When farmers forked over five bucks for a packet of tomato seeds in the 1870s, they dreamed of winning the $100 grand prize at their local fair. Each ‘Trophy’ tomato seed held the promise of perfectly round six-ounce slicers that could earn big money. It was an expensive gardening gamble considering each packet of seeds would be worth about $80 today.
Now only serious growers would dig that deep to buy a few seeds, unless they happen to be giant pumpkin seeds. Some pumpkin competitors have been known to pay hundreds of dollars for seeds that have the potential to win thousands.
The roots of our modern-day vegetable contests — giant or otherwise — date to a time when America was young and striving to become self-sufficient. In those early years, the country depended on regular market days, livestock sales and annual agricultural fairs to help grow the nation’s economy.
State and county agricultural societies helped meet that need by staging fairs with a common goal: promoting and improving agriculture. The prizes and premiums offered at agricultural exhibitions served as incentives for farmers to grow bigger, better and more diverse crops. Better crops led to an increased demand for improved produce in the marketplace. The result is the bounty of beautiful fruits and vegetables available at farmers markets and grocery stores today.
Why grow to show?
Vegetable competitions are all about outsmarting Mother Nature. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or beginner, it’s a continuous challenge to deal with wild weather, hungry pests and harmful plant diseases. It’s easy to grow one terrific tomato or to pick two perfect peppers, but the real gardening test is to cultivate a matched set of flawless fruits and vegetables that are at their peak of perfection on the day of the contest.
Despite technological advances, vegetable contests haven’t changed much from the earliest exhibitions. Gardeners plant their fruits and vegetables, tend to them all season and then show them at a fair. Some gardeners appreciate the opportunity to win ribbons, recognition and prize money. Others enter contests for the bragging rights alone.
In addition to injecting new joy into mundane gardening tasks, trying to grow picture-perfect produce has other benefits, too. The season-long effort leads to a more fulfilling gardening experience. It means spending quality time in the garden, growing larger yields of better tasting fresh vegetables, and getting a bigger bang for the gardening buck.
How to grow
No matter the size, shape or location of gardens, vegetable gardeners want to be able to grow and harvest high-quality produce. Successful gardeners can all agree timing is everything, whether growing vegetables for competing or just eating.
When growing for competition, seeds and plants need to be started or planted at the right time. Seasoned vegetable competitors use their calendars to find their prime planting dates. They match the number of days until the contest with the maturity dates for each vegetable variety they plan to grow. This planning method helps ensure entries will be ripe and ready to take to the fair.
Timing is especially important in our region because spring weather is unpredictable. Gardeners may need to plan ahead and use season extenders, like cold frames, water-filled plant protectors or low tunnels to help meet their vegetable planting timeline.
Careful timing also helps gardeners decide when to do a soil test, when to amend the soil, when to transplant, water, fertilize, and deal with insect pests and plant problems.
Another method for growing a healthy vegetable garden is to consider what each plant needs for its perfect growing environment. For example, tomatoes are tropical plants that prefer warm soil and hot temperatures. If planted in cool soil while nighttime temperatures are still chilly, plants will stop growing and will take more time to catch up once conditions are favorable.
Give it a go
It’s as much fun as a funnel cake to enter a vegetable competition and be part of the excitement at an American fair. Whether entries win a blue ribbon or not, taking homegrown vegetables to a contest honors our rural roots and connects us to our country’s rich agricultural heritage.
Jodi Torpey, author of “Blue Ribbon Vegetable Gardening: The Secrets to Growing the Biggest and Best Prizewinning Produce,” is planting ‘Trophy’ tomatoes to enter in the vegetable contest at the Denver County Fair. Contact her at Jodi@WesternGardeners.com
Here are more how-to-grow tips for three favorite garden crops:
Tomatoes
• Plant tomatoes with a range of maturity dates. Look for varieties that mature in 50, 70 and 90 days. This method helps ensure a steady stream of tomatoes through the season.
• Watch the thermometer. Wait for nighttime temperatures to be a reliable 55 degrees before planting tomatoes in the garden. Gradually acclimate plants to the outdoors before planting.
•Give plants space. Plant tomatoes at least 2 feet apart and use tomato cages or other supports. Build up the soil to make a small water basin around each plant. Water only at ground level to keep leaves healthy.
• Prevent tomato problems. Cultivate good gardening practices to prevent insect and disease damage. Amend the soil with compost, use mulch, be consistent with watering, keep the garden weed-free and fertilize on a schedule.
Chile peppers
• Rotate planting spots. Avoid planting peppers where tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes or peppers grew in the past two seasons, especially where there were problems with plants.
• Keep soil moist. Peppers prefer soil that’s evenly moist, but not soggy. For hotter chiles, allow soil to dry slightly between waterings.
• Encourage a leafy canopy. Fertilize at least once a month while peppers are growing for leafier plants that prevent the sun from scalding fruit.
Squash
• Amend the soil. Dig in compost, well-aged manure or other organic matter to ensure soil is fertile and well-drained.
• Give them room. Allow plenty of garden space for squash plants or vines to spread out. Use stakes or strong trellises to keep plants and fruit off the ground.
• Keep foliage dry. Water plants at ground level to prevent leaf problems like powdery mildew.
