Anybody got any sloes this year ???

[gray_bale]

Anybody got any sloes this year ???

[MikeM]

no, and given the nature of mmy work/college I get out and about int he fields a lot, and have barely seen a handful of sloes. Just don't know what I'm gonna do for my boozing this year...

[Odsox]

No, none here either. I have a blackthorn hedge on one boundary and I found ONE sloe where ther are normally bushels.

[Peggy Sue]

Oh we have, so hard to resist picking them yet!

[MKG]

Oh Peggy Sue - pick 'em NOW. All over the country, the Blackthorns bloomed early - by at least a month. I've had my sloes in gin and vodka for two weeks. Old knowledge is wonderful - but our climate is shifting.

[Peggy Sue]

There's supposed to be this thing about wait for a frost, but round here sometimes there are just no frosts til Jan or even Feb one year so....

Well I guess it's nearly October so I'll get stuck in!

[Turf cutter man]

If they are plump, pick 'em and put them in the freezer this works the same as a frost....
..thanks for the reminder must go and check my hedges and see if there are any....
we have had a frost already (bloody early for here) so no problem there

[Brod]

Pretty poor do in my neck of the woods. I normally work out of doors and spend part of the time scouring hedgerows for potential goodies particularly sloes. Last year more sloes than you can shake a stick at, this year next door to nothing. Haws and rosehips seem to be doing well though.

[Peggy Sue]

Well I have to take back what I said, having been insired to rush out and pick now I realise lots of the trees have none at all this year- bit like the plums (I suppose they are wild plums) and I had spotted a few and assumed they were all out.

I'd say about 10% of last year! Wonder if it's teh same reason as plums, we had such a cold spring and they are very early to flower.

[hoomin_erra]

The Borders area had zip, where i had loads last year. A friend got 20Kg last year. This year? A handful. Well if anyone has an excess, i'm looking for a carrier bag full. I'll pay the postage

[Peggy Sue]

Last year was great I made 2 demijohn of sloe gin in one aftrnoon pickings. This year I've stretched one bottle and looked much further afield. Thankfully there's some of last years left so hopefully next year will be good!

[swiftnick]

Just north of Cambridge - picked a couple of KG in a few hours back in october