BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Monty, 62, regularly recommends scythes to his army of female fans.
He has hailed the traditional hand tool as “deeply satisfying to use”.
The “Monty Don effect” has sparked a surge in women attending courses organised by the Scythe Association of Britain and Ireland (SABI) to teach the 2,000-year-old skill.
About 1,500 people attended training courses this year – and half of them were women.
Poldark hunk Aidan Turner set female viewers’ hearts racing in 2015 when he showed off his bare-chested scything skills in the hit BBC drama.
Chris Riley, 59, of Gillingham, Dorset, trained 200 people this year on SABI courses and demand is rising.
He said: “Monty Don, more than anyone, has helped the word to get around about scything because he has such a big following.
“Scythes are really enjoyable and good exercise for the kind of person who would rather use this wonderful hand tool than pick up a strimmer.
“They do the job just as well as long as you have the knowledge and skill to use them.”
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