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Holly flowers.... to berries?
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22-08-2005, 12:16 PM
Jaques d'Alltrades
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Greetings, friendly oracles of the garden world
My lone female holly bush has started to produce little white flowers.
(The garden centre didn't tell me that it was female and that I need a
male within 50 feet to fertilise it.)
Assuming you are right and it *IS* female, you'd do better to plant a
male holly nearby. Pollination is done by insects.
You may get quicker flowering by rooting a substantial cutting from a
mature male tree rather than planting a small one grown from seed.
My presumption is that, since there are no male holly bushes within a
five-mile radius that I know of, these flowers will not produce
berries. Or will they? Or should I go and cut some sprigs off a male
holly and wave them over the flowers? Obviously, I'd love some berries!
Even given the proximity of male and female trees, berries are not
guaranteed. Back in the 'fifties when I was an anklebiter we used to
think our standard varigated holly (a good-sized tree with a 6"-or-so
diameter trunk) was male because we never saw a berry on it - then one
year, it was covered in berries...
Excuse my astonishing ignorance. All advice much appreciated.
Why should you know until you've been informed? Such knowledge isn't
inherited.
--
Rusty
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