Youth Gardening is Fun & Educational!
Resources for 4-H Plant Science Contests at the Lancaster County & Nebraska State Fairs.
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2022 Lancaster County 4-H In-Person Plant Science Contests
Three Plant Science Contests was held Wednesday, June 15, 10 a.m.–12 noon at the Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County conference rooms, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Suite A, Lincoln. Registration is required by Monday, June 7 by calling 402-441-7180 (there is no entry form). Open to all 4-H'ers from all counties ages 10-18. Enrollment in a horticulture project is not required to participate. Participants will be able to use a list of plants while identifying samples.
Youth choose which portions of the contest to participate in:
- Tree identification
- Weed & grass identification
- Horticulture contest
For Lancaster County 4-H members, these are Lancaster County Super Fair contests held before the fair and premiums must be picked up on Monday, Aug. 1, 7–11 a.m. at the Lancaster Event Center Fairgrounds - Lincoln Room. Ribbons will be awarded at the Super Fair or mailed.
Here is a print-friendly flyer with above information.
2022 Lancaster County 4-H Online Tree ID and Grass & Weed ID Contests
The contest is open to all youth, as well as adults. Youth do not need to be enrolled 4-H members to participate. The contests will be available from Friday, June 3, 2022, 9 a.m. through Tuesday, June 21, 2022, 9 a.m. Rules and links to participate will be at https://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/youth/fair/treegrassweedcontests.
2022 Nebraska 4-H Online Horticulture Judging Contest
Nebraska 4-H offers a statewide online Horticulture Judging Contest which tests 4-H'ers knowledge in three areas: general knowledge questions, plant part and seed identification, as well as a judging portion. This year, the contest will be available Friday, June 3, 8 a.m. through Monday, June 20, 8 a.m. The link to participate will be at https://4h.unl.edu/online-horticulture-judging-contest.
Tree ID Contest Study Resources:
- Nebraska Extension publication Tree Identification Manual (4-H 332). $5.50 for pdf.
Weed and Grass ID Contest Study Resources:
- Nebraska 4-H (pdf) Weed & Grass Plant List for Identification Contest.
- Nebraska Extension publication Common Grasses of Nebraska (EC170). Free web versions, $5 for print version.
- Nebraska Department of Agriculture Weeds of the Great Plains. $35 for hardbound book.
Horticulture Contest Study Resources:
- National Example (pdf) NJHA Horticulture Contest Identification Answer Sheet.
- Lancaster County 4-H PowerPoint With Lots of Photos (.ppt - large file) Landscape Ornamentals.
- Lancaster County 4-H PowerPoint With Lots of Photos (.ppt - large file) Flowers and Indoor Plants.
- Lancaster County 4-H PowerPoint With Lots of Photos (.ppt - large file) Vegetables.
Resources for Plant Exhibits at Lancaster County Super Fair & Nebraska State Fair
4-H members and volunteers should use these resources to help prepare plant exhibits for Lancaster County Super Fair and Nebraska State Fair Contests.
- Lancaster County 4-H website with Fair Book, Resources, Forms and Fair Results/Photos
- Nebraska Extension free online publication (pdf) Selecting and Preparing Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruit or Exhibits at County Fairs and the Nebraska State Fair - Nebraska 4-H.
- Nebraska Extension free online publication (pdf) Preparing Cut Flowers for Exhibits at County Fairs and the Nebraska State Fair.
- Lancaster County 4-H handout (pdf) Showing Flowers and Vegetables at the Lancaster County Super Fair
- Nebraska Extension NebGuide (pdf) NebGuide G1853 "Propagating House Plants" includes a list of includes a listing of common houseplants found in Nebraska.
2022 Special Garden and Agronomy Projects
4-H families have the opportunity to participate in the special garden and/or special agronomy projects this year. The Special Garden Project is Rubenza Cosmos. The flowers of the Rubenza are unique and the petals change color as they age. The Special Agronomy Project is broomcorn sorghum, which started as a garden crop but soon evolved into being grown for making brooms for the home. Seed packets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Call the Extension office at 402-441-7180 to sign up for these special projects. The seed packages are free and one seed packet per project, per family. Seeds will be mailed after April 30.