Unidentified fruit bushes

[katkatkat]

I've just got my allotment plot and down one side are fruit bushes, possibly currants of some variety. I have unfortunately identified one as blackcurrant due to the infestation of big bud which is rife in the area. However, I don't know how to identify the rest. Should I just not worry about pruning them and let them have a seaon to show me what they are?

Also are there any other thorny trees/tall bushes other than sloes that someone might plant on an allotment?

[veggiechicken]

If you rub a blackcurrant leaf, then rub the leaves of the other currant bushes, they should smell differently - they'll be red or white. They'll look much the same until they fruit. Jostaberries also smell a bit like blackcurrants but not quite so strongly!

For advice on pruning red/white currants Growing Currants | How To Grow | Grow Your Own

and for blackcurrants Growing Blackcurrants | How To Grow | Grow Your Own

Thorny trees - ? hawthorn or gooseberries/worcesterberries gone mad!

[DannyK]

Poncirus Trifolata. Vicious, scented and fruit could possibly made into marmalade.

Have a look at Crataegus family. Some alleged to be edible.

[katkatkat]

If I'm going to have to wait until leaves I might as well wait and see what they surprise me with and then worry about getting them under control in the autumn.

Will file away the pruning advice though.

As for the other one. It's taller than me so unlikely a bushy berry. I guess it could be hawthorn but we've so many in the local area. More surprises for me then

[katkatkat]

Vicious

This is definitely the first word that sprung to mind with this tree. That's why my first thoughts were Sloe but on reflection, the thorns were too many and too short for sloe.

Maybe the neighbouring plot holders will be able to shed some light. It will be just my luck with a citrus intolerance that it's a citrus tree.

[veggiechicken]

Just rubbing the branches will give you an idea of which currants they are. The blackcurrant smell is very "catty"

[veggiechicken]

If you can post a photo of the spiny tree we may be able to identify it!

Japanese quince/ chaenomeles is another possibility.

[katkatkat]

I will be sure to rub the big bud infested blackcurrant whilst doing whatever I need to do to deal with it so I can at least rule out other blackcurrants along the row.

Tomorrow morning is my first daylight trip so I will be photographing absolutely everything and will pop up some photos of the vicious tree then.

[veggiechicken]

I always snap off the big buds and destroy them. Don't know whether its good practice but it makes me feel better.

[katkatkat]

I don't know if I've attached my photos properly.

One is zoomed out showing a good chunk of the tree. The other is a closer shot of the thorns. It looks different from the two further down the row that seem more like sloes as they have long thorns.

Looks like I only have one blackcurrant and it will have to go as there's barely an unaffected bud on it.

[veggiechicken]

Looks a bit like a plum/damson/bullace?
Some are thorny.

[Bigmallly]

Due to the careful pruning, my advice would be to leave it for this year & see what happens.

[ESBkevin]

I agree with BM on the pruning. I also think VC might be right with the damson idea although the grey colour of the bark isn't quite what I'd expect, it's usually got more red in it.

[katkatkat]

I bumped in to the neighbouring plot holder. My mystery tree is a hawthorn. The old guy planted it to try and create windbreak hedge. Don't know why it's been pruned so straight in that case. Now how to go about removing a tree?

However the "sloes" haven't flowered so I'll have to ask her about them next time I see her too.

[Bigmallly]

To remove the tree, I would cut the top branches off leaving a thorn free trunk. Then try and use the trunk as a lever, see if it will move with a rocking motion, you may have to loosen the soil around the roots as you go. Failing that, it will be the old diggin' down with a spade/fork.