Teams:
A 4-H team will consist of three or four 4-H members. The top three scores of the team are counted towards the final team score. A team may be comprised of members from one unit or may be comprised of youth from different units to form a multi-unit team.

If there is insufficient participation to field either a unit or multi-unit team, a 4-H member may compete in the "individual" category at the district, and potentially, the state contest (see qualifying information below). There is no "individual" competition category at the national level however.

Age of participants:
A team member must be 15 years of age by Dec. 31 of the year in which he/she competes in the Horticulture Contest at the district, state, or national levels.

A Virginia 4-H Horticulture Contest team member may still be eligible until their Virginia 4-H membership terminates. Eligibility for Virginia 4-H membership terminates on December 31 of the year the member has his/her 19th birthday.

Other Eligibility Requirements:
If a team wins the state competition, all team members are ineligible to compete again at the state level in 4-H. Any member who has participated in the National Contest is also ineligible to compete again at the state level.

All 4-H members must be enrolled in a VA 4-H Horticulture project during the year in which they compete in the NJHA Horticulture Contest at the district and state levels.

District Competition Rules:
The horticulture competition consists of three sections (judging - 80 points, identification - 200 points, and information - 160 points). A list of items for identification, judging, and subject matter for the written test is available in the NJHA HORTICULTURE CONTEST STUDY MANUAL, 2002 edition available from online at www.njha.org.

4-H District Contest Committees are responsible for the organization and implementation of District 4-H Horticulture Contests. Committees are encouraged to utilize 4-H agents, volunteers, program assistants, Master Gardener Coordinators and volunteers, and ANR Agents to organize and conduct District Horticulture Contests. Support and advice is available from the Plants, Soils, and Entomology Curriculum Committee (PSECC) and the Extension Specialist responsible for 4-H horticulture programs (Joe Hunnings).

A 4-H District Contest Committee will determine if there are sufficient teams and contest support to warrant the organization of a district Horticulture Contest. Each District will send the high scoring team and high scoring individual in their respective categories to the state competition. Districts with only one or two teams or individuals 1) may consider asking their teams to compete with teams from another district in order to have enough teams to justify preparation of a multi-district contest or 2) may be given a "bye" (by the PSE committee) to proceed directly to the state contest.

The Plants, Soils, and Entomology Curriculum Committee (PSECC) and/or the Extension Specialist responsible for the 4-H horticulture programs will provide districts with the "Information" test component of the Horticulture contest. This is to ensure some consistency across districts and provide participants with a clear idea of what to expect on this component at the state contest.

State Contest Rules:
The team that places first in the State Horticulture Contest will be recognized at Virginia State 4-H Congress and is eligible to represent the Virginia 4-H program in the National NJHA Horticulture contest. The individual with the highest score of all participants will also be recognized at the Virginia 4-H State Congress.

There is no individual category at the national level. However, if one or more team members cannot participate in the national contest, thereby reducing the team to less than three members, the individual rankings of scores by participants at the state contest will be used to select replacement team members. In other words, the participant with the highest individual score at the state contest will be the first member approached to serve as the substitute team member.

If a team wins the state contest, all team members are ineligible to compete again at the state level in 4-H. This is the case even if the team is unable to compete at the national level. Financial support will be available to the first place team (one adult leader and all team members) to support travel expenses related to their participation in the national NJHA Convention and contest. The quantity of this support depends on funds available and will be determined each year by the Plants, Soils and Entomology Curriculum Committee.

National Contest Rules:
Teams of three or four members must compete (there is no individual category)

Only one 4-H team per state is allowed.

Individuals who have competed in any division of this contest at the national level are ineligible to compete in the 4-H division at the national level.

College students who have completed two or more terms or semesters of college, or who have competed in the collegiate events of a similar nature or similar subject matter are not eligible to compete in the 4-H division.

Prepared by:
Joe Hunnings, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development, and The 4-H Plant, Soils and Entomology Curriculum Committee:
Joel Bunn, Chair
John Blankenship
Sam Fisher
Stephanie Fletcher
Rikki Sterrett