Prunus spinosa
Blackthorn
Common names: Sloe, Sloe bush, Thorny blackthorn
Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The blackthorn is a thorny wild shrub that in March is the first to burst into bloom, creating an early bee meadow. Its small, bluish-black fruits are raw, bitter and astringent, but become milder after the first frost and can be used to make liqueur, jelly and wild fruit juice. As an impenetrable thorny hedge it provides valuable shelter for birds and insects.
Care instructions
Plant the blackthorn in autumn, October to November, weeks 42 to 46, in a sunny spot. It is very low-maintenance and thrives even on poor, dry soil. Ensure that it forms dense stands through root suckers. Harvest the fruits after the first frost, November, week 45, or place them briefly in the freezer to mellow their bitterness.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
sandy, loamy, clayey, well-drained, dry, lime-loving
Feeding
Light feeder
Pruning
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
Diseases & pests
3 relevantFrom the knowledge base, automatically linked by affected species. How to spot and prevent them is covered in full in the lexicon.
Operophtera brumata
You will notice the Small Winter Moth in spring by its green caterpillars that, when crawling, have a cat's hump appearance.
More on Small Winter MothGrapholita funebrana
The plum moth is the stone fruit counterpart to the codling moth: from June onwards the moth lays eggs on young fruit, the caterpillar bores its way through to the stone and triggers gummosis as well…
More on Plum mothWilsonomyces carpophilus
Shot hole disease is caused by the fungus Wilsonomyces carpophilus and attacks above all stone fruit such as cherry, plum, peach and apricot.
More on Shot hole diseaseNotes from real gardens
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