Radish pods are a delicious substitute for radish in a salad and they thrive in the heat of summer.

Radish pods and Japanese red mustard growing in the Indiana garden in November.

Tomatoes growing inside a cold frame in my Indiana garden on November 11, 2011.

See the vegetables that are still growing and being harvested under cover in Indiana in November.

INDIANA STATE WINNER: Abby Shinovich

Its easy going and growing green with the National Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program. Kids across America are learning to garden and some are earning a lot of “green” participating in Bonnie’s Cabbage Program. This season, more than 1.5 million third graders in 48 states dug in and got hands-on gardening experience growing colossal cabbages, reaping hefty harvests and holding high hopes to win “best in state” and receive a $1,000 scholarship towards education from Bonnie Plants.

Each year Bonnie Plants, the largest producer of vegetable and herb plants in North America, with 75 growing stations across the country, trucks free O.S. Cross, or “oversized,” cabbage plants to third grade classrooms whose teachers have signed up for the program online at www.bonnieplants.com. If nurtured and cared for, kids can grow green, giant cabbages, some tipping the scales at 40 pounds!

First launched in 2002, the program awards a $1,000 scholarship to one student in each participating state. At the end of the growing season, teachers from each class select the student who has grown the “best” cabbage, based on size and appearance. A picture of the cabbage and the student entry is submitted to Bonnie Plants by mail or online. That student’s name is then entered in a statewide drawing. The winners of each state’s drawing are randomly selected by the Commission of Agriculture’s office, state by state.

“The Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is a wonderful way to engage children’s interest in agriculture, while teaching them not only the basics of gardening, but the importance of our food systems and growing our own”, said Stan Cope, President of Bonnie Plants. This unique, innovative program exposes children to agriculture and demonstrates, through hands-on experience, where food comes from. The program also affords our youth with some valuable life lessons in
nurture, nature, responsibility, self-confidence and accomplishment”.

“Over the course of the past 9 years, the Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program has proved to be an exciting, worth-while experience that children, teachers and parents across the country have embraced. We’re pleased and proud to provide our youth with this enjoyable and enriching opportunity and engage their interest in the art and joy of gardening”, said Cope.

Why a cabbage? Cabbages were the first plant sold by Bonnie in 1918. The cabbages used for the 3rd grade program are OS Cross (over-sized), which is known for producing giant, oversized heads, making the process even more exciting for kids.

Get It Growing: Growing a colossal cabbage may seem like a giant undertaking for little kids, but it’s easier than you think.

Let the sunshine in: Cabbages need at least six hours of full sunlight, more if possible.

Survey your space: Bonnie O.S. cabbages need at least three feet on each side to spread out. If you don’t have that much space, use a large container.

Supplement soil: Work some compost into the soil – cabbages love nutrient-rich soil.

Feed the need: Start your cabbage off right with an all-purpose vegetable fertilizer, then fertilize it every 10 days to keep it growing strong.

Water wisely: Your cabbage needs at least one inch of rainfall each week. If it doesn’t rain, use a watering can or a garden hose to gently water your plant.

Tend to trouble: Keep weeds out of the cabbage patch – they compete for the food and water your cabbage needs. Be on the lookout for brown or white moths – these come from worms that love to munch on cabbage. If you see any, get rid of them right away. Cold weather can damage your cabbage. If the weather gets below 32° F, cover your cabbage with a bucket.

Hefty harvest time: In just 10 to 12 weeks, you should have a humongous head of cabbage you can be proud of.

Green thumbs and perseverance can pay off, providing participating children with as great sense of pride and accomplishment, a colassal cabbage, and for the lucky state winner- the beginning of an educational fund for college. To see the 2011 winners and learn more about the 2012 contest, visit www.bonnieplants.com

Rave Reviews

The Third Grade Cabbage Program provides valuable lessons to students about agriculture and the way it touches everyone’s life every day. I commend Bonnie Plants for this program.
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner, Richie Farmer

This kind of activity is great because it teaches our students about the natural growth process. This year, we’re going to encourage even more teachers to participate. Lenora Richardson, Science & Social Studies Supervisor, Cabell County Schools, WV

It’s really important that our youth understand where our food comes from. I’m glad that Bonnie Plant Farm expanded its cabbage-growing program to include Kansas schools, so our students can learn about growing food while competing for scholarship money.
Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, Adrian Polansky

It’s good for the students to get out there and grow their own plants. It helps them learn about nature, soil composition and the parts of plants, but it also shows them where things come from,” she said. “So many young people take for granted the fact that we can walk into the store and buy whatever we want. It’s a good history lesson for them to learn that it wasn’t always like that, even in this country.
Melody Witt, Alto Elementary Principal, Texas

Kale doesn't mind frost. In fact, the leaves taste sweeter after a frost has hit them.

Grow a variety of salad mixes in a cold frame and eat fresh salads all winter long.

Tomatoes growing inside a cold frame in my Indiana garden on November 5, 2011.

A number of warm-weather crops, such as tomatoes can be kept alive for several more months by erecting a cold frame over the top of them before the temperature falls below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Any stems, leaves or fruit that touch the plastic or row cover will sustain damage, so be aware of this. This is why tunnel houses often work best for taller crops.

Cabbage growing in a cold frame in my Indiana garden on November 5, 2011.

Cabbage – as well as most other cool-weather crops such as spinach, turnips, radish and carrots  do fine under cover throughout the winter. The cabbage above was planted last spring. The area where it was grown received shade all summer long. Now that the leaves have fallen, it is in full sun. The plan is to leave it in the ground until I am ready to use it to make saukerkraut or coleslaw. In fact, I have an entire bed of cabbage planted in this particular cold frame.

Here are a few other plants that take a light frost and bounce back for more. Mix and match these – and just think how much longer they would last if given some frost protection.

Swiss chard still going strong after several frosts, including a killing frost.

Japanese red mustard doesn't mind snow, or frost - and grows all winter long in the open garden without protection.

Peas can handle some frost, but providing frost protection keeps them alive longer.

Snapdragons also tolerate frost, but growing them under cover results in taller plants that bloom much longer.

Extending the growing season is all about learning which plants tolerate frost and which ones need frost protection. Just like any aspect of gardening, it is trial and error. Keep notes. Learn what you did right and what you did wrong. In no time at all, you too can be gardening year-round, even if you live in a cold climate like I do!

There are many varieties of seeds ideal for winter planting including lettuce.

Fall is the appropriate time for planting winter vegetables, however winter gardening and winter planting are two very different aspects. Winter gardening is all about growing fruits, flowers and vegetables during the coldest part of the year. Winter planting is all about putting those crops – rather they are bare root plants, seeds or tubers – into the ground from December through February.

The key to winter planting is pre-planning. Potatoes and bare root plants typically require that the hole be pre-dug before the ground freezes. Now that is not to say you cannot dig frozen ground with a pick-axe or use plastic to create enough heat to allow you to dig, but let’s face it, that requires a lot of extra effort – and frankly, when it is cold enough outside to see your breath who wants to be outside long enough to plant a garden. This is why pre-planning goes a long way towards your winter planting success.

Remove weeds and plant debris in the fall so the beds are clean come winter.

When it comes to seeds, the only pre-planning required is to make sure your beds are free of weeds and cultivated so once spring arrives you aren’t trying to figure out which seedlings to remove and which ones to keep. After all, it never seems to fail that weeds grow faster than cultivated crops.

Here are a few crops that are ideal for winter planting – and best of all, if you let them set seed – once your beds are weed free – they will self-sow year-after-year.

potatoes – yes, even in United States Agricultural hardiness zone 5 – plant them from the end of November to the end of December.

lettuce

peas

radish

carrots

kale

collards

broccoli

parsnips

tomatoes

turnips

mustard

radish pods

winter squash

amaranth

rutabaga

tomatillo

arugula

beets

orach

sunflowers

bachelor buttons

celosia

cosmos

calendula

cleome

poppies

nasturtiums

four o’clocks

sweet alyssum

viola

chamomile

fennel

dill

cilantro

cutting celery

parsley

A large tunnel house in the background. Smaller tunnels covered with row cover in the center. Hoops made of plastic conduit in the front waiting to be covered.

Be sure to wait until the ground is completely frozen – which is usually after December 21. Otherwise the seeds may germinate too soon. If you live in an area with lots of bird or wildlife activity it may be necessary to cover the seeds with row cover or a cold frame to prevent them from becoming a food source for hungry critters.

Radishes are ideal fall crops.

A large tunnel house in the background. Smaller tunnels covered with row cover in the center. Hoops made of plastic conduit in the front waiting to be covered.

It doesn’t take a lot to keep frost off of plants, which is half the battle. Simply covering them with row cover is enough depending on how cold it gets and the severity of the frost. For example, last night we had a killing frost here in my Indiana garden. The vegetable plants in the open garden – with the exception of carrots, kale and peas – were killed. The plants under the row cover and plastic were fine – including the tomatoes.

Tomato in bloom after a killing frost. This plant was protected by 6 mil. plastic. and nothing else.

A neighboring tomato plant, under the plastic, with fresh tomatoes on it on October 30.

Tomatoes harvested on October 30, 2011.

So you see, growing vegetables year-round is not rocket science. In fact, anyone – even you – can do this. All it takes is a simple cold frame and selecting the right vegetables. While it is true that the tomatoes won’t make it until spring, they will survive several more months and the crops, which are all cool season crops, won’t have any problems at all making it through the winter, even here in United States Department of Agricultural hardiness zones 5/6.

Purple carrots

Growing vegetables in the winter is a lot of fun and a whole lot less work. Cool season vegetables, such as the purple carrots above, taste more succulent when they are grown during the colder part of the year. Radish are not as hot either. Lettuce and other salad greens practically melt in your mouth.

Weeds are not an issue as long as you start with clean beds. Put a layer of straw between the rows once the plants start to grow. The straw blocks weeds, breaks down over the winter adding nutrients to your soil and helps keep the soil warm. In fact many vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, radish and turnip, are easy to store in the ground all winter long if you cover them with a heavy layer of straw before winter sets in.

Frost cover and tunnel houses help extend the growing season.

Once your seeds are planted and frost threatens, cover your plants with a cold frame, which is nothing more than a box with a clear lid. If your garden is rather large, a tunnel house – or unheated greenhouse – is a better solution. Remember, it doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, you can make it yourself. The most important thing is that it protects the plants from frost and helps hold heat in while still allowing the plants to receive plenty of natural light.

Kale

There are some vegetables that don’t need protection to thrive during the winter months. Kale (see photo above), Brussels sprouts and Jerusalem Artichokes are examples of these types of vegetables. In fact, they taste sweeter after several frosts have kissed them.

Another advantage to growing vegetables during the winter is you can save a ton of money on your grocery bill without giving up fresh produce. If you didn’t get your seeds planted yet and there is no place for you to buy transplants of cool weather vegetables, don’t despair. There is still time to plant. The difference is the cooler the temperatures are when you plant, the longer the seeds take to germinate and grow into mature plants.

Young self-seeded lettuce plants.

Sprinkle lettuce or salad mix seed on top of the ground every two weeks all winter long. Water it in well as long as the temperatures are above freezing or broadcast the seed when there is a light rain or snowfall happening to help the seed make good contact with the ground. Lettuce is a self-seeding crop, so what does not germinate and grow now will come up in the spring.

Watermelon radish

Radish also self-seeds, so once it goes to seed in your garden, you won’t have a shortage. The seed pods are edible as long as they are plump and green. The variety grown specifically for the seed pods is called “rat’s tail.” The seed pods are wonderful in salads and work well in stir-fry. They are good to eat fresh too. They do taste like radish. The radish in the picture above is “watermelon.”

Other good winter vegetables include spinach, cabbage, edible-podded peas, arugula, cauliflower and broccoli. Think about the kinds of vegetables you grow in early spring and try them on the other side of the calendar. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

For more information on gardening year-round, be sure to check out The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Year-Round Gardening – best of all, you can check out a sample chapter on the Kindle for free!