A Little Love (And A Long Wait)

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Here is a topical blog for Christmas.

I was pruning my apple trees a few days ago when a couple of leaves caught my eye

A closer inspection confirmed their identity

Nearly four years ago, I purchased some mistletoe berries. To have a chance of getting it to grow, you must have ripe berries (which are not available until March); the ones available at Christmas will probably not germinate. If you want to grow mistletoe on an apple tree, try to get berries from a plant that has the same host. Squeeze the berries to extract the seed. You will find these are very sticky – in fact they stick better to you than the tree! As some will fall off, fail to germinate, or get eaten by birds, it is best to ‘plant’ several, squeezing them into crevices where small branches join the trunk or larger ones. Then wait. And wait. After three or four years, if you’re lucky, the first two leaves will appear. From then on, the plant should get bigger every year, eventually providing material for cutting. However, there are male and female mistletoes. Only the female carries the berries, and she must have a male to pollinate her. So, a long wait but a horticultural success.

For further information, see http://mistletoe.org.uk/homewp/index.php/grow-your-own/how-to-grow-mistletoe

• 23 Dec, 2014
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