How to Exhibit veg for a show

Getting Started
Plan your sowing and planting times to ensure your produce will be at its best for the show you have chosen. For example, peas will take around 14 weeks from sowing to harvest, so mark in your diary accordingly when seed needs to be sown. Onion seed is traditionally sown on Christmas Day to produce fine specimens for September shows, but remember bulbs need to be lifted about three weeks ahead of a show to allow skins to ripen. As a general guide:
In February, sow cabbage, cauliflower, tomato and celery seed.
In March, sow beetroot, carrot and parsnip seed.
In April, sow beetroot seed, plant onion sets and seed potatoes.
In May, sow sweetcorn, marrow, runner bean and French bean seed.
It certainly pays to keep a show diary in which to record exact dates of sowing, planting out and harvest as this will provide valuable guidance in future years and help you to refine your timings so produce is "spot on" for show dates.
Potatoes
Manure that is too fresh produces haulms (tops) at the expense of tubers. Avoid mushroom compost as it has high in lime content and encourages scab. For exceptional specimens some exhibitors grow their potatoes in beds of leaf mould, as this gives the skin a superb finish. Keep the plants well watered through the summer months. When lifting early potatoes for July and August shows, do so very carefully. Their skins will not have set and they will damage easily. Immediately after lifting, wash them, in cold water with a soft sponge, dry with a towel and wrap each tuber in tissue paper. Potatoes for summer shows are best lifted the day before the show. For autumn shows potatoes are lifted once the foliage has died down, when the skins have set. Lift on the day of the show if possible. Wash and dry as above and remember that once a potato"s skin has dried out it is very difficult to clean. Potatoes can sometimes turn green after washing, so wash them as close to the show as you can. Aim to select potatoes with clean skins and shallow eyes. Uniform specimens each weighing about 6oz are good to aim for. Always check the show schedule carefully, some classes call for five potatoes, some for six. Place the tubers evenly round the edge of a plate, but never hope to hide any blemishes, as the judge will examine all tubers thoroughly.
Runner Beans
Plants grown up a single row of 8ft canes means they will not become tangled. Consequently straight beans rather than curled ones will be produced. Runner beans need plenty of water if they are to thrive. Spray foliage and flowers in the evening to promote a good setting. When the beans have set, a weekly high potash feed is beneficial.
Shows usually ask for between six and twelve runners per set. Aim to produce beans about 15in long and ensure the ones you chose are the same length. You will probably have to select beans over three or four days to achieve this. Cut them with scissors, leaving about ½ in of stalk attached. Wrap them one by one in a damp tea towel and place it in the fridge. Repeat the process on following days. Beans store well like this and keep their freshness surprisingly well.
At the show, display your set evenly spaced on a piece of black cloth, with the tails pointing to the judge. Do not be tempted to show runners which are becoming "beany" or old. The judge will snap one to check they are tender. If in doubt, use a slightly smaller bean than an old one.
Carrots and Parsnips
Carrots
For long carrots, it is worth acquiring a crowbar, with which to punch holes in the soil. Aim for a hole about 2ft deep and 4in wide. Fill the hole with a 50:50 mix of potting compost and sand, and firm it down. Sow about four seeds per hole, then thin to the strongest seedling as they develop. Thin in the cool of the evening and water remaining seedlings well afterwards. Ensure the compost mix is moist at all times.
Lift carrots the day before a show, having watered them well the day before this. Pull the roots gently, applying more water if they offer resistance. Trim the tops down to around 4in, then wash the roots with a sponge. Leave the tap root hair at the bottom of the root.
Carrots are usually shown in sets of three or five. Aim for uniform roots, and never use any with green shoulders. They look particularly good displayed in a fan shape on black cloth.
Parsnips.
Generally they can be grown in much the same way as carrots, but the prepared planting holes should be a little deeper and a little wider. Onions From Sets
Once the leaves have fallen over in late summer, lift the bulbs carefully and leave them to dry for a few days on the surface. Careful drying off is important for skin finish. Loose skin can be removed but heavy skinning will lose you points on the show bench. Clean the bulbs with a damp sponge and then dry them thoroughly. Trim the tops to within 6in of the bulb, bend them over and tie them with raffia or green string. Display them on a plate or rings under a black cloth. The advantage with onions is the same bulbs can be shown at more than one show, as they keep much better than many other vegetables. Always aim for uniform bulbs with good skin and colour.
In the late summer a potash fertiliser such as sulphate of potash will ensure firm bulbs capable of storing well.
Cauliflowers and Cabbages
Cauliflowers
As the curd forms, bend a large leaf over it to keep it white and protected from the sun. On the day of the show, lift the plant and wash with a sponge. Make sure the curd is undamaged. Trim the roots and remove any damaged leaves. Trim the leaves round the curd with scissors, so it resembles an acorn in its cup. Many schedules call for a pair of cauliflowers, but if you find yours are not the same size, trim the foliage of the smaller one rather more than that of the larger one to create a better impression. Spray the curds with a little water just prior to judging.
Cabbages
Lift the plant on the day of the show, and wash the roots, leaves and heart thoroughly. Like cauliflowers, cabbages are usually judged in pairs.
Beetroot
As the roots push out of the soil, replace it with potting compost or finely sieved soil to prevent the root tops becoming "corky". Water, then lift the roots the day before the show. When picking roots for the show, go for those about the size of a tennis ball which are blemish free.
Leave the foliage intact, unless the schedule specifies otherwise. Beetroots are usually shown in sets of three or five. It is important the roots have a good colour throughout, but not distinct rings. To prevent rings, plunge the cleaned roots into a bucket of water to which two tablespoons of salt has been added. Leave for three hours to encourage internal reddening.
Leeks
Leeks thrive on rich organic matter, so incorporate plenty of well-rotted farmyard manure during autumn digging of the plot. They do best on alkaline soils, so liming is useful if your soil has a low pH value.
Set out the young plants about 12in apart. Prepare holes 6 - 8 in deep with a dibber (or crowbar) and place a plant in each hole. Fill the hole with water, but do not attempt to refill the hole with soil. This planting technique is unique to leeks. Keep the plants well watered from now on.
To blanch the leek stems, plastic drainage pipes about 12 - 18 in ling and 3 in diameter can be carefully placed over them when the plants are about 12 in high. Plants benefit from regular feeding, but take care with high nitrogen fertilisers, as these may cause the stems to split.
When lifting leeks for a show, dig up the plant carefully with the plastic pipe still in place. Trim the roots until the pipe is able to slide off the bottom end. Reject any leeks which have bulbous ends or which are in any way blemished, damaged or misshapen. Remove damaged lower leaves and sheaths until you come to the first intact sheath.
Leek presentation is relatively straightforward, placing them flat and evenly spaced on the bench.
Marrows
These are usually displayed as a pair. Remember you are looking for two about the same size and shape. Biggest is not always best.

Conclusion
As you have read, it is uniformity of exhibits that will win prizes, not the largest specimens. Good luck in your entries. Back to top