By Alanturk
Wiltshire,
United Kingdom 
This is another Monty Don query. He stated recently that cucumbers should be harvested when their ends are more rounded than 'pointy'. He showed what he meant with some small ones he had grown in a greenhouse (which I don't have). This year, for the first time ever, I bought a tiny cucumber plant and planted it in the garden to see what would happen. At first, not much happened, but then it started growing 'like Topsy'. Now it has three fruits near the base of the plant, and some more developing higher up. Now the thing is this, they look more like the long ones one can buy in a supermarket (but without the entirely unnecessary plastic sleeves) but the ends all still look 'pointy' more than round, which hasn't changed for some time. Monty's examples, ready and not ready, looked pretty similar to one another anyway, so I'm not much wiser. Do you think any of them might be ready? If not, how much longer might I have to wait?
A short tale about Monty. He's a really nice bloke, but I've heard plenty of people query his advice. This isn't a question, but I can't see where else to tell the story.
A few years ago we went to the Scilly Isles on holiday. While there, we were taken on a guided walk around the island of St Martin's, which included a visit to a lady's garden. Among other things she was growing some Banksia bushes, some with red flowers, others yellow. She told us how Monty had said that they were very difficult to propagate, involving extracting the very small seeds from the cones, using a pin, and having done so, they would prove unlikely to germinate in most cases. "Absolute rubbish," she said with some vehemence. All you have to do, she explained, was to put a cone in a paper bag (not plastic, she insisted) and keep it warmish, room temperature would do. In due course the seeds would pop out naturally. Sprinkle them on damp compost in a seed tray (they are like dust and can't be handled individually) and await developments. I did that with some cones she handed out to her visitors, and wound up with a veritable forest of seedlings, some of which I later pricked out into pots and eventually into the ground. Now I have a lovely collections of bushes which flower annually. I had so many I gave some away. I have just spent an hour or so reducing them to a manageable size, as they were beginning to obscure my front window. So if you should fancy doing the same, St Martin's is the place to go!
28 Jul, 2022
Answers
Those cucs look ready to me. Harvest one and see what you think of the taste and texture. If happy harvest the largest ones. If left to get bigger they will become less edible.
28 Jul, 2022
Thanks Seaburngirl. I'll let you know how it goes.
29 Jul, 2022
I agree with SG, they look ready to me
29 Jul, 2022
I agree with SG, they look ready to me
29 Jul, 2022
Interesting story Alan. Monty has basically learnt about gardening by what happens in his own large plot … he hasn’t had any formal training. Most of what he shows us is pretty good advice, and I think he’d readily agree that some of us would succeed using other methods, but he’s an affable presenter!
30 Jul, 2022
Interesting story Alan. Monty has basically learnt about gardening by what happens in his own large plot … he hasn’t had any formal training. Most of what he shows us is pretty good advice, and I think he’d readily agree that some of us would succeed using other methods, but he’s an affable presenter!
30 Jul, 2022
Geoff Smith and Alan Titchmarsh, the best ex presenters of GW - both very knowledgeable and very good teachers, with reliable advice. I cut my gardening teeth with both of them before horticultural college, but sorry Monty, I can't cope watching you present GW, its not good for my blood pressure...
1 Aug, 2022
We don’t want your blood pressure rising Bamboo! But what else is there apart from GW? Have you found any good gardening programmes to watch?
Btw it’s good to see you …
1 Aug, 2022
the one from scotland is a much better program. beechwood I think it is called.
I too dont watch GW any more as I find MD not engaging for me.
2 Aug, 2022
Beechgrove is the Scottish one SG, both programmes have good & bad parts IMO, I suppose it comes down to what you like to see, the flower arranging is not for me but no doubt how to sow carrots is not for everyone either
2 Aug, 2022
Sheilabub - I stopped watching GW some years back now, well since Monty I suppose.I listen to GQT on Radio 4, but I don't really watch gardening programmes..I quite like Garden something or other, where different garden designers submit designs for someone's garden and then you see them create it from scratch, can''t recall its name now, so its a kind of make over programme, but Charlie Dymock is one of the garden/designers. I love that one. When it started out, it was just the Rich Brothers and Charlie competing ...
2 Aug, 2022
Bamboo, thanks. I think you might mean Your Garden made Perfect … I loved it. Two designers competed, and I often thought Tom Massey’s were brilliant. Some others were definitely OTT with bizarre lighting etc. I used to wonder what their neighbours thought because the “blingy” ones were so very different from theirs.
I was very lucky to have the chance to start from scratch too .. great fun 🙂.
2 Aug, 2022
NO, its not that programme - I think its called Garden Rescue - people write in (via video once Covid started) and ask for their garden to be done - two designers compete with each other and the people who want the garden choose between their designs. The customer sets the budget, which gets used for the materials, the designers and landscaping team come free...
4 Aug, 2022
Thanks Bamboo - the two programmes sound very similar. Now I’m enjoying The Art of the Garden, Tuesdays, 7pm, featuring a different designer each week …
4 Aug, 2022
Given up with Gardeners' World but found a gardening programme on Channel 5. Carol Klein is the girl for me. Down to earth gardening advice from a genuine 'expert'. Interesting and informative even though I have to endure the adverts.
5 Aug, 2022
Alan, don't take Monty's advice as being gospel. My favourite garden celebrity was Geofrey Smith who was a regular on the television and Radio 4, Gardeners' Question Time. Nigel Colborn was also on the pannel and Geoff would regularly question his advice. Sometimes better to take advice with 'a pinch of salt', and do what you think best. The beauty of gardening is, if you make a mistake one year, there is always another year.
28 Jul, 2022