If mistletoe is a problem in your area on landscape trees, winter is the best time to search out and remove this parasitic plant as winter dormancy makes it easy to spot among the branches of your trees. This is especially true of deciduous tree species.
Once mistletoe appears, you can be sure it is living throughout the trees vascular system. Pruning out mistletoe will not rid your tree of this parasite, but it will set it back and extend the life of your tree.
To prune out mistletoe, use the same rules for pruning trees as you would for thinning. Never remove more than 25% of the canopy in one year, and always cut the branch back to the point of beginning. In the case of mistletoe, remove the infested branch back to where the branch starts. Always make cuts outside the branch bark ridge, which is the raised area where the branch is attached to the trunk. Also, do not leave ‘coat hangers’ which are stubs extending out a long way from the point of beginning. Not only are these cuts unsightly, they are not healthy for the tree, and will eventually die and need removing in the future.
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