showing onions

[ellie]

Hi there, Could anyone tell me how to prepare onions for show. We have a local village show coming up and would like to enter with some onions we have grown.   We have never entered a show before and would like some help, what size should the onions be, how do we prepare them. Hope someone can help. Thanks ellie.

[ellie]

[saddad]

No idea Ellie but I'll show you mine!!! OH all tied up yesterday.. good luck at the show..

[rdm51]

Hi EllIe.
I can tell you what the judge is looking for, Firm, good-sized onions with thin necks and and few blemishes. They don't like to see Bulbs that have been peeled free of damaged layers.
Used to start prepairing mine three weeks before the show date by bending over the tops and freeing the roots, about a week before the show i would lift and dry the plants, Now comes the good bit used to dust the bulbs with unscented talcum powder which used to help give  them a nice uniform colour, The day before the show i would tie a piece of green twine 2" above the stalk base that gives the onion a neat finish.
One thing you have to watch out for when showing is read the show  schedule  as some have different classes for seed and set onions and if showing in a class asking for more than one onion uniformity is a big plus.
Hope this helps wish you all the best at show and don't forget to let us know how you get on.
Bob
PS if you get a chance talk to the judge after he has judged most are more than willing to point out what was right and what was wrong with your exhibit i know i used to spend a good few hours after judging talking to the exhibitors.

[Grant]

Have you got a schedule for the show.  This should show the classes.  Onions are normally listed in two different size classes more than 8oz & less than 8oz.  Skin should be unblemished.  The necks tied with raffer.  Sometimes they also ask for a class which states onions with roots and necks, like they are straight from the ground.  Good luck in the show. 

[ellie]

Thanks folks for all the advice, we are waiting for the schedule to arrive. As we have never shown anything before all advice is greatfully recieved. I`ll do what you suggest and see how it goes, will let you know what happens . many thanks to all.

[laurieuk]

If your onions are still growing start now by carefully removing any skins that have died or are shrivelling back.This will allow the sun to start ripening the final skinthat you will have when you show them.If they are fully ripen pick out the required number going for ones as near the same as possible.There are 5 points given for uniformity,5 for shape and colour,5 for size and 5 for condition, so avoid going for the biggest unless you have all big ones.Very carefully tidy up skins you need to aim for one complete brown skin.Fold the top over and neatly Tie with raffia.If you can get some pillbox lids to stand the onions on so much the better.Make sure there are no worm or insect holes in the base.Onions grown from sets have a very small clear centre in the roots where the set started this is how you can tell sets from grown from seed.These comments are for onions over 8ozs 227grams here are different points for smaller ones.

[davy1]

Onions from set dressed and on the left an onion from seed dressed.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k264/walkerdavyw/bottles045.jpg

[Irish T]

I entered a show about two weeks ago & the schedule said '3 onions as grown' so I took 3 lovely large ones, roughly the same size out of the garden a week before the show & left them in the shed to dry. At the show mine were the only ones not dressed & they didnt do very well at all - coming last.

Surely '3 onions as grown' means pretty much straight from the ground???

Any ideas???

Tracey

[laurieuk]

You are 100 o/o right "as grown" means complete with tops and roots.Normally a small amount of washing excess soil off would be allowed but nothing else. If the show was organised by a group of which you are a member I would certainly raise it with the committee. Bad judging can ruin a show, the RHS do not give details for "as grown" but a judge should judge on the schedule as prepared by the organizers, even if they query it afterwards. One society where I judge had for many years a class for "a trug of organic  grown veg" There was no way I could tell if it was grown in this way or with the free use of insecticides etc. They have now agreed to change the class.

[davy1]

The shcedule should read.
Three onions from set any shape- dressed. Thats as the photo above or
Three onions from seed freshly pulled and washed like these

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k264/walkerdavyw/bottles019.jpg

[laurieuk]

Schedule making differs for various regions, Under RHS recommendations we usually Have 5 Onions over 250g   ( which carry 20 points ) and Five Onions under 250g (which only carry 15 points). In early shows there are classes for as grown. Some societies ask for grown from sets or grown from seed although the RHS suggest this is not done. I once judged at a show that asked for "dressed onions" they were presentedwith paper kilts etc.. ;D ;D

[davy1]

Laurie i would of loved to seen that. I agree that areas differ as as schedule are concerned and so do judges. I was  trying to give an idea of the difference in dressing.
Dave