No Sloes (again?)

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Goldfinger

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No Sloes (again?)
« on: August 19, 2013, 08:00 »

Can someone explain the growth 'procedure' of a sloe bush?

Are they like a normal plant where there is a flower, a fruit or veg is produced?

Or is it done a different way...?

Last week, when at work in the field, I was checking the sloe bushes, and they had not a thing on them. No flowers, or even showing signs of 'fruit'.

Hope it's not going to be another poor year for them......  :(






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Sparkyrog

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2013, 08:10 »
Sloes are produced on the blackthorn which has the white flowers you see april may time ! I have not looked for any yet this year as tradition says they are better after a frost  :)
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Beetroot Queen

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2013, 08:12 »
Mine have small fruits already about the size of a blueberry so far, not a bumper harvest but enough. I would have thought it too late now to set fruit.

I trick mine in the freezer if they are ready too early

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Kate and her Ducks

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2013, 17:41 »
Well it's going to be a bumper crop here in Shropshire. The blackthorn's round here are mostly laden having been covered in blossom earlier in the year. We also have a good crop of damsons and loads of bullace which I've never had before.

I think sloes can have very variable production from year to year (has a fancy horticultural name that escapes me). I know that the large bush at my grandparents would be laden one year and just a couple the next even with similar weather.

Sure there will be a patch somewhere near you that's doing well. :)
Be like a duck. Calm on the surface but always paddling like the dickens underneath.

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madcat

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2013, 18:28 »
The apples, plums and greengages are doing great, but the sloes and damsons got clobbered by a frost and I dont think we will get much this year.  There is a swing and roundabout to fruit production - I guess it is nature keeping every thing in balance.   :unsure:
All we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about (Charles Kingsley)

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Kate and her Ducks

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2013, 18:36 »
So does any one have any good recipes for bullace? :D

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Goldfinger

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2013, 20:29 »

Hang on, am I talking sloes / damsons or bullaces??  :blink:

How do I know which is which now....?  :wacko:

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Kate and her Ducks

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #7 on: August 19, 2013, 21:35 »
Sloes grow on the blackthorn tree. As it's name implies, very thorny and spiky. If you don't get scratch picking them then they probably aren't sloes! Sloes are small (about 1cm in diameter) and very very tart.

Bullace come in a number of colours but the most common is black (very much like sloes) and are bigger than sloes (up to about an inch in diameter) and also round. They are also very tart and usually used in cooking but once very ripe apparently can be eater raw.

Damsons are the ones most know and are much like plums in shape and size (generally a bit smaller). They are also dark purple/black and can be used in cooking or raw when ripe.

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Goldfinger

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2013, 07:57 »

Thanks Kate, looking at your explanation, the bushes I took a photo, must be a mixture of sloes and bullaces.

There's defo no damsons there, I've looked along the whole of the length (around a third of a mile long!) and haven't seen any.

 

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Kate and her Ducks

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2013, 20:00 »
It's black thorn and bull ace that were generally grown in hedgerows although saying that our damsons are also in the hedges! ::)

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Sparkyrog

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2013, 20:33 »
This has made me look We have a great crop of sloes round here  :D

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Yorkshire Lass

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #11 on: August 21, 2013, 06:50 »
We were very disappointed last year hardly any sloe's :( but this year is looking a lot more promising.  We have seen a few bushes laden with Sloes. 8)

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Beetroot Queen

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Re: No Sloes (again?)
« Reply #12 on: August 21, 2013, 09:48 »
Sloes grow on the blackthorn tree. As it's name implies, very thorny and spiky. If you don't get scratch picking them then they probably aren't sloes! Sloes are small (about 1cm in diameter) and very very tart.

Bullace come in a number of colours but the most common is black (very much like sloes) and are bigger than sloes (up to about an inch in diameter) and also round. They are also very tart and usually used in cooking but once very ripe apparently can be eater raw.

Damsons are the ones most know and are much like plums in shape and size (generally a bit smaller). They are also dark purple/black and can be used in cooking or raw when ripe.

I think we must have found bullaces last year, we just thought they were large sloes. They went into a sloe and brambley apple jelly the same  :lol:



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