September is the perfect time to start making your sloe gin so it’s ready for Christmas. (If you make it last that long!). Why not grow your own blackthorn to help maintain your sloe berry harvest.
It is a native UK plant that is often used for hedges which you can usually find in wild hedgerows. Blackthorn is an up-and-coming plant for the everyday gardener. It is versatile, able to grow in any light from partial shade to full sun and can take most soil types except acidic peat. It can even take a rough maritime salty wind, a climate that can destroy many other hedges.
Blackthorn are easy to start growing, why don’t you start off with either a seed or from a an off-cut dipped in rooting powder, no special requirements are needed.
