easy)
B.caapi
Acacia spp. (of one form or another--there's certainly many to choose from!)
Misc. cacti, including T. pervuianus

By no means a comprehensive list, merely a starting point. Obviously there's a bit of a range of conditions necessary for optimal growth, which the aforementioned cabinet will aid in (allowing for segregation). Feel free to add to this list, or narrow down--whatever, really! I am not entirely new to the world of gardening and cultivation, but these particular plants are out of my comfort zone.
I will attempt to take a few photos and measurements of the space I'll be working with, as to inspire some creative ideas from our viewing audience.

The real meat of the matter, in "your" personal experience:
-What equipment/lighting would you consider indispensable in your ideal setup?
-Minding that I live in a typically hot climate, what are some precautions I can take to keep these tropical/semi-tropical plants healthy?
-What would be some good additional plants to compliment this 'core' list? Are there any that do not tolerate indoor cultivation (at least for a time, e.g. huge root systems) or that require special conditions?
-What are some materials which have served you well? Particular soil mixes, fertilizers, or lighting arrangements, etc.

I love creative solutions to problems, and am not scared of a little DIY work. Infact, the only real issue I foresee is actually acquiring seeds or young plants in a safe and reliable manner, but discussion of up-to-date and trustworthy vendors may be best limited to PMs or the appropriate section.

given your location, id grow 5-10 achuma outside (t bridgesii) as well as plant 30-50 hbwr (a nervosa)
id also plant some datura as its been said to leech heavy metals from polluted soil, you can uproot this after your first year and burn it to organically treat your plot.

indoors id get a mushroom set up, keep it simple stupid and mimic the micodomes double boiler with thermometer for an incubation chamber

in your attic if possible id do a field of green technique with a lowryder species and 3-5 dank strains so that after about 2 and a half months youll be hauling in nugs of increasing potency for the next 2 and a half months ;p

id also brew beer somewhere and purchase some ethnobotanicals/hunt them down to make root beer and ginger ale
when your hwbr drop seed id go ahead and infuse many of them into a specific beer brew to make a lysergic beer of some potency

plant the caapi inside and take outside when hardy enough, also scatter some syrian rue around the area to be able to harvest some maoi seeds as they are 2x stronger by weight than dry caapi

Any reason why the T. bridgesii sp. in particular? More potent, easier to cultivate?
Why A. nervosa over I. tricolor? I understand the seeds are of greater use, but was under the impression that I. tricolor made up for it in numbers and ease of processing.
Excellent idea with the datura outside, if they can handle the otherwise very compact and sandy soil. Something to consider, though primarily this will remain an indoor garden inasmuch as possible.


Might not be a bad future project, something easily stuck in the garage. Still not something I'm comfortable enough with to attempt and undertake at this time.


Some more interesting ideas, certainly illustrating the creativity I asked for.


I'll look into the benefits of rue over caapi, though I think I may have more success with the latter.

Just make sure your space gets enough ventilation. Hot climate + attic = really hot space. I do not think it would be possible to grow cannabis as mew suggests in such an environment unless it was heavily air conditioned. And if you do, you absolutely need a carbon filter on the out take to take care of smells. (Think negative pressure)

The tropical plants will probably be fine, but if they start showing signs of stress you may want to look at other options. Plants like B. Caapi can be grown by a window even in a room, here's my thread on doing that, which also covers basic things like pH of amazonian soil and various ferts you can give it to mimic it. https://www.dmt-nexus.me...aspx?g=posts&t=30435 Ringworms thread on caapi propagation is also really good. https://www.dmt-nexus.me...aspx?g=posts&t=28795 I would also suggest just havin' a cup of coffee or tea sometime and just flippin' through the subforum, seeing what little bits of knowledge can be harvested from all the little nooks and crannies ^.^

Maybe add some psychotria viridis or chaliponga plants to the grow. They are amazonian as well same rules apply as caapi and are a nice DMT containing leaf.
Mew suggests t. bridgesii for it being consistently potent.

Iboga is a tricky plant to grow but it's basically the psychedelic holy grail. Get a seed pod if you can and read up on how to cultivate them if you feel like trying something advanced later on, might be better to start off easy and experiment until you get it locked in, however.

As for lighting, enclosed reflectors and insulated ducting with a good inline fan is the way to keep the heat out. The more wattage, the more heat, but more growth. For a small space 400w would be more than sufficient. For a larger one, use 1000w every 25 or 50 square feet or so.

Keep the amazonian plants misted and soil wet. With potted plants it's very important not to dry them out or over fertilize them.
Cacti indoors can be watered more often than outside cacti but they still do like to dry out for a while.

Cacti like basic soils, add lime, or get cactus mix.
Amazonian plants like acidic soils, get humic acid extract and use as directed, pH your water with hydrochloric acid (pH down) and a pH meter.

If your water source is coming from a tap, consider running it through some kind of filter first. There are meters that check ppu on these things [I forget the name] if you want to get meticulous. Some water sources contain things that can mess with roots causing stunted growth in some cases. Some people put reverse osmosis systems on everything in their house...smart idea if you can pull it off.

Check plants daily. Their soil, leaves, environment. Check for bugs. There are good recipes with essential oils on the net to take care of certain insects.

You might like to consider growing the following medicinal herbs:

- Ocimum sanctum [Tulsi (holy basil)]
- Nepeta cataria [Catnip]
- Echinacea purpurea [Purple coneflower]
- Melissa officinalis [Lemon balm]
- Verbascum thapsus [Mullein]

As far as I know, these are all fairly easy to cultivate and can be started indoors. You'll be able to use them for their medicinal benefits or for home-grown changa blends (if that's your thing) I imagine they will help boost your spirits if you're ever having trouble cultivating more difficult plants. If you're looking for another vine species or two, Passiflora spp. could be worth looking into.

I'm excited to see how your project develops!

Awesome plan, relent. You are going to have a blast and learn lots. Not to mention the future harvests.

Other suggestions to consider:

- Salvia Divinorum. A very rewarding plant, easy to propagate from cuttings with a little care either indoors or outdoors. It's beautiful, sturdy and unique. A fluorescent fixture, or the same type of metal halide you might get for other indoor growings, will work great. And salvia is a world by itself when it comes to entheogenic properties.

- Silene Capensis is easy to start from seed and a very interesting african oneirogen. Besides, I find the roots quite yummy.

- Stevia Rebaudiana, also easy and an excellent neighbor for other plants. It has no psychoactive properties, but it is not only the best natural substitute for sugar, it's a great soil enhancer and a good ingredient for organic gardening. I've seen very nice results in cannabis plants treated with stevia extract in the water.

Also, seconding the idea of growing syrian rue seeds. And about smell if you decide to grow some cannabis indoors, as long as you keep the grow small (5-6 plants tops) ozone generators are a useful tool to control smell. For as low as 50$ you can virtually eliminate smells in a small grow. But again, as house said, ventilation is still key in order to keep decent air flow.

Hey House. The aforementioned 4'x4'x6' box has a build in carbon filter and is a relatively sealed unit, but I'm not terribly interested in cannabis at this time. The smell is certainly something to keep in mind though, and I intend on incorporating an air filter to the existing outlet fan in the attic. There's some other options for mitigating heat too (see below).


I've been slowly and surely doing exactly that--lots of very useful info! I'm going to see what supplies I can find locally in terms of soil supplements, I'm sure everything can be had at a local hardware store chain. From what I've read, caapi grows quite quickly (relatively speaking), and since the objective with all this is a self-sustainable garden, I'm quite interested!


Certainly will add to the list, depending on availability. P. viridis seems beginner-friendly as well.


Considering the room available to me, and that select specimens may eventually find their way outside, expanding my horizons is absolutely on the agenda. Iboga sounds intriguing, but I'll hold off until I actually get somewhere with these first steps.


Lighting will be a considerable investment. To keep heat down, I'll likely have in-line cooling of some kind, either routed through the same built-in attic vent, or to the slotted siding that lets the attic breathe. I'm also thinking of using tarps or something comparable to block in the usable section of the attic. I'm concerned that too much humidity may affect the wood floors/beams or insulation, and mold is the absolute last thing I want. Suggestions welcome, though I may be needlessly worried, since the attic isn't truly blocked in and I'm only keeping the soil moist/misting plants.


Right. I doubt I'll be able to keep the cacti and the amazonian plants in the same atmosphere, but with some clever use of humidity tents it may be possible, as the attic is usually very dry. Worst case I may put the T. bridgesii in the enclosure, since it'll stay toasty and have more concentrated lighting.


I actually have a little experience with black-water aquaria, might even have some of the pH adjustment chemicals around.


The tap water here is barely even drinkable for me or my dog, let alone sensitive plant roots! RO is the ideal, but for the time being I've been utilizing some normal carbon filtration. I agree though, this is an absolute must, especially since trace minerals/nutrients will be provided through fertilizer.


I can tell bugs will be an issue. Even with my windowside MGs that have sprouted, I have small gnats that seem to love the damp soil. This newfound hobby will eat up a lot of time, but the investment is worthwhile.


Interesting suggestions! I'll add a revised list shortly. Do you suggest any Passiflora species in particular?


Depending on availability, I'm interested in all three of those. News to me as far as the stevia extract being a potent nutrient source for other plans; I'll dig into that some more and see what scientific literature I can dredge up, very cool.

By this weekend I should have those promised photos of the area (tight on time lately!),
and a revised list of prospective additions, as well as a shopping list. I'm going to tackle the equipment on a DIY basis, because I enjoy the work involved, and the custom feel.

If anyone has any suggestions as for sources of some of these plants, please shoot be a private message. I've found a few viable vendors in the suppliers section, but I'd prefer to know that they aren't "old news" and are being used presently with some success. I'd also prefer to avoid money orders if possible, but hardly a requirement. Discretion is my only objective, as I do not live in a terribly sympathetic area.

Thanks again, everyone. Knowing I have a small audience lends me some accountability and gives me a little added incentive.

the opposite is true, indoor cacti should be watered less than outdoors ones because of much slower growth and slower evaporation
otherwise a very
Awesome post House!!

My advice would be to read through nen's thread on Passifloras and choose a couple species that pique your interest

Thanks everyone. It's been a busy week. Some resources will be available in the near future, but the project itself has been temporarily put on hold--there seems to be a small leak in the roof, exacerbated by recent storms. Hopefully it will be tended to this weekend, and the space can be cleared out and cleaned properly.

Apologies for the slow start. Stay tuned!

I suppose I meant for hydroponic-like situations, quite different from just a cacti chillen' by a window. I have found they eat up a lot of water in environments like that. Sorry I wasn't clear.

Small update. Attached some images of the space--excuse the mess. The junk belongs to the previous tenants, and will be cleared out.

A big issue that came to my attention upon closer investigation: the insulation is yellow fiberglass batts, beneath white, fluffy blow-in stuff. Unfortunately I have no idea if this is also fiberglass, or cellulose. If the latter, the space is significantly less hazardous to work in. Otherwise I may need to get creative, perhaps sealing off the workspace with plastic sheeting and figuring out a way to sanitize it. I'm rather concerned with small fiberglass particles contaminating the garden, or being transported downstairs by movement. Humidity from the project is also a concern, but can be managed using tents.

Revised Botanical Wishlist
Must have:
M. hostilis`
T. bridgesii`
B. caapi
P. viridis/D. caberana
P. harmala`
Silene capensis

Would-be-nices:
Acacia spp.
Passiflora spp.
S. divinorum
Phalaris spp.
L. williamsii
Iboga (unlikely)


For flavor:
Ocimum sanctum
Stevia rebaudiana
Ipomea tricolor*

*Already started
`Possibly obtained

I believe the space is large enough and can be compartmentalized enough to promote at least early growth of many of these species simultaneously.

As far as equipment investment, all I presently have is some 6500k, 1450 CFL bulbs and a MH lamp setup. I'll try to sketch together some ideas, but what are some must-haves for a conventional greenhouse setup? Once I'm more comfortable, I may explore hydro/aquaponic setups on a small scale for specific species. Also, the attic temperature (at least vacant!) does not get much more than 80-90F on a clear, sunny day this time of year. Obviously this will change as summer comes in full force, but the ambient heat issue appears to be very managable.

Getting late here. I will add more information/thoughts tomorrow. As always, feel free to contact me with recent success stories with reliable suppliers. I will hold off from requesting help in the suppliers' section until after this has began to really take form.

Love and light,
R

EDIT: Images removed. Major update later tonight, some unexpected developments.

Drastic change of plans.
As it turns out, the attic is full of blown in fiberglass, not cellulose insulation. Due to the obvious health hazards, as well as general risk of mold and thin flooring, a change of venue is in order. More on that later.

Local shop which specializes in botanical supplies at reasonable prices. Anything that can't be found there (and paid for in cash) can be found at hardware and home improvement stores with ease. A few finalizes lists. Input is welcome from any of our resident indoor horticulturalists regarding the quality of various brands and products for equipment, soil, supplements, etc.

Equipment

Omitted plant-specific things like pots and soils for a comprehensive list coming later tonight, which should outline the majority of prospective plants, their requirements, and solutions. I apologize for the ramshackle way this is going, but plans rarely work out as originally intended. The change in work space was necessary, but has really caused a headache. Still, things are moving forward, and there should be something to show for it by the beginning of next week.

Stay tuned, more after the break.

Sorry for the scarcity everyone. Some very crazy times, but I haven't abandoned this project.

So far, we've acquired and began using a Sunleaves Pioneer IV (4' 4-bulb T5HO), which stays shockingly cool and has had phenomenal results with several mundane plants grown for transplant outside, and ten 'Heavenly Blue morning' glory plants.
I have also been gifted an in-line ventilated HID reflector, which came with a 400W Metal Halide bulb, and a 360W Sunlux Ultra HPS retro, both of which stay cool enough for use with this same setup and are alternative lighting options down the road. Scaffolding to build a proper indoor growing cabinet with humidity control will be arriving in the next few weeks, and is modular enough for multiple sealed chambers. The current setup is... "ghetto", to say the least, involving cardboard boxes as stands (pics later).

Using a hot water soak, and a ziplock bag with paper towels and distilled water, I've sprouted three of five M. hostilis seeds, which will be transplanted in well-draining, organic soil tomorrow.

I'd also began germinating T. panachoi seeds in a humidity dome made from a soup container, under the T5s and kept between 70-80 degree Fahrenheit on a 16/8 light cycle. Unfortunately one of my dogs got too curious today and tipped the container, mixing the poor, tiny seeds with the 50% perlite/soil mix. After a moment of anguish, I sterilized a wide, flat glass casserole dish, moved the catastrophic soil mix to it, and spread it out as thinly as possible. I then misted it with distilled water as normal, and used plastic wrap to make another humidity tent over it. I will have to be watchful of mold due to the poor draining, but this seems to be the only chance of saving the poor seeds.

I picked up several 10" black plastic pots (for the Mimosa), and a few large clay pots to begin planting some P. harmala this week.

Update with pics soon. Thanks for your patience everyone.

growing these plants are so fun, right?

can't wait to see your pics.

i'm also in the southeast.

currently i have caapi, viridis, alicia anisopetala, mimosa, khat, silene capensis, calea z, phalaris, hbwr, rivea corymbosa, kratom, cacti, iboga and a few others.

goodluck obtaining a cutting/seeds of diplopterys cabrerana. i as well as a few others thought we got a hold of it about a year or so go from a vendor but it turns out it was misidentied as chaliponga, it was alicia anisopetala. mistakes happen and oddly enough this vine is rarer than chaliponga and is duelly active. (contains dmt in the leave and maoi in the vine.) All in one brew plant!

best wishes your way for your grow.

Thanks. Quite the collection you have going there.

A small update. Pictures this weekend, I promise. I've been in the middle of housing upgrades, and as a result my "ghetto-fabulous" grow setup that my hyperspacial cat has set up in a spare room has suffered some budget cuts the past few weeks. Anyway, as it stands...

There are 3 beautiful little M. hostilis seedlings, a few cm tall, doing well in small soup containers with ziplock humidity tents. Seeds required mild abrasion, soaking, and simple planting. Each seems to be growing at different rates, with one established pea plant to attempt and introduce nitrogen fixing bacteria to the soil early on (unclear how successful this is, seeing no nodules on the pea roots themselves... Suggestions?). The largest seedling has some minor burns on the tips of its first real frond, but the new foliage is growing vigorously! Oddly they tend to close up a little after nighttime despite still being under decent fluoro lighting; a convenient cue to cut the lights? Macro photos coming.

A test batch of P. harmala seeds were sanded, soaked, and set to germinate in a paper towel baggie. Four of six have sprouted small roots so far, and were placed in a possibly not-well-thought-out mix of builder's sand, cactus soil, and perlite in a clay pot, a few centimeters beneath the soil surface. This mixture was then lightly spritzed, watered from below, and allowed to dry over the course of the day. Germination rate is excellent, but I am at a bit of a loss as to actually planting these guys...

As previously mentioned, several T. pachanoi seeds were lost in a catastrophic, dog-related accident. The last three seeds have been planted in a wide, shallow container with a humidity dome. We are approaching a week with no signs of germination, but time will tell.

In the mean time, seven yopo seeds, twelve A. nervosa seeds, and five P. viridis berries have been added to the collection. A test is being ran on one of the yopo seeds under similar conditions (except no sanding!) as the P. harmala seeds, but advice on germinating and planting these is GREATLY appreciated!

Currently in the market for a small, temperature-variable heating mat. Currently a large styrofoam cooler with an aquarium heater, water, and an island out of a glass baking dish suffices as a combination heater/humidity box during the recent cold nights (temperatures dipping below 60F, inside). Once a more permanent fixture is set up, an ultrasonic humidifier may be on the list as well.

In the near future, should be acquiring some S. capensis, A. acuminata, and anything else of interest found along the way from reputable vendors.

As said, photos this weekend! Renovations are finished finally, so "mundane life" has not been as demanding this week. I will comment that, what I have seen of these sacred plants, they can survive a surprising amount of neglect, evidenced by a highly amateur setup and ten-to-twelve-hour work days preventing consistent care.

Good to read you already have babies growing

Regarding the mimosas, the humidity tents are useful in the first stages, but you can pierce them (or remove them right away) pretty soon, as soon as you have a couple leaves besides the cotyledons. They do close up in the last hours of light, in long days. My first mimosa plant did that a lot while it received 18 hours of fluorescent light, until I finally moved it to another setting with a neutral 12/12 period. It keeps thriving nicely and I haven't seen closed leaves again, with the exception of the occasional sensitive mimosa reaction with touch. I presume that is related to its native rather neutral habitat.

The syrian rue is easy to germinate but in my experience it does need some care to get it through the seedling stage. The little stems are very vulnerable (even water drops from misting bend them over too much) so packing the soil under the first leaves might help. Also, watering carefully. Watch for excess humidity because they seem to be quite sensitive to fungal problems. Considering how easily they germinate, with or without pre-soaking, I guess a good chance of success involves germinating a bunch and letting the strongest ones prevail.

Keep us posted!

1. Temporary setup, under 20,000 lumens T5HO + supplementary natural sunlight (evenings).
2 & 3. Three MH's, only about two(?) months old in 10" pots. Foxfarm Ocean Forest/perlite/coir mix.
4. Yopo, two plants. Month old. Same mix. Slow grower.
5. Rue. Took several spills, lost a few. Slow growing ,except for one specimen in its own clay pot, which is about twice the size as the others. Coir/sand mix with a little soil. Not as well draining as one might like. May prove fatal, time will tell.

Unfortunately T. pachanoi seeds did not germinate.
P. viridis seeds planted, but a tumble (same as the rue) has them 'lost'. Now in a thin layer of substrate in the humidity dome, hoping the seeds (sourced from berries) will still germinate. Going into week four.

Cabinet is under construction, for a more proper indoor grow. Utilizing sunlight as much as possible while weather permits.

Looking for p. viridis cuttings, b. caapi seeds (no preference), or related Aya botanicals domestically (US), since available space and resources for a proper sacred garden has dramatically increased. Please PM with any reliable source info. Most known vendors seem to be out of stock. Always looking for intriguing new things to learn and grow. Thanks.

Will give more thorough updates soon.

R

Rue can be a tricky plant to get going... but the mimosas look great! Looks like a great start, congrats