And Slaters Go Plop

I’m growing a cucumber plant at the moment and have noticed an interesting phenomenon; every so often it will put out a long, straight, skinny tendril which it uses to cling onto things as it grows. Everyone knows about this, you see it happening with peas and beans as well.

But do you realise just how fast this happens? The photo above is the result of only an hour or so of contact with the bamboo pole that I adjusted this morning. It boggles my mind to think what processes must be involved that cause the cells that come into contact with something to contract so rapidly. You could literally touch your finger to a straight tendril and have it cling to you over the span of a couple of cups of tea.