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My Potatoes Rank attained: Pedunculate oak tree

Joined: 27 Feb 2013 Posts: 307 Location: Cork
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Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:58 pm Post subject: Holly berries. |
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The Christmas tree came down today, and the holly has been removed from its' perches, and the berries removed. They are dry and shrivelled. Based on your own experience, any suggestions on the best preparation for these prior to sowing them?
Last edited by My Potatoes on Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3129 Location: Kildare
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Good guy Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 11 Feb 2013 Posts: 2593 Location: Donegal
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Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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The twigs make great kindling, though, so all is not lost! |
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My Potatoes Rank attained: Pedunculate oak tree

Joined: 27 Feb 2013 Posts: 307 Location: Cork
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Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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The inhibitors aren't permanent though. These degrade over time, or by leaching out. Otherwise the holly would have to rely exclusively on asexual reproduction. (Best option is to actually pick the berries before they turn red as the inhibitors haven't developed yet. But obviously that would leave for poor Christmas decorations.)
I was just wondering if any other posters had any tips from their own experiences?
As I type this I'm toasting my feed at a fire which was lit using holly and fir twigs as kindling! |
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Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3129 Location: Kildare
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Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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now ive more time.
you should collect the berries in Autumn off the plant using strong gloves (Welding gloves)
you now have two choices either plant them in shallow trays with a mixture of peat and sharp sand and cover with mesh to stop birds picking them out, if you leave over winter they should germinate the following spring.
second you can collect berries and use pestle and mortar to mash up the berries remove the seed and plant them as above this prevents the seed from activating inhibitors which prevent them germinating before they are ready.
An old trick is to make a straw rope know as a sugan place two to three berries about 1 ft apart in the rope, dig a trench place the rope in it and pee on it, magic (I kid you not) |
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Sive Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 1731 Location: Co.Wexford
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Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 6:55 am Post subject: |
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Without making any comment on the "old trick" as to whether it works......it certainly deserves to (!)....all I could think, Greengage, as I was reading your post, was how on earth was that particular method ever discovered....who was that first man ( for man it must have been ) who peed into a trench and then noticed holly bushes sprouting in the spring.
I'm still chuckling at the whole picture..... !!!! |
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Good guy Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 11 Feb 2013 Posts: 2593 Location: Donegal
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Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 9:58 am Post subject: |
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Presumably, the urea will decompose to form nitrates to fuel the development of the bacteria which will rot the rope which will make humus which will enrich the soil for the young seedlings to grow in which will eventually make trees which will grow berries which some man with a full bladder will weave into a rope...........
Isn't nature wonderful? |
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Good guy Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 11 Feb 2013 Posts: 2593 Location: Donegal
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Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:50 am Post subject: |
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Sive, maybe, in days of yore, a woman wove a midwinter festival garland from straw and decorated it with berries. Maybe she was taken short when she later went to dispose of it in the garbage trench outside the rath?
We will never know! |
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Sive Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 1731 Location: Co.Wexford
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Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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A lovely image, good guy, and of course every human advance has its roots in some such happy accident..... |
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Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3129 Location: Kildare
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Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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Do I have to tell yea everything, It was first discovered by the Dutch scientist Herman Boerhaavein 1727
So said Wicki  |
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Gautama Rank attained: Silver Birch Tree

Joined: 29 Aug 2008 Posts: 172 Location: Cork
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 9:34 am Post subject: |
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Put them in a sock or ideally nylon thighs. Hang this inside the cistern of a toilet. All that flushing will wash the inhibitors out of the berries. Otherwise you'll be waiting a few years. |
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Gautama Rank attained: Silver Birch Tree

Joined: 29 Aug 2008 Posts: 172 Location: Cork
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 9:34 am Post subject: |
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But no, sorry, not from experience. |
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