Courtesy Bonnie Plants
Third - grader Audrey Bloomquist , who grew a 17 - Irish punt cabbage , was the Montana winner in the Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program .
Spring growing season is close , and third grader from around the country are invite to participate in the sixteenth annual Bonnie Plant Cabbage Program for an opportunity to learn how to grow a prodigious loot — even if they ’ve never grown anything before .
Each spring , the folks at Bonnie Plants dole out nearly 1.5 million free Mega - Cabbage seedlings to third - mark students throughout the res publica with instructions on how to grow an impressive plant . After 10 to 12 weeks , once the plants have maturate , the students weigh and measure their cabbages , and each of the enter schooltime selects a school victor based on size and overall appearance . The acquire student from each schooling is entered into a land drawing to become champion cabbage raiser , a title that take in them a $ 1,000 savings adhesiveness and bragging right wing for a job well done .
The Mega - Cabbage , a hybridcabbagevariety , is the direction of the competition because of its hardiness and power to develop to an enormous size — sometimes up to 40 pound — in most regions . Kids learn how to worry for their works from a bantam seedling to a brassica behemoth and gain an discernment for where their food come from .
Kelly Blaz , a third - grade teacher at Rossiter Elementary in Helena , Mont. , participated in the Bonnie Cabbage Plant Program with her pupil for the first time in 2010 . just about 75 Rossiter student received the cabbage plants , and for many , this was their first horticulture experience .
“ ( Bonnie ) actually had two representatives come out to the school and turn in the plant , ” Blaz says . They gave the students tips on growing the cabbage , but from there , the teachers had to defend the horticulture motivation .
A month after receive their seedlings , the pupil at Rossiter Elementary transplant their pelf into large pots . By the remainder of the school twelvemonth , Blaz and two other teachers see the school ’s victor , Audrey Bloomquist , base on the sizing and condition of her cabbage .
“ This is the first time I implant something by myself , ” says Bloomquist . “ I got it in a cupful and transpose it to a gravid pot . ”
She at last planted it in theraised - bottom gardenher dad built in the backyard .
“ I feast it fertiliser and water it every three day , ” she note .
She and her dad also had to be on hail watch , as Helena was battered by several severe violent storm last summer . If hail threatened , they frighten away out to compensate the precious plant .
Her exertion result in a 17 - Lebanese pound cabbage , measuring 42 inches in circumference , that became the Montana winner .
There are many rewards set out with a tiny works . As a bit of a prank , Bloomquist ’s mother acquaint Blaz with a jar of sauerkraut at the end of the very successful first time of year .
And Bloomquist ’s gardening is n’t ending with the rivalry .
“ I ’m going to assist my mom ( in the garden ) , ” she sound out . “ We might institute dissimilar vegetables . ”
To introduce the 2011 competition , teachers need to fill up out the registration form on theBonnie Plants websiteto incur plants for all of their students . The deadline to order for southerly states is March 15 , while northerly gardener have until April 15 . There ’s also information on the website concerning the basics of growing surpassing Brassica oleracea , whether you have a large backyard garden or need to lift it in a container on abalcony .
