Othello High School greenhouse sells out on first day

OTHELLO — The annual plant sale sponsored by the Othello High School FFA chapter was scheduled to last three days, but sold out in less than six hours.

Gardeners were waiting in line as ag teacher and FFA advisor Kris DeTrolio opened the door. The sale was scheduled for April 30 through May 2, but the greenhouse was almost empty by 2:30 p.m. on the first day, DeTrolio said.

“It was huge. It went really well,” she said.

Gardeners had their choice of a greenhouse full of petunias and lobelia, daisies, ornamental grasses, hanging baskets and ornamental pots, among other choices. It’s the third year for the plant sale, DeTrolio said, and as far as the quality of the plants are concerned, it was the best yet.

That was in spite of the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak, which closed school and meant none of the horticulture students or FFA members were allowed on campus. But most of the planting was finished by the time school was closed in mid-March. “The kids did most of the work,” DeTrolio said.

The last shipment of plants arrived the day school closed, and some horticulture students and FFA members stayed after school to finish planting. “From then on it was me,” DeTrolio said, doing all the maintenance.

A little planting remained to be done, and DeTrolio turned that into a class assignment. She made a video detailing the choices available, and asked the students to determine which plants were the most compatible with each other. Students also had to determine which color combinations would work best. “Then I had them give me ideas of which plants to pot,” she said.

But because students were barred from campus, they never got back in the greenhouse. “I was just sad they couldn’t see it all,” she said.

She revived the greenhouse project and plant sale in 2018. After unsatisfactory results in 2019, she turned to the OHS ag advisory committee for help. Its members helped develop a better quality soil mix, she said, especially Kirk Junkers of First Line Seeds, Moses Lake.

The money raised is used to support FFA and OHS ag department activities.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].