Eyes on the prize: award-winning vegetables - tips for entering hydroponic vegetables in gardening competitions at county fairs

Flower & Garden Magazine, August-Sept, 1994 by R.K. Collett

Hydroponic Gardening Has always appealed to me, because it produces wonderfully flavored vegetables that are winners in the garden, kitchen and on the table. I didn't realize what winners I had, though, until I moved to rural North Carolina and discovered the delights of the county fair.

Our fair is four days of excitement: crafts, carnival rides, livestock of all shapes and sizes, mouthwatering cakes and cookies, 150-pound pumpkins and clogging in the mountain tradition. There is also the challenge of competition, with blue, red and white ribbons fluttering at each stall. As a former big-city girl, this experience introduced me to rural life.

I studied seed catalogs, haunted the local extension service and asked endless questions of local farmers and gardeners. My first winter was spent planning my garden, ordering seeds and building the hydroponic units I would use on the deck of our house.

In deciding what to plant, I considered the vegetables we like and those I felt might have a chance at a ribbon come fair time. Noting the previous year's winners, I had an idea of what to look for. Bigger is not always better. Quality is the watchword when you're aiming for blue ribbons.

Here are a few suggestions from the dozen or so years I have been winning ribbons at our county fair:

* Uniformity in size and color seems to be what most judges look for. For instance, one year the rules called for five tomatoes. I had four nice big tomatoes, but the fifth had several anemic-looking spots. I entered five smaller ones that were unblemished and perfect in color and size and won a blue ribbon.

* Blemishes should rule out any vegetable. It's often hard to find one without a spot, thanks to insects and the vagaries of weather. Don't think you can hide a dark spot on an otherwise beautiful tomato or eggplant by displaying it spot side down. Be aware that judges pick up the entries to examine them.

* Remove stems from vegetables like tomatoes and cantaloupes that gently fall into your hand when ripe. For vegetables that must be cut from the plant, such as squash, peppers and eggplant, leave at most a 1/2- inch stem, cutting it at a slight angle with a clean, sharp knife.

* Clean vegetables make a better impression. Pick your produce just before you leave for the fairgrounds. Wash each item gently and polish it with a clean, soft cloth. No need to apply baby oil, mayonnaise or wax for a shining skin. I always enter veggies au naturel and now have enough ribbons to paper my den.

* Rules and regulations must be followed; read them carefully. If they ask for five tomatoes, enter five. You won't win for entering eight, and may even be disqualified. Categories are often very specific, so don't mix types.

* Transport your vegetables carefully. I carry mine in a basket, cushioned by wadded paper towels. I also wrap each vegetable, placing heavier items such as cucumbers on the bottom, with squashables like tomatoes on top. Use common sense and carry more than one basket, if necessary.