The Knox County Fair Horticulture Flower Show is coming. You may have thought in the past years of entering the show but did not know how to enter or how to prepare for the show. This article will give you a few pointers.
The horticulture show is open to every amateur grower as the show schedule states to the world. You do not have to be a Garden Club member, just an amateur home grower. Non-Garden Club members are very welcome to enter and encouraged to do so. Flower show schedules will be available at the Knox County Fair Secretary’s Office on Monday.
Entries for the show will be accepted July 26 from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the flower show building at the fairgrounds. Entry fee is the purchase of a Season Exhibitors Pass or the payment of fifty cents per entry. It is best to purchase your season pass or pay the entry fee per exhibit before the day of the show. You have to have an exhibitor’s number when you enter. If you have the exhibitor’s number ahead of time, it prevents standing in line at Secretary’s Office and confusion at the show entry table. No prior reservations for classes are necessary. You can bring what you have the day of the show.
First, study the show schedule and plan to follow all directions as to what to enter. These rules are the law of the show. These are the rules the Ohio Association of Garden Club's accredited judge will follow. If you have questions on the classes or rules, you can email me at j.graham@embarqmail.com.
After you have decided what to enter, complete the entry tag that you will receive when you get your exhibitor’s number. One of the most important things on the entry tag is to list the variety name of the flower, plant, vegetable, etc. The correct variety name is not just rose, zinnia or green bean, but what rose, zinnia or green bean. For example: Mr. Lincoln rose, Zowie zinnia, or tendergreen bean. This tells the judge what the exhibit should look like.
Next, carefully groom and clean your exhibit. Carefully wash off all dirt and spray residue from foliage, stem, vegetable or container. Use a camel’s hair brush or Q-tip to remove dirt from the flower, plant or vegetable. DO NOT OIL OR WAX ANY FOLIAGE, FLOWER, PLANT OR VEGETABLE. Entries will be disqualified. A good judge will discover it.
Is the exhibit free of disease or pests? An exhibit should not be bought to the show showing any type of disease or have any insects crawling on it. Disease or pests are one reason for an exhibit being disqualified and removed from the show.
For a single stem round form flower being exhibited, remove all side buds. This is called disbudding. Not disbudding eliminates the exhibit from winning a ribbon. Do not just pinch out the bud, but remove the little shoots/stems where they join the main stem by pinching or using small scissors. Examples of single stems are roses, zinnias, marigolds and daisies.
Do not remove buds if showing as a spray. A spray is a single main stem with the blooms- or buds-borne pedicels or lateral branches, led by a terminal bloom that blooms first. Each spray should have as many blooms and buds as possible. The old center or terminal flower should be removed if past its prime. Examples of sprays are some marigolds, petunias and roses.
The schedule for vegetables tells the exhibitor exactly how to enter the vegetable. Follow the requirements.
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