Sloe/Blackthorn Collection

Greetings enlightened Bonsai enthusiasts,

I was wondering if you could please give me some advice on collecting raw material. Through a chance conversation on Sunday I learnt that my Childminders Father-in-Laws friend (everyone still with me?!?) is a local farmer who has a field with a lot of Sloe’s (Blackthorn?). I’m TRYING to get permission to TRY and collect some material and was wondering the best way to go about it – timings, items require, aftercare etc. The farm is local to me (by the seaside eh Fiona) so they won’t have to be transported very far.

Many thanx in anticipation,
Your humble Padawan,
Simon

bonsai monkey wrote: The farm is local to me (by the seaside eh Fiona)

Simon, it's a well-known fact thet everywhere in Kent is by the seaside.

Your gurus for this task are Messrs Tickle and Kennedy as they have the first hand experience. I can, as you know, provide the bucket and spade. But if you're looking for any new homes for these, I'll come down on the next sloe boat from Glasgow ...

Far too much time on my hands today.

Fiona... do you honestly think that I am going to freely give up all the information, experience, blood sweat and tears to pass it on to a beginner!

Damn right. Simon (sweetie) its too early to collect right now. Fiona is working on one of my collected sloes at Burrs. Lets explore you opportunity there.

For the record. When digging a sloe you must be as ease off at the start, then fast as possible when you find the roots and finish as you started.

In summary; Sloe sloe.... clip clip... sloe

Tony wrote:Fiona... do you honestly think that I am going to freely give up all the information, experience, blood sweat and tears to pass it on to a beginner!

Yeah, but he's kinda cute! And there may be freebies....

Tony wrote:In summary; Sloe sloe.... quick quick... sloe

Strictly Come Bonsai? It could catch on. But isn't it funny how you never see Tony and Bruno Tonioli at the same time! Clue in the Tonioli bit methinks

Far too much of a coincidence

[quote="fiona"]

Tony wrote:Fiona... do you honestly think that I am going to freely give up all the information, experience, blood sweat and tears to pass it on to a beginner!

Yeah, but he's kinda cute!


Thanx for your advice and dance lessons Tony

I wasn’t looking to lift them yet as I’m in negotiation with the land owner at the mo and nothing might come of it yet. If so, I’ll employ the help of Andy Hatchet Monkey as he’s big and butch and done this sort of thing before!!!!! If we end up with some surplus Fiona your name will be top of the list.

I’ll take you up on your kind offer at Burr’s Tony if that’s OK.
I might even remember what you tell me as I’m looking to avoid the vino collapseso over the weekend

Forever your humble Padawan,
Simon

Just to interject with a bit of common sense, Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn/Sloe are a frustrating tree to collect. They tend to sucker long distances from a "mother" tree, to produce a thicket. That's why they are a nuisance that many farmers and gardeners are only too keen to get rid of. What you have to try to do is find the oldest looking plant, usually near the middle of the thicket, and try to dig that one out. It will probably be the only one with a decent root system. All the others are on long (sometimes very long) rootless underground stems. The other approach is to be slow and patient. Ground layer the suckers.

Getting the one in the middle of the thicket sounds well and good, until you try it. The thorns are worse than Hawthorn and often leave a bit under your skin when they spike you, to get infected.

Good luck. Good ones are hard to come by, but I've seen some stunners. My favourite is Simon Tembletts hollow Sloe that has excellent movement.

fiona wrote:Far too much of a coincidence

I have NO idea who my lookalike is?

Looks like a friend of Dorothy's

My recommendation is that you not delve too far into who your look-a-like is. I just hope your personalities are opposites

[quote="Tony"]

fiona wrote: I have NO idea who my lookalike is?

There's another coincidence: he said the very same thing!

And great advice from Kommonsense Kev as well - to whom I apologise for missing him off the list of gurus. I'm sure he showed me the scars as well!

I'm a recent convert to Blackthorns so have been noticing them in all sorts of places. On a trip to Largs recently I found a few stands of pretty well established ones. I can see what you mean about the thickets but the main tree in each of the stands must have been about 15" in diameter and 10' in height. As the trees are right on the shore line of a very windswept beach, I take it I would be right in assuming that they are resilient wee beggars to most weather conditions including salt spray.

It's no good - I'll need to go down tomorrow and take some pics.

Simon, don't be tempted to go help yourself to them: you might get caught up in a game of copse and robbers

and btw, right now as far as I am concerned a thicket is the collective noun for the Greenock Morton first team