Has anyone else been caught out seed saving with all this wet weather recently?
Lots of my seeds that were coming on beautifully when we were having the dry weather are now succumbing to mould because of all the rain, could do with a few dry days so that I can get out and harvest the next lot.
But at least it's staying mild , though I did hear last night about we're supposed to be having a really hard winter this year.How do they know this? It seems that they can't get the day to day forecast right, let alone 3-4 months in advance. It's supposed to be on par with the winter of 63? I only have very vague memories of that, more the power cuts.
I just know though, that one year, now I have a load of tender plants going strong in the garden it's going to happen...I must make an effort to put my tender plants in pots away this year, I say the same each year, and never do, and so far have always got away with it.
Seed saving thwarted..
Yes, it has been so wet that all the beans which I had left on to keep for next year were in danger of going rotten, so I've cut them off at the base of the plants and brought the whole lot in and hung them up in a dry airy place. Hopefully they will dry and not go mouldy.
The prediction for a bad winter is something to do with the sea temperature in spring. Statistically it has followed that if the sea temperature is particularly low the winds come from the north east during the following winter bringing very cold air, instead of the westerlies which are usually warm and wet - or something to that effect. My son tries to blind me with science and I wasn't paying attention when he told me!
Anyway, I've been taking cuttings of a few things that I think may be a bit tender, and I've bought a nice long roll of fleece to cover the veg up if they need it. I keep thinking I'll have to bring the canna in every time I walk past it, but haven't done so yet. Something which surprised me last year was the dahlias. I had grown some from seed and completely forgot to lift the tubers, and they nearly all grew again this year, although they were badly damaged by slugs. I've been bringing them every year for as long as I can remember. Were the winters so much colder? We did seem to have a lot more snow when I was little. Oh dear, I'm rambling again.
I've just checked the beans which I brought in to dry and a lot of them were going mouldy. I have saved more than half though, and have a few bags of good ones and a separate pile of ones to keep an eye on but which look OK. I've put them all in a really dry place to finish off, so should have plenty for next year and to swap.