September 2009 Meeting &

Plant of the Month Competition

Introduction to Judging

We welcomed Justin Golbert to our meeting

He started off by posing the question - "Why hold a show"
Some reasons are - A get together to admire the plants - publicity - the competitive spirit
Above though the advice is not to take it too seriously otherwise you lose the enjoyment

Justin then reminded everyone that the Judge need to get the schedule in advance as he/she needs to approve it. This is in order to ensure that all the classes meet the guidelines of the show`s handbook. He also commented that some of the classifications in the show's handbook can give problems with judging in knwing where certain plants should be put

He then gave some advice on how to judge
You must know the plants - How easy/difficult, quick/slow growing etc.
Look for any plants that are NAS (Not as schedule)
There is a points system that awards points for general condition, rarity, presentation etc. This allows the judge to compare dissimilar plants.

There is an annual Judges course which is a very enjoyable event. It is normal for potential judges to take several attempts before they qualify. This can be in either Cactus, Other Succulents or both. The qualification is valid for 5 years. YOu do not need to be a potential jusdge to attend - anyone can go and have a good time.

During the tea break we all had a go at trying to judge a few plants in order to allocate 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd.

Above all this was a very interesting and enjoyable talk

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Plant of the Month Pictures - Gasteria

High resolution versions of the photos are also available if desired.