Lisa asks…
Any gardening tips for a newbie?
just started gardening a few weeks ago, already have peas carrots cantalope watermelon tomatoes and cucumbers and lettuce growing. im excited but just wondering if anyone has tips or secreats they want to share with me?
GardenersCardiff answers:
Wow for a first time gardener you have alot good luck if your growing all this i suggest you make a salad
Charles asks…
what are some vegetables that are easy to grow? What are some good gardening tips?
What is a good way to keep bugs and animals away from my garden? When should I strt my seeds. Note I do not have seeds I need to buy some. I start my post secondary eduation in the fall and think I will be low on cash I want to grow some food.
GardenersCardiff answers:
I don’t know where you live, but these have proven easy for me to grow in soil that does not have much clay in it.
Tomatoes,
Okra,
Squash,
almost any Beans,
cantalope,
and onions and garlic.
Oh, and let’s not forget the main staple…potatoes.
I would start from seed right now in your window sill. Get one of those seed starter kits, and you will only need a few of each. Say two to four plants. Trust me. After the first week of April, if you are in the southern area of US, you can transplant the plants into a garden outside. Make sure they get plenty of sun. Keep garden bug spray handy and watch for the leaves turning brown or yellow.
Good luck.
Jenny asks…
Any gardening tips for someone with a bum back?
Trying to figure our how to pull weeds when I can’t bend over…Any “lazy” gardeners tips? Thanks 
GardenersCardiff answers:
First, you may want to try this for your back…(it works for me!).
Lay on your back, on a carpet or floor.
Now, bring both knees up to your chest. Hold it there for 10 seconds. (yes, you can hold them with both of your arms), then, after that, shift them to one side, and hold there for 10 seconds then shift to the other side, and hold again for 10 seconds. This will help “loosen” your back so that you dont have much pain.
(I know, it works for me and I used to take a 500 mg of vicodine a day!).
Then, you can try this..(though, it will bother you for a while, it “loosens the back muscles and straightens the spinal cord so that you can be more flexible…I hear my spine “popping” when I do this, so I know that the spine is lining up).
Sit on a chair, and keep your feet planted firmly on the ground.
Now, lift your arms to below shoulder height, (what ever your comfortable with). Now, move your upper body all the way to the left (not too far, from the start, or you may “twist” your back, and have a charlie horse in it, or pull a muscle…give it time), then, swing it all the way to the other side.
Do this about 25 times the first few times, and keep working up until you can do this for 5 minutes each day.
You will probably be sore for awhile, but, this will bring flexibility in your life and you may get away from pain pills.
If your overweight, lose it! It will help a lot in lessening the pain on the back.
Cold packs also help in stemming the pain.
I would get the “garden weasel” or other implements they sell on TV to help in your gardening needs. I dont know if they work, but, I would rather do that, then bend over.
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John asks…
Does anyone know if it is okay to try growing flower seeds in coffee grounds? I tried it today!?
First, I don’t know if seeds are compatible with just the contents alone of coffee grounds. Secondly, I think the coffee might just solidify with water added to it, and that would just give the seeds an environment to grow in equal to sludgy molasses! It already looks like molasses in there, where I’ve planted the marigold seeds I pulled out of my growing marigolds I already have been successful in getting to grow with soil. Should I stick to soil, or should I go ahead and put some faith in a different kind of medium for growing seeds? My main question now is, would anyone recommend giving this new method of growing a try, or do you think I should give up the experiment, and realize that it’s a hopeless cause to expect seeds to survive in such a different environment? Don’t be afraid to tell my any of your own personal experiences. This would be a great science experiment, but I just want to find out if any of you have experience in the field so that I can know if it will be worth my time invested in trying to grow the marigold seeds. I think it would be a great thing to look forward to, and I will post on here a reply to anyone who knows some good information about this endeavor that I’m taking with my planting experiment. I will be celebrating their growth, if they do show up inside the glass jar I have already planted them inside, and I might even post a picture of their growth after finding out if it actually can happen in the environment they are currently surviving inside. I hope to find out from someone with valid experience in the field of growing seeds if this is worth my time invested in growing my marigold seeds I have currently planted in plain ground coffee. Thanks for your time you have taken to consider the questions I have on this matter of opinion. I’m hoping that someone with expert knowledge about gardening will have some ideas to offer on this question. It is probably often thought about by young children, but never really has been answered yet on the adult level of experience.
GardenersCardiff answers:
I would think the PH level of coffee grounds would be to much on the acidy side of the scale to grow most plants.
Helen asks…
Do coffee bean seeds really grow?
I really want to grow my own coffee bean plant in my home but I don’t know if they grow well. I saw the seeds on Amazon so if you have experience planting please help. Just tell me if they work well on a scale of 1-5 and what is the best way to grow them. P.S its to hot out for me to grow them outside but I have tons of plants indoors. Thanks for your time and help
GardenersCardiff answers:
I’ve only ever purchased a small plant. Germination may be difficult.
The plant itself is fickle and is highly unlikely to produce berries until after 5 years, and this is with optimal conditions. In your case, it will need to be potted, which means it will probably never flower or grow fruit. But you can still have a nice plant if you care for it correctly. They like bright, totally INdirect sunlight, high humidity, and rich soil. Mine has maintained in temps as high as 100*F, it just cannot be in direct sun. Definitely needs indoor protection in the winter.
Sandy asks…
Where Would be able to buy fresh coffee beans(seeds) for gardening purposes?
I love coffee, and I’ve recently took gardening as a hobby to enjoy the summer. Yes I know It can be a hard task to grow and refine your own beans, but that’s the beauty of it!
please help me. I live in Fresno/central valley California.
Thank you very much 
GardenersCardiff answers:
This is a good overview, and you can find other sources for seeds. Many nurseries also carry the plants, which make good houseplants, even if you’re not trying to grow in order to harvest.
Http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/homegrowing.htm
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