January, Gather Round for a cup of coffee

Kohlrabi is in the cabbage family, so I presume it grows everywhere the other cabbages do. I know it grows well in Ohio, Chicago and Massachusetts. I've never grown enough to freeze it.

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Never heard of kohlrabi. Looked it up, does it freeze well? What part of the country does it grow in?

I need to clean out my freezer. Have quite a bit of shredded & sliced kohlrabi that I need to get out. I am thinking of making it into a relish like my zucchini relish....a little sweet (not as sweet as store bought). Maybe closer to a bread & butter flavor.

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Fearlesslife - those starting values are exactly what I needed.

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Oh my gosh, what a wonderful website for putting up.

GREGJACK:

The "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Ag Information Bulletin No. 539, which is available on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website, contains a chart on page 1-25 that will help you work out the amounts your family will need for one year.
www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html

It's a place to start. If your family looooooves applesauce, etc., then adjust.

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I also used the last of my applesauce, definately did not freeze enough for the winter. It's a learning process.

Fresh pineapple is available in the market for very reasonable prices right now. Does anyone know how to preserve it? Can it be frozen?

How do you figure out how much to can/freeze/dry each year? I know trial and error would work eventually, but I'd love to start trying to can ALL the tomatoes I'll use, and I have NO idea how to estimate the quantities.

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It's a bit warmer this weekend. Gives me the spring gardening itch. Especially when I drop in on the conversation here.

Used the last of my dried tomatoes, the last of my apple sauce and pear sauce - I am thinking I didn't put enough food by!

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I made a blog about seed starting! I'm so excited! Can't wait. I'm going to use reading the backs of seed packages as a reward for finishing my work everyday.

www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_jo
ur
nal.asp?id=FEARLESSLIFE

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GREBJACK, here's a thread that has some links in it, links not only for, but including, CSAs.

https://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/team_
messageboard_thread.asp?board=5622x214
97x18280262
www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/team_mes
sa
geboard_thread.asp?board=5622x21497xR>18280262

For breaking down goals, you just divide the yearly goal into babysteps - just ask yourself what you would have to do / accomplish, in order to meet the yearly goal; and make a list.

Since I got started late on mine this year, there will be 11 months left in 2010, so I'm dividing all the short term goals into 11 baby steps (or less). I also have 18 month goals, 10-year goals, etc.

Like if your goal is to learn to build your own bookcase in the remaining 11 months of 2010, 4 baby steps might be:
(1) buy a how-to book (or do internet rsch, or library instead of buying).
(2) select a pattern that meets your needs; decide how big etc.
(3) buy all the stuff the book says you need or find out where you can borrow; like buying the wood, nails, saws, etc.
(4) construction and finishing

So you could label ea of those 4 babystep goals (1)Feb, (2)Mar, (3)Apr, (4)May (tho some will take longer than 1 month; this is just an example).

For Feb's goal, get informed, you would break it down into 4 weekly goals of information gathering and / or reading the book and taking notes. Like the first week of Feb, get the book or find the info. Weeks 2, 3, and 4 of Feb: get the book read. If it's 200 pages, divide 200 by 3 for the 3 weeks, and make your weekly goal of reading 67pages per week.

Then for your daily goals during weeks 2, 3, and 4 of Feb, divide the 67 pages by 7 for the 7 days in the week.

Then you see in order to gather the info you need and read the book(s), this means you have to find the book in one week, and also read ~10pages per day thereafter, in order to get one 200-page book on building bookcases, done in the one month of Feb.

For physical stuff there is lots and lots of free training info on the internet, including on SparkPeople.

Apply the acronym SMART to your goals. Google it.

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My community garden used to have a seed catalog party where we'd all sit around a huge pot of root vegetable soup and share our favorite seed catalogs. Now that I live in a new place (and haven't found a community garden yet) I really miss it. How do I find my fellow gardeners in this city?

Yeah, and how do I learn to break down my goals for the year into monthly or weekly baby steps? That's amazing.

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I have not had a problem with the newspaper molding. But I stick to the black and white, not the bright colorful flyers. Then it all gets tilled into the ground as it biodegrades or breaks down without problem.

Lisa

I would imagine that the newspaper cups could mold too . . . let me know how it goes. I am very allergic to mildew, so I don't want to risk it. I hate to promote plastic, but that is what I am going to use this year!
The snow is melting nice and slow this year, so the ground should be able to absorb it all and we will have a wonderful growing season this year!

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Speaking of newspapers and peat moss cups, on You Tube they show how to make DIY seed cups out of newspaper instead of cups.

I saved a bunch of yogurt cups and nursery divided planters from last year for mine. But will use the You Tube newspaper cups if I run out and need more.

Has anyone tried seed blocking? I'm trying it this Feb for starting seeds inside. Look for the You Tube seed blocking video. Most online catalogs offer seed blockers, as well.

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I have had peat pots mold too. It is pretty gross.

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Good Plan!
I am going to get a proper seed starting system. Last year we used cut in half toilet paper rolls (saw it in Mother Earth News) and they mildewed - quite gross.

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Last yrs garden did not do well but just reading through everyones post I'm going to:
1. go on line and order seed cat. and start planning
2. try the newspaper thing
3. try the cardboard thing
Thanks everyone for all the good info. and
Happy, Health, Prosperous New Year and
Happy gardening!!

It doesn't take up all that much room. My aerogardens are on a shelving system and the potted plants sit on the floor around the shelves so they can benefit from the grow lights. Floor space-wise, I'd say it takes up about 3 feet wide by six or seven feet long.

I really want to double that space, though, but my significant other has been resistant! LOL!

I wish I had a place for an indoor garden.

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Woo hoo! I got a shipment confirmation email today! My seeds are on their way!

I haven't tried the newspapers,yet. But, I will this year. I took Lisa's advice about the cardboard around the raspberries & it really helped. So, I trust her advice :)

Do newspapers in the garden REALLy WORK? I am desperate to find something to keep the weeds down.

No resolutions for me either. Just an attitude adjustment!! I was long overdue for one! We are going through the seed catalogs like kids go through the JC Penny toy catalog in November! So excited! We are going to try the newspapers between our rows this year as well.

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My grand kids love the cinnamon applesauce I made too. I think I will try putting newspaper down to keep the weeds from being so bad.

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Might give the newspapers a try - this past summer we even tried putting old boards/planks between the rows and they got covered in weeds! But the grandson will be one this summer, so MAYBE we will be a little less distracted.
On a happy note, he (my grandson) is happily enjoying the applesauce and pear sauce I canned for him in the fall. Sadly he didn't much care for the peaches we froze.

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Blueray- I like to save newspaper and put it around my plants with dirt on top, cuts back on weeds. In my raspberries, I put cardboard down the rows with rocks on top.

Lisa

No resolutions here either. I'm going to have a tough time tolerating all the resolutionists that joined the gym and making it overly crowded. The one trainer said not to worry, they'll be gone by the end of the month. LOL!

I'm still very much enjoying my garden since it's indoors in pots and aerogardens. My tomato plant is covered in flowers and starting to get cute baby tomatoes on it. My one pepper plant finally has a pepper growing on it. Apparently, I'm not a very good bee although I'm trying hard. I have lots of herbs growing wild as well.

I sent an order for new seeds from a catalog I received in the mail but I guess I'll have to wait until the traditional planting time to get them. If I think of it and have time, I should try contacting them to see if they can ship sooner since I'm not waiting for my ground to thaw to plant!

I normally don't do resolutions either. However I found one I really like. This year, each day, ONE DAY AT A TIME, whenever I think about myself instead of thinking negatively or hatefully, I will strive to think positive and with lovingkindness about, and speak and act positively and with lovingkindness about, about my personal self, life, and current situation. I will treat myself and think of myself with the common kindness I would serve a customer or a stranger.

Every year I also do goals instead of resolutions. Right now I am in the process of making yearly goals.

Then I'll divide each yearly goal into twelfths (or 11ths this year since they were not done by Jan 1), to make monthly benchmarks.

Then I'll divide each monthly benchmark into 4 weekly goals, and put them in my Franklin Covey Planner.

Then I'll divide weekly goals into daily action items (baby steps).

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Hi all! Didn't really make any resolutions. I am just determined to get the rest of this weight off this year. I have been looking through my seed catalogs that just came & dreaming of Spring. Our weather as well as a lot of the country's has been brutal.

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Net and Lisa - good to see you both!
Don't know if one would call it a resolution, but I am striving to make better use of my time.
We are also planning our garden already, trying to figure out ways to better control the weeds!
Happy New Year!
Beth

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Net- it's good to see you!!

I have just gotten my seed catalogs trickling in in the mail. I love to plan and dream. I still have carrots and parsnips in the ground. I gotta dig them soon, I'm just testing the last of them to see how well they do.

About this time of year, the deer hop my fence and trim my raspberry bushes to the ground. Didn't hurt them last year, plus it save me time pruning.

Lisa

I'll drink water while you drink coffee :)

No resolutions here either. I usually make some only to not stick with them, so I skipped that this year.
I am going to just continue to try to eat right, exercise & lose some weight.

My fall garden failed. It flooded. Then the weeds took over. Then the deer ate everything but the carotts & onions. The carotts are planted too close together [I'll know better next year] so they aren't growing right:(

Hi, all, well the New Year is here. Did anyone make any resolutions? I didn't, but I never do. What I am trying to continue with is healthy life style changes. The biggest being what I eat, and planning what to eat, instead of grabbing.

Have a great day. I gotta go and put supper on the table.

Lisa