[RichardA]

on the basis that I do not want to give space in the garden to anything that is not useful but I also need to reinforce hedges that are getting a  bit thin or put a new hedge in front of them -- can I please ask if anyone has any experience of growing blackthorn hedges just for the sloes (used for making sloe gin).
Many thanks
R :?

[poultrygeist]

Hi Richard,
We have 1 blackthorn growing as a small tree.
However, where we used to live, the footpaths and cyclepaths were lined with natural hedging, including blackthorn.
We waited until after the first frosts and managed to rescue several bags full before the birds took them all.

Sloe gin was nice.

We've got hawthorn hedging round the garden which gives a similar result.

I say go for it. But you'll have to leave them on the bush until after the frost has been on them and the birds like them.

Rob

[annie b]

i usually make sloe gin, but if I waited until the first frosts, I wouldn'tuldn't be able to get any...there would be none left.

I pick them when I can and put them in the freezer for a few nights and then make the gin as normal...it has exactly the same effect

[cawdor2001]

planted 20 plants a few months ago to form a hedge and they are just starting to show signs of growth.

Cawdor