the soil sounds fine and yes a little clay is good it holds a lot of nutrients a plant need and helps to keep the soil moist.(to much clay is not good)

now the rest depends on climate i can only go by my experience.

i wait for the shortest day of the year to start my germination and i do this in pots or the ground.

this then gives me a full cycle of growth.

plus i only grow through the spring/ summer cycle,then the flowering starts after the longest day of the year and the days get shorter.

and picking starts around may/june

being in australia this works for me,you would have to work with your climate cycles.

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