Mistletoe joy!

[tameblackbirds]

Thanks Deb I'll keep my fingers crossed then and my eyes peeled

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by Deb London

I have found two seedlings on the apple tree that seem to be surviving, so fingers crossed.

1.


2.

(Spot the bud)


(Close up)

Nice one Debs. Things there look very encouraging. Tameblackbirds, it might help if you get hold of a booklet from this website. I used it and found the information invaluable. I think it is very much pot luck though, but the more you implant then I guess the better the chances.
Mistletoe: Grow Your Own Mistletoe Plants
I took a walk today to a mature hawthorn hedgerow not far from home, where about four years ago I smeared a few seeds. Alas, I didn't see any evidence (despite hawthorn being a viable host) of successful germination.

Regards, Chris

[Dorts]

Many years ago I worked on an estate that supplied the Mistletoe for Harrods. We were able to cut off clumps fully 4-5 feet across. It all grew on old Apple trees and the best clumps were always on the outer, smaller branches.
I also noticed that most seedlings appeared on the underside of the branch. So I assumed that this was the result of sticky seeds being rubbed onto a branch by Thrushes and Blackbirds and the seeds slipping to the underside from where they germinated.

In order to try to get even more trees to bear Mistletoe, we cut clumps every year and tied them onto an outer branches of 'maiden' trees and let the birds do the rest. This method proved very successful.
Unfortunately the berries on the Mistletoe we get at Christmas are usually unripe. They don't normally fully ripen until Feb. - March. So if you can get hold of some fresh Mistletoe at that time I'm sure your success rate would be even higher.
Dorts.

[ChrisJB]

Some interesting observations Dorts. The mistletoe I've used I've got at Christmas time, but kept it outside in a pot of water until early Feb' as I've read that late winter is best also. I also smear my berries beneath the branches because some birds like tits will peck at them if they are overly visible. Some people even recommend using grease bands to prevent crawling nibblers as well though I've never done this.

Happy New Year, ChrisJB

[Deb London]

Yes, I forgot to say that for both attempts I have left it until spring before 'planting'.

[Hedera]

There was a very interesting programme about mistletoe on radio 4 yesterday afternoon. I knew that it has male and female plants, and that they use the female one with berries but must keep a balance on the trees with leaving some male plants. But I didn't know that mistletoe grew on mango trees in swamps in Africa!

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Hedera

But I didn't know that mistletoe grew on mango trees in swamps in Africa!

I believe the tropical mistletoes are a big family and look little like 'ours'.

Jim

[Dorts]

I have one other observation,( though this may not hold up to scrutiny.)
I have noticed that male Mistletoe plants are 'generally' found growing on the trunks of trees, less so on the outer branches.
There may well be a reason for this, though I have yet to understand what it may be.

A Happy New Year to All.
Dorts.

[Jim Ford]

20 or 30 years ago I only knew of 1 mistletoe plant in this part of Herts.. Now I'm seeing it growing in many places, including on trees lining residential roads, including hawthorn and laburnum.

Jim

[bigdave60dog]

Mistletoe will grow on a variety of trees not just apple. Hawthorn is a common one. Lime must have been very frequently parasitised when the trees were one of the most abundant in the Uk. These have now largely been replaced by imported Lynden trees -which we call lime. When parasitised both will carry particular species of bug associated only with mistletoe on Lime.
I can remember people propagating Mistletoe by cutting a tiny nick in the top of a joint of branch and bowl to hold the sticky seed in place or finding natural crevices for the same thing.
Dave