Hi, Pol & Mick you make a good point regarding long carrots most showers use 40 gallon drums filled with sharp sand which they bore holes in and fill with thier own mix. The variety New red intermediate is a good one here.
My advice to Howard is, don't be affraid to ask other showers how they do it, there's no secrecy and they love to help new showers, once you've entered you learn so much. You make another good point when you mention Medwyns always use good show varieties some types have such an advantage over others in terms of colour or size.
Woodburner is perfectly right you cant mix, some people enter whats best on thier plot and thats fine, but if you want that special set you have to do different.
I have been showing for a while and have had a modicum of success (just in our local show ) but it is interesting and you're always looking for improvement.
Keep on a troshing J W
Don't worry, I'll talk to anybody about it!
Medwyn Williams has a DVD in his online shop which I found reasonably helpful, and there are a number of better ones on the National Vegetable Society website.
I have my 'plan' worked out in terms of growing mediums, fertilizers and liquid feeds etc - it's a mish-mash of bits and pieces I've picked up from all over the place. I don't doubt for one moment that it could be improved upon, but we have to start somewhere and I'm happy with where I'm at!
I've never shown, but one thing I do remember from magazine articles is always to check out the definition of the class - i.e. the schedule - if the show is a particularly keen one. If it says 5 tomatoes you'll be disqualified for adding a 6th. If it stipulates the onions must be a certain width, say, the same will apply.
Yes, I've read several articles that impress how important this is. I've bought a copy of the
RHS Horticultural Show Handbook which must be the best reference book there is on the subject.
For the record, this is what I'm planning to show this year at the Martley & District H. S (Sat. 15 August):
Stump Carrot - Sweet Candle
Runner Bean - Stenner reselection from Enorma
Broad Bean - Reselected Gillette
French Bean - Reselected Prince
Runner Bean (Longest) - Jescot-Long Un
Tomato - Goldstar, Cedrico and Piccolo.
The only seeds I've planted already are my tomatoes (obviously), and the Goldstar and Cedrico are coming on nicely, but the Piccolo are a good week behind even though they were all sown at the same time.