Journal June 14, 2015 - Picking Cucumbers in mid-June

The greenhouse cucumbers are coming on strong, so it looks like I will have to find some dill and dig out the BIG crock for making garlic dill pickles.  This year I am growing a variety that needs no pollination, which makes it ideal for the greenhouse: Matilde.

Features:The perfect-sized cucumbers for making the delicious little pickles known as Cornichon pickles. ‘Mathilde’ cucumbers have no bitterness and can be picked when just 2" long. This is an early-producing variety with heavy yields making it a good choice for Northern climates with short seasons.
Uses:Eat fresh for a delicious and nutritious snack. Slice into salads, layer on sandwiches or toss with vinegar, onion and seasoning. Serve with dip on a vegetable tray. 

As cucumbers are mostly water, these plants are really going through a lot of water on hot sunny days.  Late yesterday I filled the five gallon reservoir with water and it was necessary to refill it again today.  Keeping the reservoir filled and the soil moist goes a long way in preventing deformed fruit.

When time permits I am still making time lapse sequences, trying to improve my skills.  It is frustrating at times, as it requires tying up your equipment for several days to produce about twenty seconds of video.  

I simply can't imagine the effort the professionals, at say the BBC, put into their work. 

Although I am not really happy with the cucumber tendril time lapse I decided to publish it anyway.  I really wanted to demonstrate the tendril attaching itself, twisting to form a loop and pulling in each direction.  Unfortunately, this time the plant did not do that, however, the tendril in the background is whipping around searching for support, moving the entire plant from side to side.   Plants are fascinating life forms. 

Last, but not least, this friendly little character, who we named Simon, has decided to make his home on our property.  He is a great "guard monk", perched on his favorite spot he chirps at anything intruding on "his"domain.  His reward for watching the property is a full cup of sunflower seeds each day, so he has plenty of time for guard duty rather than scavenging for food.