A tendril is a specialised stem which has a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants to cling on for support as they grow. In the past couple of weeks our peas have begun to develop these little shoots as they begin their growth upwards. My wife pushed a bunch of lopped elder branches into the ground for the pea tendrils to reach for and use as support scaffolds.
We have very special plants growing in tunnel #2, special little cucamelon plants. The cucamelon, is a vine grown for its edible fruit. The cucamelons will be about the size of a grape and seemingly taste like cucumber with a tinge of sourness.These also have lovely little spiral tendrils. The tendrils look to me to provide sprung shock absorption while supporting the little cucamelon plants, see the middle image just below. The cucamelons are been treated like little celebrities by my gardening guru, and heaven forbid something should happen to them. They are being minded to the last. Yesterday, I was stressed, as for most of the day Tunnel #2 was shook by a fresh easterly wind. The previous day was also windy and we installed a piece of plastic pipe between the tunnel uprights near the little celebrities, this suppport was to stop the outside cover buffeting and damaging the little celebrities inside, lets just say the little shock absorbers were tested to the limit. Thankfully the wind has eased today and all is good with the world again.
I have to admit, the small inexpensive tunnels have one weakness, they are light and though we have secured them as best we can, I think we need a more solid solution in the form of a ‘proper’ tunnel.
A quick walk around the garden this evening all looks good, the strawberries are flowering and our potatoes are bushing out. The various onions and garlic are looking strong. One of the raised beds is already producing spring onions and a lettuce accompaniment for our beefburger dinner this evening.The Raspberry canes are producing good leaves and runners are already popping out of the ground near their bases they look healthy.
I weeded and pulled the scutch grass from around the rhubarb yesterday, I think it may have preferred to remain hidden in this grass that surrounded it. The grass was providing a cool damp environment that it might have preferred. Our tomatoes are flourishing and must be about a half meter high or thereabouts.
There will be an abundance of produce all going well when our plants begin producing later in the summer.
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