Damson 'Merryweather'

Where to Plant
Choose a sunny position with fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. 'Merryweather' is a hardy damson and is well suited to the British climate, but plenty of sunshine will help the fruits ripen and develop their best flavour. A sheltered position will also help protect the spring blossom from cold winds and frost.

Planting Your Bare-Root Tree
Plant while the tree is dormant, avoiding periods when the ground is frozen or waterlogged. Unpack promptly and soak the roots in a bucket of water for around 30 minutes before planting. Dig a hole wide enough for the roots to spread naturally without bending or crowding them.

Position the tree at the same depth it was previously growing, using the soil mark on the stem as a guide and keeping the graft union above soil level. Spread the roots naturally, backfill with soil, gently firm and water thoroughly. Stake the tree if needed to keep it secure while the roots establish.

Watering & Feeding
Water regularly during the first growing season and during prolonged dry spells, particularly while the fruits are developing. Feed in spring with a suitable fruit tree fertiliser and mulch around the base with well-rotted compost or organic matter, keeping the mulch clear of the trunk.

Pruning
Damsons are best pruned during spring or summer rather than in winter. Remove dead, damaged, diseased, crossing or badly positioned branches and maintain an open, well-balanced framework. Pruning while the tree is actively growing helps reduce the risk of silver leaf disease.

Do I Need Another Damson Tree?
No. 'Merryweather' is self-fertile, so a single tree can produce a good crop without another damson nearby.

Pollination Group 3
'Merryweather' belongs to Pollination Group 3. Although it doesn't need a pollination partner, another compatible plum or damson flowering at around the same time may help improve pollination and cropping.

Spring Blossom
White blossom appears in spring, providing an attractive display before the fruits begin to develop. The flowers also provide food for visiting bees and other pollinating insects.

Developing Fruit
'Merryweather' is known for producing particularly large damsons and is a reliable heavy cropper. The fruits swell through summer, developing their characteristic blue-black skin and lighter blue bloom as they ripen.

Top Tip:
If your tree sets an exceptionally heavy crop, keep an eye on heavily laden branches and thin overcrowded fruits if necessary. Giving the remaining fruits more room helps them develop well and reduces the weight carried by the branches.

When to Harvest
'Merryweather' is generally ready for picking in September, with the main harvest often towards the latter part of the month. Exact timing will vary according to the season and where you garden.

How to Tell When Damsons Are Ready
Look for fruits that have developed their characteristic deep blue-black colour and feel slightly soft when gently pressed. Damsons develop their best flavour when allowed to ripen fully on the tree.

How to Pick
Pick the fruits individually as they ripen, handling them gently as ripe damsons bruise easily. You may need to go over the tree several times rather than harvesting the entire crop at once.

Fresh or for Cooking?
For cooking and preserving, the fruits can be used while they still have plenty of their characteristic sharpness. If you'd like to eat them fresh, leave them on the tree until fully ripe, when they become softer and sweeter.

Top Tip:
Don't judge a damson by colour alone. Taste a ripe fruit before picking the whole crop – the longer fruits hang and ripen on the tree, the richer and sweeter their flavour becomes.

Classic Damson Jam
'Merryweather' really earns its place in the kitchen. Its rich, sharp flavour makes excellent damson jam and jelly, with cooking bringing out the depth of flavour for which damsons are prized.

Chutneys & Preserves
That natural sharpness also works brilliantly in chutneys and savoury preserves, particularly alongside autumn and winter dishes.

Puddings & Baking
Cook your harvest into crumbles, pies and puddings or gently stew the fruits to serve with yoghurt, custard or ice cream.

Fresh from the Tree
'Merryweather' becomes sweeter than many traditional damsons when fully ripe. Leave a few fruits hanging until they're soft and ripe and enjoy them fresh for a completely different side to this traditional cooking fruit.

Top Tip:
'Merryweather' is a clingstone damson, so the stone doesn't fall cleanly away from the flesh. When making jam, cook the fruits first and remove the stones as they loosen.

Bare-Root Trees
Your tree is supplied bare root while dormant, without a pot or compost around its roots. It will usually arrive with a woody stem and branches but little or no foliage. This is completely normal and fresh growth will begin as the tree comes out of dormancy in spring.

On Arrival
Unpack your tree promptly and don't allow the roots to dry out. If you can't plant immediately, keep the roots moist and the tree somewhere cool and sheltered until you're ready to plant.

Grafted Fruit Trees
'Merryweather' is grafted, combining the fruiting variety with a rootstock that helps determine how strongly the tree grows. You'll usually be able to see the graft union towards the base of the stem. Keep this above soil level when planting.

St Julien A Rootstock
Your tree is grafted onto St Julien A rootstock, a semi-vigorous rootstock commonly used for plums, gages and damsons. It produces a medium-sized garden tree, offering a good balance between productive growth and a manageable eventual size.

What to Expect After Planting
Your young tree won't look like a mature fruit tree straight away. It will spend its early years establishing its roots and developing a framework of branches, with cropping increasing as the tree matures.