Tips to Grow Fair-Worthy Flowers and Vegetables

Spring is here, and if you're interested in entering garden produce in the 2017 Seminole County Fair you need to start planning now.

Here are some tips and information that might interest you.

- Find your gardening zone - Seminole County is zone 7B.

- Look up your first and last frost dates at Dave's Garden. Here's the link to Seminole County's results.

- How to Read a Seed Packet for planting information.

- Soil testing is available through our Seminole County OSU extension office. Call 405-257-5433 for more information on this and other services. Check out this OSU fact sheet about How to Get a Good Soil Sample. Soil samples can be brought in a quart jar or bag to the OSU Extension office. The cost is $10 per sample and the report/results will be mailed to you in approximately 10-12 days.

- Use these regional planting guides to know when to plant your garden. Seminole County is very near the line between the Central Midwest region and the Southern Interior region, so take your pick! These guides are for vegetables, but you'll find links to herb and flower guides too.

- 10 Blue Ribbon Secrets that Grandma Used to Grow the Best Heirloom Tomatoes - while written about tomatoes, many of these tips apply to other vegetables as well.

Look up our fair book and research the categories and classes you might want to enter. This link is to the 2017 fair book. The Agriculture Division is on pages 10-12, with Food Preservation on pages 18-20. While you're there, check out the other divisions and find more classes to enter.

This year's fair will be held on September 7-9, 2017, with check-in on Wednesday, Sept. 6th.

Stay tuned to our website and Facebook page for upcoming information on check-in times and daily schedules and events.

We'll see you at the fair!

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