"echinosum" wrote in message
...

Bob Hobden;973806 Wrote:
Seems to be a significant increase in the stuff around here over the
last
decade. Used to be quite rare but now it's everywhere you look on all
sorts
of trees. Even on small Rowans in the central reservation of a local
road.
What's the experience of others?
In general I think it is more common in moister parts of the country, so
it may just be responding to recent weather conditions. Also, my
experience, related below, is that they are slow growing.

About 10 years ago, I spread mistletoe seeds I collected onto nicks on
various trees in my garden, and it germinated on about 3, and survived
on 1, being a crab apple. I subsequently learned I woudl have helped by
giving it some bird poo, as they are normally excreted by birds onto
trees. It has taken quite a long time for it to grow very much. Also
the leaves frequently get eaten by something or other. It has just
produced its first berries, 4 of them. But it still isn't big enough to
harvest, not like the big balls of mistletoe you see in some trees.

But how can I get some english mistletoe berries to put on my old apple
trees?