This is the mistletoe in my apple tree, damaged in the 1987 storms I managed to establish the mistletoe after 6 years trying so this partnership has existed for over 20 years. I do get some apples but they aren't to my taste (mostly cook with them) so I haven't been bothered if it all goes Pete Tong. Sadly lost my favourite apple and pear in that storm.
I grow it because I have a need for certain plants in my garden so no expert, things like myrtle, lavender, holly, ivy, sage, thyme, rosemary etc.etc. and mistletoe is on the list. Gets harvested every winter, always has berries.
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Sir Terry Pratchett
Why not aym280? Just takes perseverance, ambition, theft and lots of picnics with my family in Richmond Park, Bushy Park, Windsor Great Park......... We played 'find the mistletoe seedling' with prizes, Bushy Park has deer and Canada geese so that one was not for the faint hearted.
Brought the little seedlings home and sliced them into the tree, year after year! Then, finally, mistletoe.
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Sir Terry Pratchett
I would never get rid of it, I hope I didn't give the impression that I would, I just need to trim it back a bit which happened naturally last year when hubby cut the lawn ... once and got too close
I suspected the male / femaie thing and you can see it's upright (ish) in one of the pix. I think the gardener who lived here before would have chosen female because they were keen gardeners and got it to establish after all, so well done them!
So do I try and grow a girlfriend or a boyfriend? What a conundrum.
All I know is the male plants have flowers and the female berries. A female with no male plant just doesn't do anything. So, do you get flowers? If not you must seek out a male mate, don't be tempted to use berries from shop bought christmas stuff though, almost never works.
Time to go picnicking in the park Cloggie, then a patient wait.
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Sir Terry Pratchett
Totally right nutcutlet, they are teeny tiny hiding between the two leaves. I should stick to what I know, which ain't much! Just had a bad afternoon, waited weeks to clear a portion of the garden laden with builders rubble (need the space) and found ants everywhere! Got stung like you wouldn't believe, end of that project for today, very disappointed.........
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Sir Terry Pratchett
hate horseflies, always have hated them, b*****s give me bites that swell up and weep in a most unattractive way (I've worked at stables for a number of years in the past).
so do midges as it goes (think I'm probably a bit ginger-haired and sensitive skinned!).
and nettles bother me for the evening so I can cope with them but "sticky willies" (hubbie's descriptive name - he's from Scotland) bring me out in a rash.
I have avoided touching the Giant Hogweed at the end of the garden with all my might!
Goosegrass, sticky willy, shreds my skin, takes a layer off regularly.
Skin on my hands and arms currently lacerated by bamboo. Yesterday reduced a large 10-12foot tall patch to just this year's new growth. Shredding to follow, ouch
Posts
This is the mistletoe in my apple tree, damaged in the 1987 storms I managed to establish the mistletoe after 6 years trying so this partnership has existed for over 20 years. I do get some apples but they aren't to my taste (mostly cook with them) so I haven't been bothered if it all goes Pete Tong. Sadly lost my favourite apple and pear in that storm.
I grow it because I have a need for certain plants in my garden so no expert, things like myrtle, lavender, holly, ivy, sage, thyme, rosemary etc.etc. and mistletoe is on the list. Gets harvested every winter, always has berries.
Why not aym280? Just takes perseverance, ambition, theft and lots of picnics with my family in Richmond Park, Bushy Park, Windsor Great Park......... We played 'find the mistletoe seedling' with prizes, Bushy Park has deer and Canada geese so that one was not for the faint hearted.
Brought the little seedlings home and sliced them into the tree, year after year! Then, finally, mistletoe.
I would never get rid of it, I hope I didn't give the impression that I would, I just need to trim it back a bit which happened naturally last year when hubby cut the lawn ... once and got too close
I suspected the male / femaie thing and you can see it's upright (ish) in one of the pix. I think the gardener who lived here before would have chosen female because they were keen gardeners and got it to establish after all, so well done them!
So do I try and grow a girlfriend or a boyfriend? What a conundrum.
All I know is the male plants have flowers and the female berries. A female with no male plant just doesn't do anything. So, do you get flowers? If not you must seek out a male mate, don't be tempted to use berries from shop bought christmas stuff though, almost never works.
Time to go picnicking in the park Cloggie, then a patient wait.
The female must have flowers even if they are tiny and over-looked. No flowers, no seeds.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Totally right nutcutlet, they are teeny tiny hiding between the two leaves. I should stick to what I know, which ain't much! Just had a bad afternoon, waited weeks to clear a portion of the garden laden with builders rubble (need the space) and found ants everywhere! Got stung like you wouldn't believe, end of that project for today, very disappointed.........
Only the nettles had me today herbaceous.
The horseflies kept trying but I swatted them with my kneeling mat
In the sticks near Peterborough
hate horseflies, always have hated them, b*****s give me bites that swell up and weep in a most unattractive way (I've worked at stables for a number of years in the past).
so do midges as it goes (think I'm probably a bit ginger-haired and sensitive skinned!).
and nettles bother me for the evening so I can cope with them but "sticky willies" (hubbie's descriptive name - he's from Scotland) bring me out in a rash.
I have avoided touching the Giant Hogweed at the end of the garden with all my might!
Horseflies, the only things I swat in the garden.
Goosegrass, sticky willy, shreds my skin, takes a layer off regularly.
Skin on my hands and arms currently lacerated by bamboo. Yesterday reduced a large 10-12foot tall patch to just this year's new growth. Shredding to follow, ouch
In the sticks near Peterborough
Someone yesterday was talking about welding gloves....might it have been Clari?. Sounds like you two should invest in welding onsies!
The famed Avon jollop is very effective against horse flies and midges. I wouldn't be totally certain of it's efficacy with respect to bamboo.