Agriculture 4-H

Gardening

Kami Fulkerson
December 30, 2020

Garden manuals required! Also, see 4-H 970-W for exhibit preparation suggestions.

Garden Manuals:

Level A (grades3-4): See Them Sprout

Level B (grades 5-6): Let’s Get Growing

Level C (grades 7-9): Take Your Pick

Level D (grades 10-12): Growing Profits

State Fair Entries: All Gardening exhibits exhibited at the county level are eligible for State Fair Entry.

Exhibit Introduction

The gardening project introduces vegetable and herb gardening. What can I learn?

You will learn about planning a vegetable garden, planting, fertilizing, different vegetable pests, harvesting, storage techniques and careers.

** Fair Entry – You MUST register your 4-H project in Fair Entry if you plan to exhibit at the 4-H Fair. See page 21. **

Extra Exhibit Classes that may be offered in your county.

Largest (by weight) - pumpkin/squash, watermelon, tomato, potato, onion, head of cabbage, sunflower, unusual growth forms

Poster Guidelines

Posters should be 22" x 28" displayed horizontally with stiff, light weight backing and must be covered with clear plastic.
Identification should be on the front in the lower right corner (name, grade, county).
Poster should "tell a story" or be informative to the audience. Will the viewer of your poster learn something from the exhibit?
When designing your poster you should consider: lines, shapes, textures, colors and placement of items.
Pictures, graphics and artwork are encouraged.
Make sure the poster accurately meets the guidelines and objectives of the activities in the manual. Information printed directly off the web will not be accepted.
Materials included in the poster need to be educational, both for the youth and the audience, and should demonstrate that the youth was able to take what he or she learned from their research (experiment, on web, in library, etc.) and/or activities to create the poster.

Project Completion Recommendations

Level: All levels

1. Read and study 4-H Garden manual(s).
2. Plan your garden.
3. Select plants and seeds.
4. Plant your garden.
5. Care for your garden.
6. Harvest your produce.
7. Exhibit your produce.
8. Try something new as listed in the manual.
9. Keep a complete record of your garden activities.
10. Complete activities as required in manual.Exhibit
11. 4-H 970-W has been updated with more specimens and new required numbers of specimens. Please carefully read these changes if you plan to exhibit at the State Fair. Follow your county Fair Book for county exhibit guidelines.

I. Single Vegetable

May be selected from 4-H Garden Publication 4-H 970-W (updated yearly) or list in the State Fair Premium book. Maximum of 5 different single plate exhibits per exhibitor. Single vegetable entries should be labeled with common name, Latin name, and variety of vegetable. The Latin names can be found in 4-H Garden Publication 4-H 970-W.

Example:

Green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

‘Blue Lake 47 Bush’

II. Garden Collection

three (3) plates
four (4) plates
five (5) plates
In all three classes, vegetables are to be exhibited on paper plates and may include a display of not less than three garden flowers, grown in your own garden. Exhibitors may each exhibit one collection (3 or 4 or 5 plate garden collection) at State Fair. Garden collection entries should be labeled with common name, Latin name, and variety. Latin names can be found in 4-H Garden Publication 4-H 970-W.

III. Single Herb Exhibit

Can enter three single herbs (all edible types) that must be labeled with common and Latin names and in pots 8" diameter maximum (maximum of three different pots).
Resource HO-28; 4-H 970-W
For list of herbs acceptable for State Fair, see State Fair handbook or 4-H 970W.

IV. Garden Education

One garden education exhibit per county.

Anyone can complete Section IV (Garden Education), but members enrolled in Levels C and D of the garden project SHOULD exhibit one of the following activities in addition to the Produce Exhibit (Section I, II and III).

Produce Options

Exhibit four (4) plates containing two cultivars of two different kinds of vegetables in your garden. For example: display tomato Rutgers and tomato Roma on two plates and spinach Melody and America on two plates. Label the cultivars you exhibit.
Label and exhibit three unusual vegetables (may or may not be discussed in your 4-H Garden Manual) you grew in your garden this year. If not listed in the vegetable display chart, check with your Extension office. For example: spaghetti squash, head lettuce, etc.

Poster Options

1. Make a poster of five commonly found diseases in vegetable gardens, the damage caused by each, and the control options for each.
2. Make a poster of five commonly found vegetable garden insects: beneficial (good guys) and/or injurious (bad guys), benefits or damage caused by each, and the related management practices (how to keep the beneficial and how to control the injurious insects).
3. Make a poster of a maximum of 10 pests (diseases, insects, weeds, and/or rodents) you found in your garden this year, damage caused, control measures used, and results.
4. Make a poster explaining a computer garden program or mobile application.
5. Make a poster showing a picture story of what you did in your garden this year. Example: how you planned, planted, and maintained your garden.
6. Make a poster showing your financial record.
7. Make a poster of pictures showing your experiences in hydroponics.
8. Make a poster explaining various career options working with vegetables/herbs.
9. Make a poster explaining types of pollinators and their importance in vegetable and fruit production.
10. Make a poster that shows the different types of plant parts that are consumed by humans. Be sure to identify the fruit or vegetable and categorize it by root, stem, leaf, or flower.
11. Make a poster that shows different storage methods for vegetables.

Make a poster showing how to create a raised bed OR container vegetable garden.

Make a poster discussing how herbs listed on the last page of 4-H Garden Publication 4-H 970-W are used and have been used throughout history. Be sure to include both culinary and medicinal uses as well as other unique uses, if any.