Bilberry

[earthspirit]

For the past 14 years I have gathered wild Bilberries from the moors in particular, Haworth Yorkshire and the Trough of Bowland Lancashire. This year (2010) I visited at the appropriate picking time, and all bushes were barren. It was like something had befallen the bilberry bush. Never have I seen this before.
Has anyone else experienced this, this year. ?

Earthspirit

[Dorts]

I have always lived near to where Bilberries were common, but I have never been able to find enough to pick. So from my experience your regular crops are far from the 'norm' in most places.
I think the birds get to them first; and maybe that's what has happened to your plants.
Dorts..

[Blizzard]

Sometimes it's a case of blink and they're gone. I was finding lots of "not quite ripe" ones and then when I thought they'd be ready to pick I returned to find none!

[wildherbalian85]

Perhaps it was the cold winter that has either delayed them like the blackberries, or like the cherries down south stumped the harvest a little. Maybe other fuiting plants locally have been effected by the weather forcing the birds to concentrate more on the billberries.... or just maybe others have beaten you to them.

I never went billberry picking this year... i thought the exceptionally dry end to spring and start to mid-summer would have effected my crop. I know of an area about 40 miles north of me that is scrubby heath for miles and miles and bilberry is one of the most common plants on the heath.

[earthspirit]

Thanks for your post.
I have always had masses of fruit over the years, from these moors which are vast.
Some years I have made 10 jars of jam.
I have been checking for the fruit coming onto the bushes, but no green fruit came to ripen on, so birds have not got this crop. You can tell when the birds are feeding on the bilberry plants by their droppings near by. Nothing this year, so I guess it must be weather conditions.

[earthdragon64]

We call them Blaeberries in Scotland, and we had a good crop this year. When I was out on Sunday in Glenfeshie, there were still quite a lot on some bushes.

Regards, Audrey.