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Post by stevebooth on Feb 21, 2021 17:19:45 GMT
   A few years ago I bought some mistletoe seeds and affixed them to an apple and a Japanese maple tree. In the same season they put out their hypocotyl and holdfast, which greatly pleased me with the ease this was accomplished. Then nothing seemed to happen for couple of years, other than the Japanese is maple dying, thereby halving the available plants. This year we have plants you can see, with developed haustorium swelling and good growth. An interesting aside to carnivory. Cheers Steve |
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Mistletoe
Feb 22, 2021 13:09:57 GMT
via mobile
dvg likes this
Post by corky on Feb 22, 2021 13:09:57 GMT
So you didn't have to pass the seeds through a pheasant, or was that to age jewellery? Never seen the seeds for sale was it off a sprig of Christmas mistletoe?
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Post by stevebooth on Feb 23, 2021 10:35:46 GMT
Hi Corky I have tried seeds from the Xmas bunches before, but have never had any success, those seeds were definitely not as sticky as the purchased ones. Whether it was the way they were stored or I got imported mistletoe that doesn't like our conditions or some other factor I dont know. I was frustrated at my failure at a seemingly simple growing task, so bought the seeds from this site englishmistletoeshop.co.uk/live/?product=grow-kit-gift-cards They really do love mistletoe. I did consider eating the seeds myself to ensure success but decided against it. Cheers Steve |
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Post by stevebooth on Dec 26, 2021 19:58:25 GMT
As it’s that time of year when I’m sure that there are bunches off this plant hanging forlornly above doorways in a lot of households I thought a bit of an update may be appropriate. No flowers or berries as yet on any of the plants, and of the approximate ten seeds sown on this tree it looks like six have taken, the largest being 600 mm acrosss and the smallest 100mm. The haustoriums are pronounced and solid. Merry Xmas all    |
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Post by dvg on Dec 26, 2021 21:22:40 GMT
Merry Xmas Steve!
Nice work with your mistletoe on your apple tree.
Parasitic plants are more challenging to grow with also having to keep the host plant alive as well.
Steve, do you grow any other parasitic plants besides the mistletoe?
Cheers
Doug
dvg
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Post by stevebooth on Dec 27, 2021 8:33:18 GMT
Hi Doug
Mistletoe is the only one I grow although I would love to try Monotropa uniflora, but creating the right conditions and indeed sourcing the plants n the first place, woul be challenging indeed.
Cheers
Steve
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Post by dvg on Dec 27, 2021 20:33:29 GMT
I would love to try Monotropa uniflora, but creating the right conditions and indeed sourcing the plants n the first place, woul be challenging indeed. Cheers Steve Yes that one would be challenging to set up with the required tree roots for the host fungus to feed on. The Ghost Pipes though usually white in colour do also occasionally appear in a rare rosy coloured variation:  Cheers, Doug dvg |
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Post by corky on Dec 27, 2021 23:13:44 GMT
Great in red ,I've never heard of these, I'm a fan of Rafflesia arnoldii another root parasite and after a read up on them similar to a fungi. Hopefully the mistletoe hasn't sold too well this year from a kinda social distancing point of view , bet Boris has a mahoosive sprig above number 10s door
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Post by stevebooth on Dec 28, 2021 16:11:06 GMT
Those are stunning in red, I’ve never seen that variant before. Thanks for posting that Doug.
Corky, I wouldn’t put any self indulgent, headonistic, sybaritic, extravagance byond the current incumbent of number10.
Cheers
Steve
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Post by stevebooth on Apr 19, 2022 16:42:48 GMT
Just for devilment really I attached some more mistletoe seeds to an apple tree in Early March, these have now started to germinate sending out their hypocotyl and holdfasts into the tree prior to disappearing for a year or two then reappearing as leaves from the haustorium. ![]()   Cheers Steve |
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Post by stevebooth on May 9, 2022 6:34:44 GMT
Something it’s normally not too easy to observe, the growth habit of mistletoe  |
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Post by dvg on May 9, 2022 16:49:08 GMT
That's very true Steve.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with cultivating it.
dvg
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Post by stevebooth on Feb 25, 2023 9:16:05 GMT
This is the mistletoe in the third pot cture at the start of the thread, taken to show the growth rate of the plant. In the just over two years it has grown quite substantially. I’ve had no flowers or berries on any of the plants as yet, but I suspect next year could provide flowers and fruit.  |
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Post by stevebooth on May 16, 2023 18:58:40 GMT
Well the plants have really put on some growth and the growth points have doubled in quantity. They will be significantly larger this year, some pruning may well be in order.  |
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Post by stevebooth on Jun 25, 2023 13:23:27 GMT
here are some growths which are the early stages of the fruit, I completely missed the male flowers, female flowers and the pollinators!  Here   Cheers Stecve |
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not here it isn't