Disregard any advice you've heard or read that suggests cutting flaps in, and hiding seeds under, host bark!

This is unnecessary and counter-productive.

Mistletoe seeds need intact healthy host bark, and light, to grow.

You'll need a lot of berries to be sure of success.

You need to time it right – success is much higher in February and March.

Mistletoe grows VERY slowly in the first 4 years - so it'll be some time before you get a significant plant.

But it grows very fast once it's well-established.

Obtain some berries...

Mistletoe cut at Christmas is not ideal, but berries can be kept fresh by detaching them and leaving them in a shed until mid-February. Far better to harvest your berries fresh in February – if you have a local source try netting them at Christmas to ensure some are left

In late winter and early spring you can buy berries online at www.teme-mistletoe.co.uk and at www.mistle.co.uk.

In February, if the berries have been stored, rehydrate them for a few hours in a little water.

Whether fresh or stored, the seed needs to be squeezed out of the berry, along with a quantity of the sticky viscin

.

Collect several sticky seeds on your fingers. You'll find they stick on just fine!

Then choose your host, bearing in mind European Mistletoe's preferences* – apple first, then poplars, limes, false acacia, hawthorn etc. Most shrubs of the Rosaceae are suitable.

Remember that mistletoe is a parasite and will affect the growth of the branch it is on and, on apple, will reduce fruit yield.

*In central Europe there are subspecies of mistletoe that grow on pines and firs - but these mistletoe varieties do not grow in the UK.

Choose young branches, from 2 to 6 cm diameter. Avoid older branches and the trunk (ignore old gardening texts that suggest planting in older fissured bark).

Stick those half-dozen seeds you stuck on your hand onto the branch. LABEL THEM - with a plant label tied to the branch (it's very easy to forget which branch you used).

Try to plant as many as possible, at least 20 berries at once, divided between 4 or so branches. Germination is easy - but many will later die, or be eaten by birds and invertebrates.

And remember mistletoe is 'diocieous' - so each plant will be either male or female. This means you’ll need at least two plants for berries - a boy and a girl...

By March/April your seeds should be germinating. A few will already be mssing, eaten by birds or grazed off by invertebrates - but survivors should begin to look like this:

This is as big as they get in Year One - so be sure your label is tied securely to the branch or you'll lose track of them by next year.

And in Year Three you'll probably get some proper leaves

After the third year the mistletoe plant will start to grow much more rapidly.

Each branch bifurcates at least once a year - so the number of branches doubles. This picture is a Year 4 seedling, just about to start growing very fast.

For more guidance, and a supply of berries, try the links below.

Grow Your Own Mistletoe Kit from TEME Mistletoe

Grow Your Own booklet and Kits from www.mistle.co.uk