What's flowering as forage in your area

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There's also a case for trying to mimic the passage through a bird's GIT

Well, I'm not too fussed about eating a handful of berries, but then being perched on a high branch on my Bramley trying to curl one down......nah!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don't understand. At our place is considered as tree killer..

it's a well repeated myth

 

[JamezF]

it's a well repeated myth

Killing one's host isn't really a good plan for a parasite. I don't think evolution really favours such aggressive behaviour.

Obviously because so much cider used to be produced in Somerset there are still a lot of apple trees (though people do indeed appear to be killing them off at quite a rate) Many are host to mistletoe, some for decades to my knowledge.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Killing one's host isn't really a good plan for a parasite. I don't think evolution really favours such aggressive behaviour.

Obviously because so much cider used to be produced in Somerset there are still a lot of apple trees (though people do indeed appear to be killing them off at quite a rate) Many are host to mistletoe, some for decades to my knowledge.

James

if you have a weak/sickly tree it can affect it, but it's the same as the ivy myth which saw the usual suspects tearing down ivy wherever they saw it a few years ago (they even used to organise parties!) it's not true I have an apple tree in my garden which must be nearly a century old, plastered in ivy yet it seems to yield more fruit every year not less and I've been here nearly thirty years!!

 

[enrico]

When we first moved to Somerset a guy called to buy our mistletoe. He took away give builders bags of the stuff for £10 a bag I think it was. I gather it would have been sold for ten times that! He has never been back. It grows wild all round here and all our apple trees have it. A neighbour has a huge black locust tree which is a good host.

 

[Goran]

Over here one man said that mistletoe spread over old orchards and forests around him and also some " singing birds" disappeared - they don't attend any more feeding stations he provide them at winter which they regularly were attending. He was talking about that with some German and Austrian tourists which came by. They said to him that they have same problem and to some birds its seeds mess up digestion and they die of that cause there is abundance of its seeds..
About ivy - our forests become more and more infected. When snow fall the weight of it breaks or even strike down complete tree, at some tree I can't even see tree's leaves - only from ivy. Their stems are not rarely wider than my hand.. It suffocates the forests.

 

[Wilco]

Killing one's host isn't really a good plan for a parasite. I don't think evolution really favours such aggressive behaviour.

Obviously because so much cider used to be produced in Somerset there are still a lot of apple trees (though people do indeed appear to be killing them off at quite a rate) Many are host to mistletoe, some for decades to my knowledge.

James

Depends on the parasite- some host adapt others merely aim to reproduce and spread to others before the first host dies. Although many modern farming methods don't help.

 

[Swarm]

First flower open on the Camellia.

 

[Amari]

First flower open on the Camellia.

Depends on the variety: one in a neighbour's garden opens before Christmas, mine is just starting.

 

[peterbees]

Unpruned apricot tree today, in Conwy Valley, north Wales. Covered in honeybees.

 

[pargyle]

Unpruned apricot tree today, in Conwy Valley, north Wales. Covered in honeybees.

Oh my - that's a bit early - if you get a frost you will be lucky to see any fruit ... I love apricots and they are supposed to be easy to grow but the two varieties I've tried just really didn't like my garden - don't thrive and they both got canker and i gavev up.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Neighbour has one espaliered against a south facing wall. Does well and it’s easily covered up.
We tried one in the polytunnel. Dismal failure.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Depends on the variety: one in a neighbour's garden opens before Christmas, mine is just starting.

Some red ones like that around here.
Our white one is just opening. No Asian hornets on it yet

 

[Swarm]

Depends on the variety: one in a neighbour's garden opens before Christmas, mine is just starting.

Obviously, mine is a later variety.

 

[The Poot]

Obviously, mine is a later variety.

Clearly and it seems mine is an even later one!

 

[Nannysbees]

Would like to get a Mahonia, any recommendations?

 

[The Poot]

Would like to get a Mahonia, any recommendations?

Mahonia Charity is a good one and gets quite large.
Mahonia Japonica Bealei is another good one, best in a shady area.

 

[Antipodes]

Unpruned apricot tree today, in Conwy Valley, north Wales. Covered in honeybees.

Is that a feijoa, lower left?

 

[Antipodes]

Oh my - that's a bit early - if you get a frost you will be lucky to see any fruit ... I love apricots and they are supposed to be easy to grow but the two varieties I've tried just really didn't like my garden - don't thrive and they both got canker and i gavev up.

I'll still get fruit with a frost. A dry spring is the most important thing for fruit here.

 

[Antipodes]

My Trevatt lost a branch with the weight of the fruit on it this year. The pademelons love the leaves and stripped it bare once they could reach it.
This is part of the branch about two months ago and now in the drought after the pademelons have had a feed on it.