I am more interested in showing veg, onions, potatoes, carrots.
As I said elsewhere the clues are in the schedule so stick to that failure to do so can render you a disqualification choose how good your produce is!
Should I show onions on paper plates, black plates, should they be in sand, do they need to be tied at the top?
This can depend upon the classification for instance you won't get three giant onions on a paper plate but you will get three under 8oz on it.
Plate colour doesn't matter but sometimes a black cloth will show the exhibit up better, but remember this ..........it also shows up the flaws better as well.
With the large onions I find placing sections of 3" fallpipe say at 1"-1½" - 2" long under a black cloth allows the onions to sit better rather than having them rolling around because of their rounded base.
Regarding leaves; If you are asked for dressed onions you will remove the leaves, tie the neck with string or raffia.
Don't use electricians insulating tape it is naff!
If it is to be shown " as grown" you leave all the leaves and roots on and the crnkly skins unless they are soft and diseased. To take too many off means they are not considered to be 'as grown' so you could be disqualified.
Carrots do they need to have the full length of root or do they normally just look for even size?
Do the tops need to be cut off?
Carrots are usually judged in three categories, short, intermediate and long, not a mixture of all three. A good judge will be able to tell if a small long variety is being shown with a couple of intermediates. Then again you are liable to disqualification again.
My view is; why cheat? I always think the only person you are kidding is yourself.
But that not to say that no one cheats!!
Regarding tops on/off the schedule should tell you this.
Potatoes again come in different categories e.g. Round or Kidney shaped.
In turn these can be classified as White or coloured.
Note varieties such as Kestrel which is a favourite show variety is classed as a coloured although it looks white.
Its the coloured eye that gives it its classification.
Size; Size is not everything but it helps (as it does with all veg) but uniformity is the key issue. If asked for four potatoes it is better to have four smaller ones than say three fairly large and one huge one.
When I am selecting them I put all the likely candidates on the bench and get a piece of string. I put the string around the potatoe and measure the length of the first potatoe. By holding the string at the same point I test the circumference of each potato and put those one that are slightly bigger in one pile and those that are slightly smaller in another pile.
Next I recheck the bigger sized pile to see if I can get the required number I need. Usually you end up with the middle of the road sizes as your final selection.
You can do the same exercise with the smaller sized potatoes because sometimes you get an even better set of uniform potatoes.
This is a good technique to use with all round veg, e.g. Tomatoes & Beetroot.
Now do you see why I gave up showing...............its not good for the blood pressure!!
