Advice for getting into showing

[SkyChild]

I am dead keen to grow fruit and veg.

Now this year in the Dundee Flower and Food festival they have a lot of categories that complete amateurs (novices?) can enter.

I am considering carrots, peas, chillies, potatoes, courgettes and possibly melons in the "other fruits" category (depending how they turn out). I suspect my strawberries and raspberries will have been and gone by then (Start of September) and my apple trees most likely won't fruit this year as they are still getting established.

So...
problem is I have chosen my varieties already and most of them are heritage types chosen for flavour and so I can save the seed and know what I'm getting. Also most of these should survive better in my weather! So no Show Perfection or anything like that. I want to stick with them and see how I get on anyway

Any advice? Even if it's something seemingly really obvious like what judges might look for or a growing method that is far superior to any other as I've never really grown anything by the book and tend to just throw them in and see how I go (bit haphazard to win anything I know).

[ash25]

Hi SkyChild,

I myself am new to the showing world as well. Last year was my first time entering some veg into a local show more for the experience than anything. I read loads of online blogs and websites after googling specific types of veg for tips. Also got advice off friends and family who also had grown stuff in the past. Couldn't believe my luck when I got 1st for the largest Onion (although mine was the only entry into this class so I was bound to win haha), got a 1st for 3 carrots, a 3rd for a set of 3 onions, and best of the lot I got a 1st and Best In Show for 4 tomatoes. So I've got a lot to live up to this year lol.

Anyway out of those things you listed I can only really give you advice on the carrots, potatoes and chillis.

If you can, grow your carrots in barrels or bins filled with sharp sand. Then use a length of pipe to take out cores in the sand to fill with your sand/compost/additives mix. Sow 3 or 4 seeds per hole and thin down to the strongest 1 once they hit about 2-3 inch. Try to keep out of the wind and dont water too much. I didnt add any feed or additional nutrients throughout the growing time and still ended up with some very nice long straight carrots.

I've found potatoes are best grown in potato bags above ground, filled with peat instead of compost. Try to keep the plants supported and not let them fall over. Water regulary once they are established and the occasional Potash feed wont do any harm.

Start your chillis off indoors or in a greenhouse if you can in pots. Once the weather gets to a decent temperature get them outdoors or in the greenhouse, I find they grow a lot better when transplanted into the ground soil in my greenhouse. Once the plant starts flowering feed with Tomorite once a week. If you are wanting good large quality chillis you top the plant and cut off flowers to limit the number of chillis on the plant same as you would with Tomatoes.

Good luck with it, nothing beats seeing them rosettes pinned next to your entry.

Ash

[Aberdeenplotter]

Skychild, Hi. The first thing I will say is by growing heritage or even common kitchen varieties you are unlikely to end up among the tickets in a large show like Dundee. It will be even harder this year because the National Vegetable Society will have its National Championships at Dundee this time around and many NVS exhibitors like to support the local show as well entering in the Nationals Competition.

At Dundee, amateurs are defined as exhibitors who don't or haven't earned a living from horticulture and there are in fact very few classes for novices. There are loads of exhibitors in the amateur classes who are very experienced on the showbench.

It would be hard enough for a novice to get tickets showing recognised show varieties and next thing to impossible using heritage or common kitchen varieties.

The National Vegetable Society has an active District Association centred on Dundee. PM me if you want contact details

[Aberdeenplotter]

as for what the judge is looking for. Dundee is judged under NVS rules. Vegetables are judged according to condition,uniformity , colour, shape and size with potatoes additionally being graded on shallow eyes and peas for fullness of pod.

Condition always carries most points and size is only meritorious if accompanied by quality.

As a qualified NVS judge, I have to say that heritage varities rarely are among the tickets.

[SkyChild]

Thanks for the advice guys

Yes please I'd like contact details. Dundee's the only show I've been able to find that's in my area - I guess maybe the smaller ones aren't as well advertised unless you are already "on the circuit".

I wasn't really expecting to win anything first show - just get some experience and see how it works really. I can always choose different varieties next season, but don't want to waste seeds this year.

I will PM you Aberdeenplotter