Today from Bedtime Math: Moon Garden

People have visited the Moon a few times, and just this week China landed a "rover" on the Moon - a space-traveling machine with no one riding inside. But we haven't yet planted a garden on the Moon. That could change soon, as NASA, America's space agency, wants to send a garden kit on the next rocket that goes to the Moon, to see if we can grow plants up there. There's less air on the Moon, so the sunshine is stronger. Gravity, the force that pulls us down, is a lot weaker, so the plants might not grow in the same shape as on Earth. And there's no rain on the Moon, so the plants will live in a sealed box and reuse the same water over and over. NASA hopes to grow an herb called basil, a vegetable called turnip, and some flowers. The good news is, if we finally send astronauts to the Moon again, they'll have a snack waiting for them.

Now here's today's math~

Wee ones: If NASA is planting basil, turnips and flowers, how many types of moon plants is that?

Little kids: If the kit can hold seeds for 3 flowers, 3 turnip plants and 2 basil plants, how many plants could grow on the Moon?  Bonus: If each garden kit actually has room for only 2 types of plants, how many different combinations of 2-plant kits could be packed?

Big kids: If it takes 2 weeks to fly the plants to the moon and 3 weeks for them to sprout, how many days does it take in total to get moon plants?  Bonus: If the kit holds 42 seeds and only 1/3 of them grow once they reach the Moon, how many plants will work out?

Answers:

Wee ones: 3 types of moon plants.

Little kids: 8 plants.  Bonus: 3 combinations: flowers and turnips, flowers and basil, turnips and basil. 

Big kids: 35 days, since it takes 5 weeks.  Bonus: 14 plants.