26-08-11

Sanderstead Horticultural Society

Guide to New Exhibitors

There are three main things that the judges will be looking for.

Freshness. You entry should look fresh and bright.

Uniformity. If the class requires several flowers ore fruit they should be as near as possible the same size.

According to schedule. As the class was defined in the schedule.

In the Schedule the word “kind” denotes a type of flower e.g. Roses, Sweet Peas or a type of vegetable e.g. Potatoes etc. The word “variety” is used to distinguish examples of “kinds” e.g. Peace, Super Star, Wendy Cussons are varieties of roses: Arran Pilot and Catrioner are varieties of potatoes. Where possible, name the variety you are exhibiting.

Section A

Potatoes. Should be carefully washed to avoid damage to the skins (not scrubbed). They should be even in size, not necessarily very large, free from blemishes and without deep eyes. Do not polish.

Broad Beans. To get good beans, they should be grown in a rich heavy soil. Give plenty of manure or garden compost. Best varieties foe exhibiting are the long pod varieties. Select fresh, green, young and well filled pods without blemish. Should be large but uniform in size. Beans inside should be young and tender.

Peas. For exhibiting, chose a heavy cropping maincrop variety with large-pointed pods. Sow and cultivate as main crop peas for the kitchen, in order to let exhibition pods have more space to form, remove any that are weak or misshapen, in very hot weather, shade plants with cloth draped over supports to prevent pods drying out. On day of the show, cut the fullest and best coloured pods, avoiding over- handling which will damage the bloom. Hold up in strong light to make sure they are well filled and free of maggots. Arrange in a wheel formation with stalks pointing inwards. Judges look for large, green, well filled and well matched pods.

Cabbages.  Chose varieties suited to your soil and area. Cut the cabbage just before the show, as freshness will count high. If cabbages mature too quickly, lift them at their prime time and hang

them upside down in a cool dark place. Spray with cold water twice a day to stop them wilting. Cabbages should be fresh and well shaped with tender hearts.

Lettuces. See cabbages.

Carrots. For early or mid summer shows, you can sow one of the larger varieties of carrots in late winter or early spring. Make sure soil is absolutely first class sandy loam; otherwise prepare bore holes 18’’ deep and 12’’ apart in all directions. These should be filled with sifted top soil mixed with sand. Show short quick growing carrots at summer shows. Carrots must be thinned to 4’’ apart in early stages of growth. For late summer shows, sow in mid- spring and again in late spring in open ground. Roots will split if soil dries out and is then drenched. Dig out carrots with a spade, do not pull as this marks the carrots. Place carrots in wet sacking as they should not be allowed to dry out. To remove soil, wash in cold water with sponge. They should be well shaped with clear bright colour. Texture firm and flesh tender and juicy.

Parsnips. Should be long, straight and unforked. Grow a long variety and sow as early as possible in order to get longest growing season. Best to have a deep, stone-free and friable loam soil to produce best roots by planting them in normal way. Spacing at 12’’ intervals. Keep parsnips well watered throughout the season to prevent cracking, and wed often. It is a good idea to mulch to retain moisture. Pick large, white, straight roots of same size. Should be well developed with good shoulders and blemish free. After lifting, cut off the tops about 1’’ from the shoulders and shave off all root hair with a sharp knife. Then sponge roots very carefully and wrap in wet sacking to keep fresh.

Beetroots. For early summer shows, long varieties should be sown in late winter outdoors with glass for protection. Globe vanities should be sown in mid-spring for mid summer shows. Do not pull from the ground by their leaves as this may damage the tap root. Remove tiny side rootlets with a sharp knife. Cut off all outer leaves cleanly, leave 3’’ of leaf stalk from inner leaves. Wash roots in cold water to remove soil, but do not scrub. Dry roots and wrap in paper until the show. Select medium sized roots which have good colour and are free from blemishes. The tap root should be intact. Globe varieties should be symmetrical, smooth skinned and about the size of a tennis ball. Long varieties should taper evenly from the shoulder to a single tap root.

Onions. Should be large, firm and have thin necks. Roots and broken skins should be removed (do not skin excessively) and about 1’’ of neck should be bent over and tied neatly. Evenness in size is better than say two very large and one somewhat smaller.

Tomatoes. Should be ripe and of good shape, in good condition, as even as possible with stalks intact. Tomatoes on a truss may be ripe or unripe.

Cucumbers. Should be fresh, young, green, tender, straight fruits of uniform thickness, with short necks and noses with flowers still adhering

Dwarf and Runner Beans. Dwarf and runner beans should be straight, fresh, plump with brittle pods and little outward signs of seeds.

Marrows. Should be young, tender, shapely fruit of any colour. Best at 10’’ to 12’’ long.

Courgettes. Show young, tender, shapely fruit as uniform as possible.

Leeks. Before lifting for exhibition, gently tie top foliage upright with soft twine. Then scrape away all soil etc from base of plant. Wrap in a clean damp cloth or paper. Since blanched portions turn green when exposed to light. Carefully cut away first outer layer of soiled leaves, then totally immerse leeks in cold water to get rid of all traces of soil. Leeks should be displayed flat (or vertically on special base).

Shallots. Show upright on small dish of sand. Bend over neck and tie neatly. See onions.

 

 

SECTION B

 

FRUIT

Apples. Should be picked as near as possible to the show. Pick perfect fruit as near even in size as possible and leave the stalk on the fruit.

Pears. Prepare as for apple- leave eyes and stalks intact

Soft Fruit.  Do not exhibit unripe or over ripe fruit. Stalks must be intact. Select fruit as even in size as possible.

Rhubarb. Judges will look for condition of stalks, colour, thickness and straightness. Cut off foliage leaving 2’’ of leaf and wipe stalks with a damp cloth. Trim any rough bits at bottom of stalk.

Section C

Flowers

See head note at section A.

Roses H.T.

A specimen bloom should be fresh, free from blemish, at its most perfect phase- about three quarters of full bloom. Full size for its variety and of typical form. Good stems with some foliage still attached will be preferred. A vase of three or more roses will look better if they are fairly even in size and the colours do not class. Blooms with double centres do not draw high marks. This fault can often be avoided by pinching out the leading bud and letting the second develop in its place.

Roses Floribunda. All blooms on a head do not have to be open, some bud will count as potential bloom.

Sweet Peas. Sweet Peas should be on strong spikes with well spaced blooms, the tops well expanded, and the bottom blooms still fresh. The use of corrugated paper or oasis in the vase will help to stage them so that each bloom can be seen clearly. Sweet Pea foliage means one leaf at the back and the front, tucked into the rim of the vase. To obtain blooms in June, seeds are sown in autumn. Prepare trench with compost and slow release fertiliser (bone meal etc) well in advance. Do not feed when blooms are forming as this may cause big gaps between blooms.

Delphiniums. Blooms will remain in good condition longer if when cut they are held upside down while the hollow stems are filled with water and plugged with cotton wool. Side shoots may be removed or left intact.

Pansies and Violas. If they are to be shown in a small vase they will stage better if they are cut with part of the main stem and foliage intact. But remove all buds as any showing colour will count as a bloom.

Asters. First blooms are best for show. If a few seeds are held and sown in mid April the first blooms should be ready for autumn showing.

Fuchsias. They should be strong, symmetrical with clean foliage and plenty of blooms. As plants grow, pinch out tips of each stem so that side shoots develop- side shoots will carry extra bloom.

Dahlias. Should be borne on a long stalk at an angle of approximatly45 degrees. They should be fresh ,no fading or flagging petals or blemishes and the size and form laid out in the schedule. The centres of decorative and cactus Dahlias should have a circular centre of unopened petals. Ball and Pom-Pom Dahlias should be of globular form, full centred and the petals folding back to the stems.

Chrysanthemums.   Reflexed Blooms should be broad and deep, full centred petals bright in colour and fresh to the tips. The petals should overlap and reflex neatly. Foliage should be free from blemish.  

Incurved. Blooms should be globular in outline, even in size, petals incurved, broad, fresh to the tips and bright colour. The foliage as for the Reflexed varieties.

For other classes If you are not sure which plants are Perennial, Biennial or Annual please ask or try the classes marked” Mixed Garden Flowers” where any thing goes.

Name Varieties Where possible name the varieties you are exhibiting. It is often good for an extra half mark and gives more interest to the viewing public.

Help on the Day Most experienced exhibitors are very happy to give advice to new exhibitors, and most people who enter find they enjoy the fun and fellowship during the morning preparation.

The RHS publish “The Horticultural Show Handbook” at £8 and is very useful to anyone who enters or judges flower shows

The most important thing is to “HAVE A GO”