This has been a good year for cucumbers and gherkins (essentially a warty-skinned, small cucumber ideally suited to pickling) – but then most years are for me.
I claim no expertise or special skill because cucumbers are reliably easy to grow as long as you give them the conditions they love, and that almost invariably means a greenhouse.
I have successfully grown ‘ridge’ types outside, which are much hardier and have tougher, rougher skins, but as a rule all cucumbers need warmth and wet to thrive.
While this part of the world is good at being wet, the warmth is nearly always insufficient – and if we do have a really hot summer it is nearly always dry, which is not ideal either.
Monty Don warns growers to regularly pick the produce so they are not overwhelmed with a number of large cucumbers at once. Pictured: Monty harvesting from his cucumber plants
So I cram my cucumbers into the far end of my greenhouse, and although there is not enough space, they love the hot, damp conditions and reward me with dozens of fruits.
I sow the seed in three-inch pots in late April and put them on a heated bench to germinate – a windowsill above a radiator is fine.
I let them reach about six inches tall (big enough to have a decent root system but not so big that they are flopping about) before potting them into their final container, which should be as large as you have space for because they are big, greedy plants.
I half-fill the pot with neat garden compost before adding a peat-free potting compost which helps feed them as well as acting as a sponge to hold plenty of moisture.
I construct a bamboo tripod in the pot for them to clamber up, then tie them in regularly until they are established.
I water them really well daily without fail and give them a liquid seaweed feed every week. This is the secret to good cucumbers – heat, food and drink, and plenty of it.
If stressed cucumber plants can produce male flowers which result in the produce having a bitter taste (file image)
If planted outside, it is best to dig pits or a trench and add lots of compost.
Pick the fruit often, as this will stimulate more fruit.
It is also easier to cope with a few small ones at a time rather than a glut of whoppers.
We make tzatziki, cucumber soup and, most deliciously of all, fried cucumbers served hot with a cream sauce.
A large fruit can be cut in half while still on the vine and the cut will callus over so the rest can be harvested later.
To encourage straight growth they need to hang cleanly.Train them up canes set at an angle, such as a wigwam or in cordons at 45°. The fruit will then hang vertically, unimpeded by surrounding growth.
It is likely that the Romans introduced cucumbers to Britain, although they originate from the Himalayas.
Until Victorian times they were commonly called ‘cowcumbers’ and were often regarded with suspicion.
This is because traditionally they produced male and female flowers. If the male flowers pollinated the female ones, the resulting fruits were bitter, so the male ones had to be pinched off on a daily basis.
Today most varieties have all-female flowers. However, if stressed, particularly by cold, the plants may still produce male flowers; these must be removed to avoid bitter fruits.
Cucumbers grown indoors are susceptible to red spider mite, cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew.
Red spider mite tends to build up when it is very dry, and damping the floor down and watering regularly should eliminate this. Good ventilation is the best prevention for powdery mildew. Cucumber mosaic virus is carried by aphids and will manifest itself in yellow and stunted leaves.
Monty’s plant of the week: Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’
Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’ is Monty’s plant of the week as it is a vibrant flower that blooms from May to October
This chance cross between G. psilostemon and G. procurrens is one of the best hardy geraniums. As well as being very good-looking in its own right, ‘Ann Folkard’ is a superb unifier of other intense colours, especially reds, blues and oranges.
It’s a sprawling, spreading plant that will work its way outwards or up through a shrub but never seems to overpower anything else.
The leaves darken with maturity but the plant is flecked with the vibrant lemon-green of new foliage throughout summer and early autumn. It flowers from late May to October.
ASK MONTY
Q Blackflies are all over my garden. Can I treat this with no insecticides? Magda Stein, London
A The very mild winter and spring gave perfect breeding conditions for Aphis fabae, the black bean aphid – and the soft, sappy growth they love. Insecticides won’t solve this, but predators like ladybirds and hoverflies will help.
Q A bulb of amaryllis that I keep in my conservatory has produced another flowering stalk. Is this normal? Mrs Linda Powell, Colchester
A Amaryllis need a few months of watering and sun to recharge the bulb, followed by a cool, dry dormant period of ten weeks before regrowth is triggered by water and light. But the heat from your conservatory will have triggered this early. Remove the stalk and put the pot outside for the next month, then let it rest until November.
Q My hydrangea has leaves but hardly any flowers. Why? Katherine Hoggan, Crewe
A Hydrangeas can fail to flower if they haven’t been pruned in spring, or if fed a nitrogen-rich feed, which encourages leaf growth instead of flowers. Also, the cold snap in May preceded by an exceptionally warm spring may well be the cause.