Mistletoe

[sparrow100]

Anyone successfully grown mistletoe from seeds?

I've been given some lovely plump berries from a bush growing on an apple tree and have smeared them on my little apple tree and some blackthorn. Fingers now crossed that they take...

[roitelet]

If you have any more smear them onto the underside of branches. We have just had some big trees lopped, hornbeam, ash, field maple and hawthorn and it is amazing how many mistletoe seedlings are on the smaller branches.

[bearded bloke]

Did you scratch the bark prior to smearing the berry on the branch ?

[sparrow100]

Thanks for the tip roitelet - I'll give that a go.

BB - no. The growing instructions from my friend said it didn't help so I didn't do it.

How to grow mistletoe | The Mistletoe Pages

[Guest]

This is my first year trying. There are some old threads lurking but the jist wasn't so much the technique but rather the host of the mistletoe. If it was on an apple it should go on another apple, if it was on an oak it should go on another oak etc. etc I can't remember if anyone gave a reason though. My seeds now look green with a white casing - so am hoping that is a good thing, they have been on since the beginning of Jan.

Good Luck

[bearded bloke]

BB - no. The growing instructions from my friend said it didn't help so I didn't do it.

It's probably an ancient myth, but my rural science teacher reckoned that the chances were improved if you mimicked what happened in nature, whereby the bird's beak would scratch the bark while trying to get the sticky gel off, thus giving the fungus an easy path into the wood.

[veggiechicken]

I've just bought 2 bunches of mistletoe from Morries - yellow stickered to 09p
I have apple and oak trees in the garden - but which to choose as the host? Both, I guess

[bearded bloke]

Seen it on loads of fruit trees & various hardwoods VC, but don't ever recall seeiong it on oak

[veggiechicken]

I've only seen it on fruit trees too but NG mentioned oak trees!

[Guest]

Good god - you paid attention to what I said I found up one old thread I read http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...toe_24789.html but I have no idea where the oak bit came from (it might have been for illustration purposes - I have slept since then ). My mistletoe berries came from apple and they have taken on apple and pear but the ones on my cherry failed. I think sparrows were from apple and they took on both apple and blackthorn but that was a while ago I don't know how they are now.

If you have plenty of berries just stick them on everything and if too many take flick them out they are very very slow growing. Just make sure you tie something to the tree to mark where you put the seed, unlike me.

[veggiechicken]

I always listen to every word you say, NG but I'll forget that you said Oak and put them up the apples and pears.
Am now wondering whether you can root mistletoe and "graft" it onto fruit trees.

[Guest]

I always listen to every word you say,

What you after?

Am now wondering whether you can root mistletoe and "graft" it onto fruit trees.

Seeing how slowly the seedling has grown, I wouldn't have thought the mistletoe material could nourish itself for as long as it would take to take to the host plant. Does that make sense?.

Mine have been on almost a year and they are still little seedy things with tiny green sprouty legs, they don't look like they are 'anchored' to the host plant still. They still look quite flickable

Edit: You could always try and let us know how it goes. I know you like a challenge

[veggiechicken]

The twiggy bits are in water, as we speak.
The berries are in a plastic box as "it" says they need to be kept in the light and planted about February. That'll give me time to find some suitable branches...........and a label

[sparrow100]

I've just bought 2 bunches of mistletoe from Morries - yellow stickered to 09p
I have apple and oak trees in the garden - but which to choose as the host? Both, I guess

Mine has taken on both the apple and on the blackthorn. In year one it is seriously unimpressive. I can post photos if that would help? They no longer have any seed left and the 'legs' it grew have definitely anchored themselves into the hosts.

I don't think you can graft it, because of the root system it needs to build into the host, but would be happy to be proved wrong.

[Nicos]

Would love to see piccies please sparrow!

I have an old apple tree in the garden.
8 years ago when we came here, I noticed a small clump of mistletoe in it....this year it's about a foot in diameter....and a couple of years ago I found its sibling on another branch...now the size of an orange.

If anyone is desperate for fresh ( from apple tree )seeds in Februarry I am happy to send some.
There are however only a few seeds, so , let me know- name out of a hat job