[Ferris]

For the first time this year I am planning an all-out assault on the village show's vegetable classes. They have all the usual categories and I am eyeing quite a few of the classes - tomatoes, courgettes, longest runner bean, beetroots etc - but as a novice is there anything in particular i can be doing now to boost my chances other than the obvious "good practice" of watering and feeding as necessary?

Also what are the prime qualities of a champion tomato or courgette? Is is about size, shape, colour or a mix of all 3. My biggest concern at the moment is not knowing which of my harvest to actually enter - bit concerned I might put Jade Goody into the show and leave Kate Moss in the veg patch (so to speak!!!)

Finally Junior Ferris is having a crack at the giant pumpkin class. We have 3 plants that are meant to yield enormous pumpkins - again any specific advice on these? All I can think it to keep it to 1 fruit on each plant and feed and waer very well

Thank for any suggestions

[mandycharlie]

- bit concerned I might put Jade Goody into the show and leave Kate Moss in the veg patch (so to speak!!!)

I'd have thought it would be the other way around...    

nice plump, healthy looking jade goody in the show, that extremely skinny kate moss definately left in the ground, with a good spade full of manure around her boots to help her plump up a bit..

   

[milkman]

Try and get hold of some back issues of Kitchen Garden magazine - they did a whole series on showing veg focusing on a different veg each month.

Good luck!

[agapanthus]

For the first time this year I am planning an all-out assault on the village show's vegetable classes. They have all the usual categories and I am eyeing quite a few of the classes - tomatoes, courgettes, longest runner bean, beetroots etc - but as a novice is there anything in particular i can be doing now to boost my chances other than the obvious "good practice" of watering and feeding as necessary?

Also what are the prime qualities of a champion tomato or courgette? Is is about size, shape, colour or a mix of all 3. My biggest concern at the moment is not knowing which of my harvest to actually enter - bit concerned I might put Jade Goody into the show and leave Kate Moss in the veg patch (so to speak!!!)

Finally Junior Ferris is having a crack at the giant pumpkin class. We have 3 plants that are meant to yield enormous pumpkins - again any specific advice on these? All I can think it to keep it to 1 fruit on each plant and feed and waer very well

Thank for any suggestions

For growing the longest runner bean you will need a specific variety.....not sure of the name though :oops:
I had been given some seeds years ago and for the last 2 years won 'longest runner bean' at our annual prize-giving evening.....they were both 21" long
I could send you a few seeds if you would like?

[muntjac]

enorma .. reduce  to one pod on a truss , werked for me ,, what spoiled it was tha back stabbing and midnight vandalism :cry:

[Ferris]

Yeah I have bought "Enorma" this year for the purpose (what are they like to eat though?) as well as a couple of other varieties just by way of comparison (and more bought for taste than length).

As a young boy I remember my grandad telling me about a friend of his hanging weights off the beans as they were growing to make them extra long and straight... Was this a shaggy dog (as I thought at the time) or is there any science behind it?

[agapanthus]

Yeah I have bought "Enorma" this year for the purpose (what are they like to eat though?) as well as a couple of other varieties just by way of comparison (and more bought for taste than length).

As a young boy I remember my grandad telling me about a friend of his hanging weights off the beans as they were growing to make them extra long and straight... Was this a shaggy dog (as I thought at the time) or is there any science behind it?

I've heard folk hanging shallots on them.....makes sense if you want them really straight......personally I've nothing against gay beans!!

[king cauli]

hehe me neither just cant stand bent rows isnt there some advice fom medwyn wattisface what john has supplied up top in the info section? :idea: