[poultrygeist]

We have what we're 99% sure is a blackthorn in the garden that self-seeded about 6 years ago in a pot.
It's been planted out a couple of years and flowers well in early spring but so far, no fruit.

Do we need another blackthorn to pollinate or does it take a few years before it bears fruit ?

Thanks

Rob

[Rangerkris]

Ermmm i have found out lots of other interesting infomation about this while looking for an answer, Sorry cant help as yet.

[poultrygeist]

Cheers anyway Kris 

Lots of folklore associated with them but I prefer the sloes 

Rob

[Rangerkris]

Concerning yield in the sixth year of growth, it was significantly different depending on the cultivar. The highest yield (19.5 – 21.7 kg/tree or 16.80 – 21.7 t/ha) was recorded in Roxana in all planting distances and the lowest, of only 1.1 – 1.5 kg/tree or 1.1 – 1.5 t/ha, in NJ-A1 and NJ-19.

Found this but its to do with a peach being grafted to blackthorn stock

[Pellynut]

We've lived here 38 years and there has always been a blackthorn growing at the end of the garden which has never ever had any fruit on it.  However, last year my husband cut a few branches off so he could replace the summer house roof.  Lo and behold, we have heaps of sloes.  We just need them to ripen and also to figure out a way to get up the tree to harvest them!

[Rangerkris]

They ripen after the first frost, or you can freeze then and thaw a couple of times and send them into ripen mode.