Mandy asks…
How do you react when you are almost certain the cleaner at the hotel you’re in lifted a box of your coffee?
It’s only $2 for a box of 10 sachets, but I believe it’s the principle of the matter. Now, I did not see him take it, but there is no other plausible explanation. I had 5 unopened boxes, opened 1 at 4pm today and had a cup of coffee. Left the hotel at 5pm and instructed the cleaner to clean the room. When I come back at 7pm there are 4 sealed boxes. There is no way that open box grew legs and ran off.
GardenersCardiff answers:
From my own hotel cleaning experience I can honestly tell you that the cleaner isn’t the only person who may enter your room while you’re out. Porters, valets, mini-bar staff, cleaning supervisors, housemen, not to mention the engineers/maintenance staff and gardeners all enter throughout the day, so don’t blame the poor cleaner for everything.
Betty asks…
Wine->Beer->Cigars->Coffee, growing and making my own!?
I could use some advice on starting my own vineyard, brewery, cigar and coffee plantation. I’ve been looking into wines and vineyards for a while now so i think i know where to start, but i don’t know much of anything about the rest!
Beer: does anyone have any good recommendations for starter kits? I’d greatly appreciate any advice.
Cigars: I’d like to try growing my own tobacco and rolling it. I’m curious about any general laws on growing/harvesting tobacco. Maybe some tips on where to buy or who to buy from. What would be some good plants to start with? I know Virginian is popular.
Coffee: All i know about coffee is it was discovered by a goat herder. Like the rest of these it seems to want well drained soil. What would be a good starter plant? How do the beans go from fresh to roasted?
Any websites or reading material references would be appreciated!
I found a grape that prospered through this summer. If it can survive the summer we just had it could survive anything.
I have a huge well that will provide plenty of water for everything.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Coffee is right out for Oklahoma. You might be able to keep plants alive in a greenhouse but you won’t get them to fruit. But, you could buy bulk green beans and learn how to roast them. It could be a great local level money maker, once you master it.
Making your own cigars is not difficult if you have the leaves and cure them correctly. I don’t know if you could grow it there or not- Oklahoma is a mighty dry place. Tobacco is grown in the places it does well in (rich sandy river bottom) and where the laws are favorable. If tobacco is not a big crop in your state there is probably a reason, either bad climate/soil or restriction by law. Consider buying green leaves from virginia or any mid-atlantic state and curing them yourself before rolling and molding.
Making your own beer. It’s all good. Do it.
Grapevines- hmmm. Again Oklahoma is a mighty dry place, with poor soil and low elevations. You might find some variety of grape to survive, but I doubt you’ll make it flourish. This is a possibility, but you’d be forcing it to work. There are lots of tree fruit where you are. You can apply the same care and craft fermenting any fruit the same way you would grapes. What is cheap and at hand? What fruit trees grow around where you are- plant some of those.
Lots of fun stuff you are kicking around, good luck. Have you considered moving to the climate that is right for your projects, or picking projects that might better fit your location? Figs, olives, nut trees, etc. Or just look around and see what grows besides corn, osage, and scrub oak. Corn for instance… Not sayin’ you should try moonshine, but, you got the corn… See where i’m going with this? What’s at hand?
Cheers.
Paul asks…
What materials do I need to grow my own coffee?
GardenersCardiff answers:
“coffe” “sence” a brain, that’s ironic
you have to live in a climate that supports coffee, or you have to create an environment where you can grow it (like pot growers, i think these plants grow in similar environments)
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Richard asks…
Book about a family that decides to grow their own food for a year?
My friend told me a while ago of a woman with a family that decided to buy some land out in the middle of nowhere and just grow their own food without buying anything. She wrote a book about it. Ring a bell?
GardenersCardiff answers:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver They already owned the land though, so maybe it is a different book with the same plot. Definitely a good read though.
Helen asks…
Why are gardeners being busted for growing food?
Every few days now, citizens are being busted for growing food. Various city ordinances are created to enforce the maintenance of only inedible grass and shrubbery. Attempts of growing your own food is more and more frequently met with bulldozers, brush hogs, fines and jail.
I understand that many Americans need the heavy hand of central government to keep us safe, so for those people who welcome central government intrusion, what are the best features of central government ensuring that ordinary citizens face jail, fines and destruction of their home gardens?
For those who will say where’s your link, or that never happens, please do a search before you comment.
GardenersCardiff answers:
The government also raids dairies that don’t pasteurize milk or cheese with full combat gear. I’m afraid that not a lot of people realize that the government doesn’t just infringe on your liberties when you’re doing something ‘really bad.’ They’re often getting in the way of you and harmless products you want to consume freely. That’s right, apparently consumption warrants billions of dollars every year.
James asks…
What is a list of easily-grown natural foods which will contain all you need to live?
Obviously Bread (grain) is not sufficient, as you will die from scurvy (Vitamin C deficiency) and a lot of other issues.
Say there are no more grocery stores and you need to grow your own food. What will you eat?
EXAMPLE LIST (not a real list, just an example so you understand what I’m asking):
* beans
* peppers
* tomatoes
* rice
* grains
* nuts
* etc.
The Irish ate more than JUST potatoes.
GardenersCardiff answers:
If I had to grow my own food I would have:
– Potatoes, onions, carrots (easy to grow, easy to store throughout winter, and potatoes provide carbs without needing to bother with grains which are more of a hassle ie you need a mill etc etc)
– Pumpkin and marrows (VERY easy to grow and also to collect seeds for next season, also provides late autumn vitamin C)
– Fruit trees (which kind would depend on where I was, but for example apples, pears, cherries)
– Garlic (good for you, tastes nice, and also keeps pests off other crops, which since there are no grocery stores in this scenario means there will also be nowhere to buy pesticides)
– Tomatoes (various varieties that can be grown throughout the summer and also lots of nutrients)
– Cabbages (I don’t really like them, but it’s one of the only ways to get vit C in winter other than stored root vegetables)
– Animals for protein, probably something relatively fecund like guinea pigs/rabbits and also normal pigs (I don’t think I could live without bacon). Maybe goats as well, they’re pretty hardy and they will eat anything.
– Chickens for eggs (more protein)
– Bees for honey (source of sugar) and also to pollinate the fruit trees
– A cow for milk
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