Travis Thames grows massive cabbage
Travis Thames returned to the Neshoba County Co-op last week to showoff a massive cabbage he grew this year.
Measuring an impressive 48 inches from leaf to leaf and 16 and a half inches across the head, the cabbage is a testament to his gardening skills.
Thames has purchased OS cabbage plants from the Co-Op for the past five years. He plants them around a large tree stump at the home of his gardening partner, Brent “Bubba” Pope.
“They are very prolific and make a big head,” Thames said. “The first year, I grew a big one, and the second year, I grew one bigger, so they’ve been coming on ever since.”
According to Thames, fall is an excellent time for growing cabbages, as the cool weather suits the plant—provided temperatures don’t drop below freezing.
Despite the cabbage’s impressive size, Thames said it’s actually one of his smaller ones in recent years since he planted a month late. He has grown cabbages as large as 50 inches from leaf to leaf.
A gardener since the age of nine, Thames transitioned from farming to tending his personal garden as he got older.
“Gardening is one of my favorite hobbies besides fishing,” he said. “I love to garden.”
Thames enjoys all aspects of gardening, especially just watching his plants grow. He enforces rules in his garden, forbidding smoking or dipping tobacco, as he believes it harms the plants.
“The art of growing cabbages or any plants is to make sure you keep an eye on them daily to see what they need, when they need it, and how much they need,” Thames said.
His cabbage-growing process involves careful preparation by ensuring the ground is plowed and digging holes far enough apart to allow for growth. Each hole gets a teaspoon of Epsom salt before the plant is added, followed by a cup of Miracle-Gro before patting down the soil. As the cabbages grow, he feeds them a quart of Miracle-Gro weekly.
“Believe it or not, mix you up a gallon of fish emulsion—it’s a fertilizer,” he said. “You can spray it on them even if it’s 110 degrees. They love it.”
Thames also grows tomatoes, turnips, collard greens, cucumbers, and peppers, often rotating his tomato and cabbage crops to maintain soil health.
“What one takes out of the soil, the other puts back into the soil,” he said.
Thames credits his upbringing for his love of gardening. Growing up, his family relied on what they could grow, only buying essentials like sugar and flour. They raised hogs and chickens and often fished or hunted for food.
“If we didn’t grow it, we didn’t eat it,” he recalled.
Generosity is central to Thames’ gardening philosophy. “Can’t anybody tell you that knows me that I ever sell them anything,” he said. “The Lord says there’s more blessings to give than to receive.”
After planting, Thames has a tradition of taking off his hat, looking to the sky, and saying, “I’ve done my part—it’s in your hands now. If you see fit for it to make, I will divide.”
Thames also enjoys cooking and preserving what he grows, making pepper jelly, pickles, pepper sauce, and canned tomatoes—including green tomatoes.
“Gardening is like anything else—it’s all trial and error,” he said. “If at first you don’t succeed, you have to try and try again, and eventually you’ll get there. Be patient.”
Thames said he would be at peace if he passed away in a garden. He’s even joked with a friend that when he’s gone, they should slip a few seeds into his coat pocket so he can plant them in his Heavenly garden.
At 75, Thames has led a rich life. He is a Vietnam veteran who spent 30 years in the Army Reserve after the war. He worked 28 years at the battery plant, 14 and a half years with MDOT, and continues to work with the Board of Supervisors in the Unit System Barn.
He is also a proud father of two daughters, Chandra and Cherri, as well as a grandfather to seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.