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README.md

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+# Sproutly 🌱
+
+A self-hosted plant growth tracking web app designed to help home gardeners manage their seed starting schedules, growing cycles, and garden transitions — all anchored to their local last frost date.
+
+## Overview
+
+Sproutly takes the guesswork out of seed starting. Enter your plant varieties once with their frost-relative timing (e.g. "start 8 weeks before last frost"), set your last frost date, and Sproutly calculates exactly when to start seeds, move to the greenhouse, and transplant to the garden. A daily push notification via [ntfy](https://ntfy.sh) keeps you on track without having to check the app.
+
+## Features
+
+- **Dashboard** — at-a-glance view of overdue, today's, and upcoming tasks with a full year planting timeline
+- **Seed Library** — manage plant varieties with frost-relative timing, germination days, sun/water requirements
+- **Garden Tracker** — log growing batches and track status from `planned` → `germinating` → `seedling` → `potted up` → `hardening off` → `garden` → `harvested`
+- **Year Timeline** — visual calendar showing when each variety's stages fall across the year
+- **Ntfy Notifications** — daily summary push notifications to your phone, configurable time and topic
+- **Settings** — set your last frost date, fall frost date, location, timezone, and notification preferences
+
+## Stack
+
+| Layer     | Technology              |
+|-----------|-------------------------|
+| Frontend  | Nginx (static HTML/CSS/JS SPA) |
+| Backend   | FastAPI (Python)        |
+| Database  | MySQL 8.0               |
+| Notifications | Ntfy            |
+| Runtime   | Docker Compose          |
+
+## Getting Started
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+- Docker and Docker Compose
+
+### Run
+
+```bash
+git clone https://git.chns.tech/CooperandGoodman/sproutly.git
+cd sproutly
+cp .env.example .env   # edit credentials if desired
+docker compose up --build -d
+```
+
+Access the app at **http://localhost:8053**
+
+### First Steps
+
+1. Go to **Settings** and enter your last frost date — this anchors all planting schedule calculations
+2. Optionally configure an [ntfy](https://ntfy.sh) topic for push notifications
+3. Browse the pre-loaded **Seed Library** (12 common vegetables, herbs, and flowers included)
+4. Start logging batches in **My Garden** as you sow seeds
+
+## Environment Variables
+
+Copy `.env` and adjust as needed:
+
+```env
+MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=sproutly_root_secret
+MYSQL_USER=sproutly
+MYSQL_PASSWORD=sproutly_secret
+```
+
+## Project Structure
+
+```
+sproutly/
+├── docker-compose.yml
+├── .env
+├── mysql/
+│   └── init.sql          # Schema + sample seed varieties
+├── backend/              # FastAPI application
+│   ├── main.py
+│   ├── models.py
+│   ├── schemas.py
+│   ├── database.py
+│   └── routers/
+│       ├── varieties.py
+│       ├── batches.py
+│       ├── dashboard.py
+│       ├── settings.py
+│       └── notifications.py
+└── nginx/
+    ├── nginx.conf
+    └── html/             # Static frontend SPA
+        ├── index.html
+        ├── css/style.css
+        └── js/app.js
+```
+
+## API
+
+The FastAPI backend is available at `/api/` and includes automatic docs at **http://localhost:8053/api/docs**
+
+Key endpoints:
+- `GET /api/dashboard/` — dashboard data, tasks, and timeline
+- `GET/POST/PUT/DELETE /api/varieties/` — seed variety management
+- `GET/POST/PUT/DELETE /api/batches/` — growing batch management
+- `GET/PUT /api/settings/` — app settings
+- `POST /api/notifications/test` — send test ntfy notification
+- `POST /api/notifications/daily` — trigger daily summary
+
+## Status
+
+This project is in early development. Core infrastructure and UI prototype are functional. UI design and feature set are evolving based on user feedback.