Growing Mistletoe

Halloween is over and my local Tesco already have got snowmen in store. I swear to god we celebrate Christmas earlier every year but it did get me thinking. If people are thinking about Christmas this early and have a green thumb maybe growing mistletoe might be something we can think about well in advance (though it will be a long while before your efforts bear fruit)!

Parasitic Nature

First off Mistletoe is a parasitic plant which means it feeds off a host plants nutrients in order to survive. The best hosts to use to grow mistletoe are:

Apple 
Hawthorne
Lime
Poplar
Conifers

Obtaining Seeds

Mistletoe seeds are contained within the berry and are extremely to pick without damaging. Simply squeeze the bottom of the berry until the seed pops out the top. Wash off the sticky coating and you got yourself a seed. Alternatively you can buy from most plant stores especially at this time of year.

Germination

Mistletoe seeds require light for germination however can also sprout in moist seed flats. Use a potting mix with a lot of peat in a flat and store in a temperature over 16 degrees.

Rooting

Some gardeners claim that you have to make a cut in the bark of the host plant, place the seed inside and then pack with moss however many other gardeners claim that the cut is completely unnecessary and further adds stress to the plant which is undue especially as we are introducing a parasitic plant already!