[Kleftiwallah]

Just got back from gathering 56lbs of small damsons.       I've seen larger sloes.   Must be the weather.  My regular damson bushes (down the sheep drovers track) seem in good health so I'll have to put it down to the weather.   Might read up about pruning them and see if that helps next year.         Cheers,     Tony.

[Rooba]

Same here in southern Scotland. Fruit is very small, plus my damson trees took a bashing from hurricane Katia last week. Loads of branches down - but on the plus side, lots of good firewood for winter.

[Kleftiwallah]

I woldn't use it,  too sloe to catch light !     I'm going to try and take hardwood cuttings and plant down the allotment.     Cheers,     Tony.

[hillfooter]

Yes poor here on the fringes of east anglia.  Last year they were great.  I picked mine mid August for jam and they were quite bitter.

Plums were poor too.  Blackberries haven't been too bad though.
HF

[Rooba]

Just got back from gathering 56lbs of small damsons.      

Just curious, are you planning to make wine? I have loads of damsons and never really know what to do with them. I had damson ale recently and really enjoyed it, but I haven't been able to find a home brew recipe. Cheers

[Kleftiwallah]

I've got ten gallons of damson wine 'on the go' and quite a few jars of damson jelly to consume or more likely give away.   

Got about ten lbs of frozen damson juice in the freezer, (well, where else would I keep it - under the bed) ? ? ?    Cheers,   Tony.

[sarajane]

HOW MANY.  How long did it take you to pick 56lb, especially if they were so small.

[otis pony]

Ours are small here in warwickshire too, too small and few to bother with.  Crab apples, wild plums and pears have been great.  I wondered if it had anything to do with the dry spring, perhaps blossom dropping early?  Picked sloes as big as damsons in West Wales, plenty of sloe gin and vodka on the go!!