Harvest Fayre

Now is the time tp primethose pumpkins!

Stoke Ferry Harvest Fayre 2003

Only one month to go to the Harvest Fayre and I am pleased to report that two

well-known local gardeners have agreed to judge the horticultural entries.

Graham Donachie, head gardener at Oxburgh Hall, and Ruthe Gray HND, will be

putting their heads together to decide just who will be walking away with those

certificates and silver cups on 6th September.

To remind you - the nine categories are listed below. And there is a new

category for anyone under 16 years of age who'd like to make a miniature garden. T

he only limitation is that the area must be no bigger than a shoebox but,

having said that, let our imagination run riot. Be creative. There is a 50p entry

fee and some free materials are available from the Youth Club.

What to do this month

Class A (vegetables)

Harvest main crop onions, making sure that the outer skins are well ripened

before storing. Under cover, harvest cucumbers and tomatoes regularly. Pick

cobs of sweetcorn when the tassels on the ends have withered. If you are going

away on holiday, make sure that a friend or neighbour will keep everything well

watered (however, take care not to over-water tomatoes this late in the summer

as it causes them to split - they still taste okay but they won't win any

prizes). Talking of prizes, be sure to leave a few courgettes on the plant to

swell and ripen into giant specimens!

Class B (fruit)

Thin fruits, as in June. Protect ripening fruit, especially

September-fruiting raspberries, from the birds. Check for pests, diseases and dieback, and

apply sticky bands and sacking bands to apple and other trees if they suffer from

many pests. Test fruit for near-ripeness by lifting and twisting gently - when

it is ready to pick, it will part easily from the spur.

Class C (flowers)

Pests can still be a problem, especially on dahlias and chrysanthemums, so

continue to spray regularly. Feed dahlias with liquid feed - the liquid from

last month's comfrey recipe would be just the job. If you want large

chrysanthemum blooms for the show, be sure to disbud i.e. remove the side shoots which

appear where each leaf joins the stem. I have read that you can prevent earwigs

going into the flower by smearing the stem with Vaseline - I haven't put it to

the test but it might be worth a try. Keep picking sweet peas to encourage

more flowers.

The complete list of categories is shown below:

Class A Vegetables

Class B Fruit

Class C Flowers

Class D Jams and Pickles

Class E Cakes

Class G Bread

Class H Beer and Wine

Class I Novelty veg

Class J Junior

PLUS - Miniature gardens (under 16s only)

The entrance fee is 50p per person and 25p for those under 18; this entitles

you to enter as many of the above classes as you wish. The winner of each

class wins a certificate and a silver cup to keep for one year. For more

information contact either Marion Clarke (tel: 500 032) or Chris Hollier (tel: 500 872).