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Sowing Dates for Showing Vegetables

by Medwyn Williams, MBE FNVS National Chairman of the NVS

Medwyn Williams at Chelsea Flower Show

Medwyn Williams MBE FNVS
National Chairman of the NVS

More Articles from Medwyn

Sowing Dates for Exhibition Vegetable Growers - 13/12/2001

Sowing Dates Used By Showmen - 20/12/2001

Leeks and Onions - 27/12/2001

Sowing Dates from the top Showmen - 03/01/2002

Sowing Dates Used by Exhibitors - 10/01/2002

This article was originally published on 29th November 2001

To continue with the sowing dates and best varities to use for showing towards the end of August and the end of September. These dates were picked as the end of August is when the Welsh Championships are going to be held at nmargam park for the next two years. The end of September date is when the NVS Championships are beinh held at Malvern next year. This hopefuly will help all growers to tome their produce better.

The second contributor is Jim Kirkness who I have known now for a number of years through visting NVS shows up in Scotland and have always been made more than welcome in his home when ever I have visited him. Jim was a late starter into the growing and showing of vegetables and it all came abouit when he took over a bigger house to cater for his eaxpanding family and with it came a garden. Jim immediately turned over the soil and planted vegetables with the intention of feeding his grwoing family.

However, he was persuaded (against his better judgement he says) to have a go at the local Dalkieth show winning in the novice section. This of course set jim thinking as to what he could achieve if he were to apply some more effort into growing for shoing and from that pointbon, as jim says, I became addicted. Jim joined the Dalkieth Horticultural society and was one of the best decisions that he ever made making lots of valuable friends who have stood the test of time. Eventually he became a committee member, secretary and president.

Shortly after joing the above Society the Scottish Branch of the NVS was formed and Jim once again was an active member, he is also quite unique in that he is the only member to have held all three positions of Secretary, Treasurer and Chairman. Jim is very pleased with his successes at NVS shows, both at branch and National level and particularly because he has achieved it without as he says ‘volume growing, poly tunnels and over head covers etc’

Jim made his name first with shallots and won the this particular class on two occasions, 1981 and 1982 as well as winning with Celery and Peas. Interesting to note that jim has had his success when growing no more than 30 shallots, cauliflower or peas, quite an achievement. So good was Jim considered to be with his shallots that he and Bill Rodger were the stars in a book by Daniel A Calderbank called Growing Onions and Shallots. In the book Jim tells how he grew them right through to staging them at shows. Sadly, to my knowledge, this book is no longer in print.

Jim is very modest and doesn't rate himself as much of a showman, although I and many others know better, particularly when he is on song. Jim has a saying that to be a successful‘showman’ one has to have three essential attributes - a stout heart, a broad back and a thick head (just think of trying to pull long carrots in the teeming rain)’

Here are Jim’s varieties and their sowing dates for those on the list that he grows:-

Kind	Cultivar	1st Show Date	2nd Show Date	Comments
Globe Beet	Pablo	11th April	21st May	The very best variety
Long Beet	Regar	Mid March		One Sowing
Broad Bean		15th April		One Sowing
Green Cabbage	Winningstadt	Early April	Mid April	An old favourite that does well
Red Cabbage		1st February		One Sowing, Will hold well in rows
Runner Bean		Early May	20th June
French Bean		Early May
Carrots Long	New Red Intermediate	7^th April		Just the one sowing
Carrots Stump	Chantenay & Gringo	7^th April	17^th April	warm up beds pre-sowing, use cloche or old jam jars!
Cauliflower	Plana and Nautilus	7th May	21st May	Very difficult to time, weather critical. Keep in cold when cut, use cling film
Trench Celery	Ideal Evening Star Red Star	1^st March 10^th March 1^st March	15^th March 25^th March 15^th March	The later sowing dates are to allow for slower rate of growth at the back end of the season.
Cucimber
Lettuce Butterhead
Table Marrow
Onions over 250 gram
Onions under 250 gram
Parsnips	Gladiator	Early January		One sowing only
Peas	Show Perfection	Mid May	Late May	Usually 14 to 15 weeks prior to show date
Potatoes	Winston Kestrel Amour Maxine Harmony	End of April	One sowing only	Plant only if soil has warmed up. Planting dates not critical as potatoes can be held back if the haulms are cut once size obtained.
Radish
Tomatoes	Solution and Shirley
Turnips	Not Grown

Medwyn

Next >> After the Vegetable Shows, Clearing up the Gardens from 07/11/2002

Previous >> Growing Shallots to a High Standard from 05/01/2000

This article originally appeared on Medwyn's of Anglesey the web site of Medwyn Williams which includes an online shop where you can buy his vegetable seeds, books and sundries.

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