Damson lack of
- Thread starter Tengu
- Start date
It's not been a good year for any of the prunus family round our way which is sad because I love stuff like mirabelles & also damson jam.
I was beginning to wonder about this myself ... none of the blackthorn I've been watching have sloes on them. I've only seen about 3!
I managed to pick 6-7lbs of decent damsons last weekend with Mrs. Bootstrap which she has now made into jam. If it's anything like the last lot that she made it will be good 
There were quite a few sloes appearing too near where we picked the damsons but the Ridgeway is one of the best places I've come across for them near here.
There were quite a few sloes appearing too near where we picked the damsons but the Ridgeway is one of the best places I've come across for them near here.
I guess in the south west we are quite lucky, there were a health crop of damsons, sloes and bullaces this year, hazel/cob nuts too, until the council decided that the over hanging branches may present some risk of being sued (or causing an accident ) and they cut them back 5 feet. Leaving only the top of the bushes and the back shaded side where nothing much grows. They also did this two years ago leaving nothing for foragers and wildlife alike. All I can find is wild apples (wild as in domestic apples growing wild and tiny wild apricots. Any one with ideas as what I can do with them. (not jam I can’t eat jams)
xylaria
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
The snow fall that quite a bit of the country got around easter killed off the blossom as it was forming fruit. last year we had heat wave on the same week and so had a bumper crop.
Yep, Robin's folks garden is surrounded by Damson trees and many years we can pick them by the wheelbarrow load. This year there's not so much as a pie's worth
Went looking to see what was about the other night........Nowt
Very little Sloes & Bullace not very happy about this.
Spoke to a guy in my work and he told me that the Sloes are in abundance at his shoot.So i think its dependant where you are i suppose..
The Search Continues....
Scott
Very little Sloes & Bullace not very happy about this.
Spoke to a guy in my work and he told me that the Sloes are in abundance at his shoot.So i think its dependant where you are i suppose..
The Search Continues....
Scott
Imagine how a hunter gatherer would have been affected by something like this. To us, it is a mild inconvenience, but to them it would of been a matter of life and death. Last year was OK for fruit around here, but the nuts (hazel and sweet chestnut for instance) were almost non existant. This year isn't looking much better, I wonder if this explains the lack of grey squirrels this year?
I'd noticed a lack of bullace around here too (south Dorset). I normally gather from trees in three areas but there is nothing this year.
On Friday I was working on the cliffs at Kimmeridge and there was a real variation in the amount and size of sloes - many bushes were empty but a few had loads of quite large sloes. Another weird year!
Bob
On Friday I was working on the cliffs at Kimmeridge and there was a real variation in the amount and size of sloes - many bushes were empty but a few had loads of quite large sloes. Another weird year!
Bob
I have slim pickings here too, midlands, sloes are small, hard and scarce, hazel nuts are scarce too as are the squzzles, mushrooms going a good'un round here though!
no problems with damsons here, have also found some huge blackberries, the biggest i've personally ever seen, they have a diameter of about 3cm, if you imagine the centre hole in a normal roll of insulation tape well the berries are slightly larger than this.
No Sloe's around my patch even in the sheltered spots.
I was going to double my quantity of Sloe Gin this year too but I might not have any.
I was going to double my quantity of Sloe Gin this year too but I might not have any.
well it made the local news that its official damsons are in short supply by about 80% compared to regular years
I was thinking of doing a bit of guerilla gardening, by spreading a few damsons up at the edge of the woods near me - there's elderberries and blackberries there already. The only thing is, I don't know if I'd be upsetting any other species if I do this.
Is it a good idea or not?
Is it a good idea or not?
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