These are Judge’s comments from Shows over the past few years

• Cabbages– remove the root but leave the stalk on.
• Cucumber – the maximum length for a cucumber is 15 inches.
• Courgettes – keep the flower on if possible. This attracts maximum points.
• Leeks trim the root but don’t cut off the tops. The judge is looking for maximum blanching on the stems.
• Spinach or Leaf Beet plant- wash the roots.
• Onions – weigh the onions. Those below 8ozs should be in a separate category. Those that are heavier should be in category 25.
• Pumpkin; leave the stalk on.
• Top Tray – this should have ‘wow’ factor and be a well crafted display over which time and effort have evidently been taken. Don’t add flowers to the top tray – just three vegetables in the display.
• Vase of Flowers – the key criterion here is the variety of flowers included.
• Beetroot – best size to enter is medium-sized. Some were very large and a bit ‘over’ in show terms.
• Carrots – need to be trimmed. Make sure to read the show schedule.
• Cauliflower – just remove the root, not all the leaves. Leave a rosette round the bottom.
• Rhubarb – trim the tops, don’t cut them off. Don’t cut off the bottoms but clean up the ends.
• Garlic – trim the stems
• Exotic categories – it would be helpful to the judges if the entries in these categories could be labelled.
• Tomatoes – modify ‘standard’ category to include plum tomatoes. Specify on the schedule.
• Shallots – make sure they are the correct size for the category. Don’t trim onions too close to the top – leave a bit of the top growth. Ditto shallots. Also, dress them in advance to allow the skins to cure, peeling carefully. Those with cured skin were judged ahead of those without.Pay attention to presentation of items as this is part of the overall judgement
• Apples – don’t take the stalks out of your apples.
• Rhubarb – trimmedd in a ‘fan’ shape when tied together, leaving about an inch or so of the leaves on the stalks.
• Tomatoes – try to leave cutting your tomatoes until the morning of the show to prevent the calyx (green bit) from shrivelling up. If you need to cut them before, drape a damp cloth over them overnight to help stop this happening.
• Sweetcorn – should be presented so that all of the cob is visible – they shouldn’t just have ‘windows’ cut into them. Either completely stripped or a central strip of the green covering pulled down to the bottom of the cob.
• If you can, labelling of items with variety name is good.
• Please label all the display plates clearly with your identifying letter.

Also See  Suggestions for Exhibitors