Mystery Seed Challenge
To promote a bit of friendly rivalry and to encourage more members to join in with our produce shows we have introduced the ‘Mystery Seed Challenge’
Get your seeds from Tapps Garden Centre, grow them and show the resulting produce in class 34 at the 2015 Summer Show. The Tapps Trophy is awarded to the winner.
Take a look at how one of our challengers got on.
16/3/15 – £1 to a worthy cause swapped for 5 mystery seeds
30/3/15 – 3 1/2″ pots filled and ready to go
3/4/15 – Time to unveil the mystery seeds; um looks familiar
3/4/15 – The first seed being sown
3/4/15 – All 5 safely in and labelled up
3/4/15 – Lid on and away to a warm window sill
9/4/15 – First signs of something happening
9/4/15 – There it is, a little leaf emerging
9/4/15 – The leaf continues its progress
9/4/15 – Getting a move on now, leaf fully open
10/4/15 – Just a week after sowing…
10/4/15 – …coming along nicely
14/4/15 – A little bit of support maybe…
14/4/15 – …and their first drop of water
17/4/15 – They’ve been growing for 2 weeks now
21/4/15 – Still growing, might need more support soon
24/4/15 – 3 weeks gone – extra support added
2/5/15 – Getting too big and it’s too early to plant out…
2/5/15 – … I think I’ll pot them on, nice roots
2/5/15 – In to the larger pot, add more compost, not too firm
2/5/15 – And there they are 5 in a row nicely repotted
16/5/15 – ‘Let us out’ Nearly time to take them outside.
19/5/15 – On flower now, must move them…
19/5/15 – …to a sheltered spot for hardening off.
20/5/15 – I think I’ll try growing them vertically.
22/5/15 – First one carefully in, roots have filled the pot again.
22/5/15 – Hole back-filled and plant tied in with soft ties.
22/5/15 – A protective collar added to stop anything chewing the stem.
22/5/15 – All 5 planted out, 7 weeks since sowing.
4/6/15 – The first little fruit starting to appear…
6/6/15 – … and now slightly bigger.
21/6/15 – Now a fully grown spherical courgette.
28/6/15 – Not a bad show entry – 3 weeks early though.
18/7/15 – Show day – another nicely matched pair ready to go.
18/7/15 – 4 entries to the mystery seed challenge, after judging.
18/7/15 – Andrew receiving the Tapps Trophy from the man himself.
The results were:-
1st – Andrew Dear (second from top)
2nd – John Brookbanks (top)
3rd – John Humphries (bottom)
4th – Zena Truscott (second from bottom)
If you are curious, the mystery seeds turned out to be
Courgette Floridor F1 from Kings Seeds. Find out more >
Thanks to everyone who made their £1 donation for the
original packet of 5 seeds.
Watch out for next years Tapps Trophy challenge.
