Mistletoe

[budgiebreeder]

I have a large clump of Mistletoe about 5 years old but so far no berries.Anyone know why?Do i need to grow another to xpollinate?

[Mrs Ava]

Curious - always wanted to grow mistletoe but never have - must give it a try.  Anyhow, been reading about it on a website and it reads .....

Within six weeks, the mistletoe plant begins growing, although it takes five years to flower.

So maybe yours is still a baby and will do the business next year.  How cool though - did you set the seeds yourself or did the birds do it for you?

[budgiebreeder]

Thanks EmmaJane,I've looked but apparently not in the right place.All i did was to take some berries from the xmas mistletoe and put them in a crack in the bark of my Apple Tree .It took a few attempts but as I said I have a large clump now.Maybe next year then.Thanks again.

[Beer_Belly]

You're lucky !
For years I've been doing that with our apple tree and still have no mistletoe. :-(

[clare]

My folks had mistletoe in their crab apple tree for about 10 years and it never produced berries But I remember my mum telling me that its only the female plants that produce berries so maybe you've got a male?!

Just found this on a website:

Mistletoe has seperate male and female plants and so you need to have at least one of each in proximity in order to get berries. If you have a single female plant, identifiable by its insignificant late winter flowers, then the alternative is to bring some male flowers from elsewhere and hand pollinate (usually in February or March).

[clare]

.... you've either got a male plant or a female plant in need of some male mistletoe plant luvvin!  

[budgiebreeder]

Thanks for all your help.Looks like I'm going to have to grow some more.I'm going to be too old to use it by the time I get some berries.

[capman]

i suppose you could just stand under it and use it for its better purpose in life !!!

[louise stella]

Has anyone got some berries that I could have?  I meant to do this at xmas but forgot.  I grew some successfully in my last garden and would like to do it again on the lottie!  I know I need both male and female - but it's pot luck really - you can't tell until they start flowering!

Many thanks!

I'll pay postage etc.........