Gardeners' Question Time From The Archives: Seasons Greetings
8 snips
Dec 26, 2025 Bunny Guinness, an experienced garden designer, and Bob Flowerdew, an organic gardening expert, share their seasonal wisdom. They tackle crucial topics like removing mistletoe from trees while maintaining aesthetics and offer practical tips for protecting plants from frost with methods like green fleece and mulch. Bob also suggests recycling cardboard for garden paths, and they discuss ways to repurpose festive plants, like rosemary, for holiday wreaths. Their insights blend tradition with practicality, perfect for any gardener this festive season.
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How To Plant Mistletoe
- Press ripe mistletoe berries so the seed (pip) sits in a small cut in the bark and place on the undersurface to avoid rot.
- Expect slow growth; it can take five to ten years before you see fruit, so be patient and choose berries with visible seeds.
Successful Young Mistletoe Grower
- A 14-year-old put mistletoe into decayed matter in a tree crotch on the north side and it grew quickly into a sizeable clump.
- The audience noted organic matter in a crotch keeps moisture and accelerates establishment.
Managing Mistletoe On Trees
- Rub out small mistletoe shoots when they first appear to prevent heavy infestations and weaken the parasite.
- If the tree is otherwise healthy, feed and water it and consider removing only excessive growth to avoid tree failure from weight.
