SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I don't what to know where anyone's secret source of sloes are but I am trying to find some sloes so I can seed my local area, the bush's I found last year were the first I've ever found in my area. I made my first batch of sloe gin last year but this year the bush's are empty before the first frosts so maybe someone's getting in before me as they see the bush's as theirs. I'm thinking if I can seed some straight into the local vicinity and sow some in the garden to plant later it will be a resource for future generations.

I've been looking for sloes to make gin but have so far been unsuccessful. I believe it is a bad year for sloes. The trees in my usual locations are completely bare.

Theres non at my normal place but someone I know further south has had loads so I wonder whats going on?

I have seen some in peoples gardens along Lea Farm Road in LS5. I was looking at some and the householder shouted at me that they were poisonous?!

I would add that planting them into the garden could be hazardous as getting a scrape from the spines usually ends up with any wound going septic. Of course they aint poisonous but eating them raw, especially before frost can upset the stomach cos of the tannins. And I aint letting on where my stash is     

I've been given a secret location so I will be gathering some sloes and trying a couple of ways to germinate them for the future.

It might make life easier if you bought established shrubs and planted those. It can take several years of caring, pruning etc for a decent size bush to give enough fruit. Like I said already, the Blackthorne can be a nasty little bugger if you were to give yourself a scrape from one of those thorns.    

I know all about Blackthorn thorns and though I have been pricked I have never had any problems with wounds from them. As for buying them that's a non starter I prefer to gather and seed as a long term project to see what happens, if I have no success so be it.