[tallulah]

Last year we had a great crop of sloes, which I converted into my favourite winter warmer, sloe gin.  On recent forays out to the sloe bushes to see how they were getting on - there were none.  I mean none!  Last year there were, this year there are not.  (Not been picked, as I've been checking all summer, and there would be at least a few near the top branches).  Has any one else come across this?  And do you know why?

[digital_biscuit]

ahhh no, i was gonna go on a sloe berry picking expedition this weekend! Might not bother now!!

[tallulah]

I wonder if its the lack of bees?  What a knock-on effect that would have.  Or maybe the bushes round here are having a break ...

[digital_biscuit]

I think, prob due to lack of bees and a rubbish summer all added up to be rubbish fruit production!!

I have a friend off hunting for sloes this weekend, i shall report the findings when she returns!!

[orfy]

I has been a country wide disaster for crops this year I think I heard the crop is less than 5% of the usual.

[happy chick]

So good (well in a bad way!) to see you post tallulah .  I thought I was the only one to notice the rubbish sloe harvest.  
We have a secret sloe tree along a very quiet country lane and normally the lane is littered with fallen sloes.  This year nada.
OH and i are really :cry: because what with kids, work etc dont really have time to make other country wines; just sloe or damson gin/vodka. And it costs a fortune in the farm shops!!

[Ice]

None round my way either. :cry:

[Bodger]

Plenty here, Boozers place your orders.

[Knight Family]

Plenty here, Boozers place your orders.

Thinks about going for a drive down the road to bodgers area!!! now were is he!

[Beetroot queen]

We had a good lot too LOL

sorry guys you need to pop down to somerset  

[happy chick]

hmmnn, whereabouts exactly in Somerset bq so we can 'sample' yours??

No, seriously, that's interesting because we are on the wilts/somerset border - couldn't find any sloes in our area :cry:

perhaps just not looked hard enough this year :?

[Beetroot queen]

hmmnn, whereabouts exactly in Somerset bq so we can 'sample' yours??

No, seriously, that's interesting because we are on the wilts/somerset border - couldn't find any sloes in our area :cry:

perhaps just not looked hard enough this year :?

Between Yeovil and Glastonbury, thats the school run I do each morning.
Apparently somerton have loads too, location unknown but I heard a mother at school saying  

[muddywellies]

Lots in Bucks too!  

[happy chick]

Thanks bq,

We're westbury/chapmanslade area, so I guess further north than you.  I suppose there's always next year for sloes :cry:  . we'll console ourselves with the elderberries!!

[Howie]

Yesterday I paid my annual visit to a secret sloe gathering spot I know about on Dartmoor. Each year I have been able to pick many pounds of fruit but not this time. There were virtually none at all! At first I thought someone else had discovered my secret place, but not so. Even on the highest, out of reach branches, there were veritually no fruit at all. Does anyone have any theories as to what has happened to the crop this year?

This part of Dartmoor is also a good spot for blackberries - usually, but this year, as well as being very late - some branches sported new flowers - what fruit was ripish was very small.