I'd like to grow some mistletoe

[MARY POPPINS]

I've read somewhere that you squash the berries,

onto an apple tree, well I've got an apple tree,

so what do I do next, does any body know and will it be grown

for next year,

 

Also while I'm on a seasonal plant topic, I've got a standard Holly bush that I've had for about 8 years,its in a large pot by my front door,and its beautiful but it has never had any berries, apart from last year it had one,

and I was elated, I'm sure its because oh keeps it trimmed into a ball,

but he says its not, I'm sure you experts will help on both matters,

thankyou very much.

[Don_Kiddick]

I have a feeling mistletoe berries have to pass through the gut of a bird n be bobbared onto the gnarly apple tree bark to germinate.

 

It is a parasitic plant & would eventually weaken your apple tree

 

probably after many years....

[Yellowrose]

Mistletoe berries can be pressed into a cut in the bark in the underside of a branch of an apple tree. Save a few berries after Christmas and in Feb or March when they are ripe and rotten do the above, plastering them in place with a bit of mud. It takes several years before you have much to show for it. Mistletoe berries only ripen in December. Can use a poplar or an oak tree. (Reference Alan Titchmarsh book, also read same in Amateur Gardening mag).

 

I think the bird poo is an urban myth or an old wives tale ... Mind you had a laugh cos I havent heard anyone say bobbar since I was about 6! No offence Don_K!

 

Only female hollies bear berries and they need a male nearby to pollinate them. You can find out their sex in two ways. One is, if you know the name of the holly, certain varieties are male others female. You can also look in spring at the microscopic flowers and I cant remember the difference off hand but the male flowers have longer anthers or something. Ive got to do this soon because I have a holly which I originally thought was J C Van Tol which is one of the few, if not only, self fertile ones. But no berries ... so in the Spring I will be sexing the tree and finding it a mate!!!

 

If you know the name of your holly I can look it up to see if its male or female. (Sadly things like cream varigated leaves doesnt help as there are lots and lots of varieties). Ilex aquifolium is the tough wild holly you see, not best for berries. Ilex aquifolium "Pyramidalis" and JC Van Tol are hermaphrodite. The other cultivars are either male or female. They are sometimes just labelled Ilex aquifolium though, which doesnt give much clue. I. aquifolium "Golden Queen" confusingly is a male plant, and Golden King female! Does this help?

[MARY POPPINS]

Thankyou yellowrose, my one is a golden king,

but it hasn't got any berries this year,

 

As for the mistletoe, the birds dont need encouraging to "bobbar"

in my garden, so think I'll just buy some, and dont realy want to kill

the apple tree.

[willman]

i watched the mistletoe thing being done on nature's calendar last week.

the guy took a berry squashed it between finger & thumb and then pressed it into the joint of a branch. that was it.

it did look like a big bogie though.

[Yellowrose]

Thankyou yellowrose, my one is a golden king,

but it hasn't got any berries this year,

 

As for the mistletoe, the birds dont need encouraging to "bobbar"

in my garden, so think I'll just buy some, and dont realy want to kill

the apple tree.

 

Get it a Golden Queen then!!!