4th Annual Lettuce Challenge

The Stamford Garden Club sponsored the 4th Annual lettuce Challenge for the GIVE schools in Stamford. Tiny buttercrunch lettuce plugs were distributed to 16 schools and over 700 students on April 1st. Six weeks later, on May 12th,  the 3 best entries from each class or club (over 100)  were picked up by the Stamford Garden Club, delivered to the Government Center, and were judged. The best plants in each group were awarded a blue ribbon. The Best in Show went to an entry from Dolan Middle School: perfectly formed, rosette shape, dense center, and dark green in color. It had been grown "au naturel". The student planted the tiny plug in the designated pot with the potting soil provided. He placed the pot into his garden bed, surrounded by soil to keep it warm, watered occasionally, and, as he said, "I just let it grow." 
Some entries were grown under gro-lights, some in windowsills, some in mini-greenhouses made from milk jugs. But, "best in show" was done in the most natural and simple way.

tiny  lettuce plugs being planted on April 1st

growing in the pot in the garden bed

growing in the milk-jug green house

Best in Show

overview of one of the tables

Next step: back into the garden beds to be allowed to grow full size. Soon to be a salad!

Enjoy the link to a video from the recognition day, May 14th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldc4clm7Zqo&feature=player_embedded