The following guidance on the judging good colour; fresh and firm with no [22] Fresh, young and tender marrows, Use Oasis (or newspaper or wire) to criteria for a class is based on the evidence of side roots. less than 350mm in length, or, for round keep flowers in an upright position official RHS handbook, together with [4] The carrots must end in a point: same cultivars approx 500mm in circumference. Any vase or container will do but it some advice from judges and as class [3] with the shape and colour [23]Weight is all. should be in proportion to the flowers. maintained for the full length of the root. [24] Shapely squash with even colour and experienced exhibitors. All exhibits should be arranged as [5, 6, 7, 8 & 9] The onions, shallots and ripeness with stalk attached. garlic must be displayed on dry sand [25] Leeks should be over 150mm in attractively as possible; in a close SECTION 1: FRUIT AND competition, arrangements may be VEGETABLE which will be provided: firm, thin-necked, length, clean, firm, solid, parallel-sided, blemish-free bulbs with unbroken skins; long barrels with no splits, a tight button the deciding factor. Try to make all The following features are considered roots neatly trimmed and onion /shallot with no bulbing or ribbiness. Foliage the flowers face the front and don’t let throughout: necks neatly tied with uncoloured raffia, should be dark green, turgid, and free them touch each other Condition – cleanliness, freshness, (garlic a dried stem of approx 1”); over- from pest or disease damage. Pot plants should be displayed in tenderness, edible, absence of skinning is considered a defect. [26] Cabbage should have good shape clean pots and any dead flowers or coarseness and blemishes / insect [10] All beetroot need uniform colour, (according to variety) a fresh and solid leaves removed damage. smooth skin, single tap root, with foliage head with outer surrounding leaves intact Uniformity – alike in size, shape, trimmed to approx 3inches. Globe – and free from any damage and disease, spherical, diam. approx 60-75mm. Long – and with the bloom intact and of good To keep your flowers fresh and colour and condition conditioned for the show, cut them the Size – considered only when well shaped evenly tapered, clean broad colour. Approx 70mm / 3” of stalk should shoulders and free from side shoots. be attached. evening before. Fill one or two holding accompanied by quality and where [11] Beans should be long, uniform, [27] Fresh, young, green, tender, blemish buckets nearly to the rim with cold water the production of large specimens of straight, shapely and no outward sign of free, straight cucumber of uniform and put a squirt of bleach in each. good quality requires greater skill then seeds. thickness and short handles. Then, using another bucket for cutting small specimens [12] Length is what matters. [28] True to type with general into put around 6” of water in it together Colour – should reflect freshness, [13] Beans should be straight, fresh, characteristics as at start. with another squirt of bleach. This trueness to cultivar and maturity. tendersnap, even length; good colour and [29] Each vegetable as per individual bucket is taken to the roses/flowers have no outward sign of seeds. classes, except cabbage needs no stalk. which are to be cut. They are cut and Root vegetables should be washed to [14] Size matters! [30] A sturdy, shapely plant, well furnished placed immediately into the cutting remove the soil (hold upside down [15, 16 &17] All tomatoes should be ripe with clean, unblemished, healthy foliage. bucket say about six of them at a time under running water to avoid washing but firm, well-coloured with fresh calyces The size of the plant should be and then taken back to the holding the soil back into the leaves). Wash with (stalks) attached. Normal type – approx proportionate to size of pot. buckets and transferred over. When all 60mm in diameter Cherry – should not [31] Plums to be large, ripe, of good a soft cloth and plenty of water – do not are cut, the overnight soak in a cool exceed 35 mm in diameter Unusual colour and have bloom intact use a brush. place will condition them in readiness (beefsteak, large plum, etc) – shape true [32 & 33] Large, ripe berries of good for the show. Always cut soft fruits, apples, plums etc to cultivar Stage tomatoes on plates with colour, in good condition and with fresh with scissors to keep the stalk attached calyces uppermost in plate classes and calyces. Display in lines for easy and handle as little as possible in order calyces downwards in collection classes. counting, pointing them all the same way. [35] 3 stems means that any type or kind to preserve the bloom (the natural waxy Cut on the morning of the Show to keep [34] All fruits fresh and in good condition of rose may be used, but Ht roses are covering). Similarly for peas, beans the calyces intact and fresh. best staged with one bloom per stem. [36] A specimen Ht rose should be half to tomatoes etc. [18] The majority of the tomatoes on the SECTION 2: FLOWERS three quarters open with, most truss must be ripe with none missing Flowers should be HALF TO [1 & 2] The potatoes should be free of [19] Young tender fruits with or without importantly, no buds. THREEQUARTERS OPEN, fresh, [37] A fully open rose is fully open when damage, blemishes and greening; eyes flowers attached clean and unblemished – bugs earn should be few and shallow Stage potatoes [20] Fresh and bright with colour its petals are fully reflexed back and the no points! on plates with rose end outwards. Exclude according to cultivar stamens in the centre can be seen quite the light as long as possible. When lifting, [21] Fresh, well formed, cylindrical cobs Keep stalks/ stems as long as clearly. The stamens also should be have a pail of water to hand and put likely well set throughout, with straight rows of possible and in proportion to the size clean which indicates the freshness of the candidates in it there and then. undamaged, plump, tender grains with of the vase. bloom as pollen goes a dark colour as it [3] The carrots must have a clear fresh green husks. Uniformity of specimens is important, ages. stump/blunt end: skin clear, bright and of so avoid mixing large specimens with others that are smaller. NLHS Show Hints 2013