On 2013-01-11 23:43:36 +0000, Bob Hobden said:

"Sacha" wrote ...

Bob Hobden said:

After our conversation about mistletoe I went out today and took some
photos of some so those who don't have it locally know what to look for
when they are travelling about in the winter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...7632492269139/

These photos were taking in one small area but mistletoe is all around
here, even on some small rowans.


Lovely 'moody' photos, Bob! We see quite a lot of mistletoe when we
drive the motorway through Somerset and I wonder if the occasional (!)
flooding round that area has anything to do with it. In the past, in
another garden, I've tried pushing mistletoe berries into the branches
of an old apple tree to no avail, so maybe it's fussier than one would
imagine for a parasitical plant.


The bird that does the best "seeding" of mistletoe is the Blackcap, it
does not swallow the seeds but squeezes them out and wipes them off on
a branch. Other birds eat the seeds too (Mistle Thrush) and then it's
pot luck if they land on a branch, few will. So if you have Blackcaps
in your area, we have because I see one daily in our garden, and
fruiting mistletoe, it will get spread by them. If you are missing one
or other there is little chance.

How to grow...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening...w-to-grow.html


I understand mistletoe is spreading and wonder if this is due to the
migrating Blackcaps that come here now for the winter from Northern
Europe, it's a newish migration route as they all used to fly South.

We're doomed
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk