Blackberries.

[Holsteinfriesian90]

Anyone else noticed that there are blackberries everywhere? Hope this doesn't mean another hard winter on the way.

 

[RAF]

Noticed the acorns are massive this year !

 

[Lincsman]

Anyone else noticed that there are blackberries everywhere? Hope this doesn't mean another hard winter on the way.

They are not that clever, it means the seasons have suited them.

 

[primmiemoo]

I browsed a generous portion of blackberries as I made my rounds before breakfast. In fact, I felt I didn't need much breakfast.

The fruits are consistently huge and full of flavour even on a damp overcast day like today. Hope they're still ripening when the dormice start their feasting before entering torpor.

 

[Muck Spreader]

The blackberries are fine, it's the evil plant they grow on that's the problem. You daren't stand still for to long around here or they will have you.

 

[Danllan]

Anyone else noticed that there are blackberries everywhere? Hope this doesn't mean another hard winter on the way.

It's a survival strategy, it does mean a hard Summer has just passed.

 

[dt995]

The blackberries are fine, it's the evil plant they grow on that's the problem. You daren't stand still for to long around here or they will have you.

 

[Pond digger]

That's a very interesting thought, and not without some merit.

 

[Kidds]

It's a survival strategy, it does mean a hard Summer has just passed.

I have always thought that as nature and the weather does seem to balance out over the year that a good year for fruiting can mean the balancing leads to a hard winter.
A bit like all that rain we had last winter lead to this years drought. I actually thought the rain was balancing for the previous 3 years drought we have had around here. I was wrong.

Anyway, blackberries are nice, my apples are looking better than I expected, plums are ready and so are the damsons. Seem to be a fair few sloes not far off either.

 

[Pigken]

Lots of blackberry's about but about 3 weeks earlier with us than last year and look like May be gone in shorter period, as said is that reaction to warm summer or was last year reaction to wet, personally think it's hard winter or long winter on way, sky's on morning changing very rapidly at moment lots of signs of autumn about but mother nature knows what she is doing, I hope

 

[Still Farming]

Blackthorn berries elder berries sloe's,blackberries masses everywhere?
Bad winter presumably.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Good.

-10 for weeks will be ideal. Lots of spreading can be done.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Definitely a good crop here. Funny, most "drier" summers they seem poor and we put it down to lack of moisture. This year it's drier than ever and a bumper crop. Good size too.

 

[Happy]

Has everyone forgotten how late spring was this year?
Nothing woke up early this year to be caught by a late frost so berries & fruit in abundance.
Never seen so many apples on the trees here and yes, everything is 2-3 weeks early but then so have most of the field crops too this year.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Yes hoards of apples too.

 

[farmerm]

Got some apple trees with no fruit others are loaded. Lots of blackberries but hardly an acorn. Nonesense about it being a sight of a hard winter ahead, fruit levels are a indicator of weather that has been not weather that is to come.

 

[Pond digger]

Indeed: plants don’t have psychic powers.

 

[pycoed]

Never seen so many blackberries as this year. We've already made damson jam too - in fact I have some on my plate as I am typing this <slurp>

 

[Jerry]

Definitely a good crop here. Funny, most "drier" summers they seem poor and we put it down to lack of moisture. This year it's drier than ever and a bumper crop. Good size too.

Solar energy.....lots of sunshine

 

[Danllan]

I have always thought that as nature and the weather does seem to balance out over the year that a good year for fruiting can mean the balancing leads to a hard winter.
A bit like all that rain we had last winter lead to this years drought. I actually thought the rain was balancing for the previous 3 years drought we have had around here. I was wrong.

Anyway, blackberries are nice, my apples are looking better than I expected, plums are ready and so are the damsons. Seem to be a fair few sloes not far off either.

Blackberries are nice, but neither bramble nor any other plant / creature can tell the future, they just react to what is happening around them. You don't see squirrels put away 'extra' nuts before a hard winter, or blue tits have fewer young so that there is more food left for them...