Here are some helpful tips from a Denton County Master Gardener and The Root Contributor Barbara Brown to Preparing your Exhibit for the best Show Experience
How to be a Fruit and Vegetable Show Winner
The tradition of holding competitions for the best locally-grown produce may have begun at the first New York State Fair in 1841 and continues to be a popular event at county fairs across the country. Denton County Master Gardner Association carries on this tradition with its annual Fruit, Vegetable, Herb, and Flower Show that will be held this year at the North Texas Fairgrounds on June 15, 2024, from 9 AM to 1 PM.
What makes a winning entry?
Start with appearance. You want to show off produce that looks like the ideal for that plant. For example, the right look for zucchini is 5 to 7 inches long with an even width from stem to blossom end. So, although you may be proud of that 15-inch zucchini it would not be a winner. Here is AgriLife’s “Suggested Specifications for Certain Vegetables” for more information.
Do your homework. A bit of research can help you learn the right appearance of various flowers. Let’s say, you want to show off your beautiful Peace roses. A quick online check tells you that the Peace Rose should have large, cupped flowers that are a combination of pale yellow and crimson edges. The flowers are full, with 40 to 43 petals, and have a sweet and fruity fragrance.
This guide from the University of Nebraska on “Preparing Cut Flowers” provides excellent guidance on selecting and readying your flowers to shine at the DCMGA Fruit, Vegetable, Herb and Flower Show: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/platte/Fair/Preparing%20Cut%20Flowers%20revised.pdf
Any fruit, flower, herb, or vegetable entry should be free of blemishes, spots, or visible damage. Fruit and vegetable entries should be mature but not past their prime (soft or mushy is bad while firm, but not hard, is good.) Herb leaves should give off an appropriate scent when lightly brushed.
Preparing your entry
For most entries, select a few examples—usually 3 or 5—depending on size. An odd number of specimens are somewhat more visually appealing than an even number. Do not worry about finding a pretty container for your fruit, flower, or vegetable as DCMGA will provide identical plates and vases for all entries.
AgriLife recommends the following show preparation techniques for vegetables, “Show vegetables must be scrupulously clean without having a scrubbed appearance. Leafy vegetables (lettuce, cabbage and spinach) should be briefly soaked and gently sprayed with water, then stored in a cool, damp place until show time. Fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and beans) should be rubbed lightly with a soft cloth as they are rinsed under a gentle stream of water, then carefully dried and stored in a dry, cool place until show time. Root crops should be soaked for several minutes immediately after harvest, and then rubbed gently with a soft cloth under running water to remove soil. Never scrub or brush vegetables intended for a show.”
Flowers can be tricky to get ready for showing them off. Michigan State University Extension recommends that you: Cut your flowers in the early morning or evening but not during the heat of the day
· Select blooms that are nearly fully open (except asters, marigolds, zinnias, and mums which should be fully open).
· Use a sharp cutting utensil that won’t damage the stem and cut at a 45° angle.
· Remove lower leaves on the stem that might be sitting in water.
· Store in a cool, dark place until show time. Do not put them in the refrigerator.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/234/80288/plantscience/Plant_Science_Conditioning_Cut_Flowers.pdf
Bring your entry to the Fairgrounds by 9:00 a.m. for check-in.
When it is show time—Enjoy the experience!