All aboard the Mugo train!

[Japonicus]

Close enough to the 4th for me, and hotter than, it seems.
The nursery pumilio I got back in April I think it was, took a big hit today.
Hopefully it becomes a hit in a good way.

Vance says to go with what the tree provides, look for the style the tree wants to be...
so...
...As I posted when I bought this tree, it would be divided, and divide I did.
This I didn't see coming though, as I had not gotten that intimate with the nebari till today.
I am not a forest or raft plant type of guy. As with music, it is not my genre so to say.
Of the 42 or so plants I have for bonsai, this will be my 1st "raft?" style planting...should it survive.
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This is my 1st pond basket as well. I hate the large diamond openings for the DE 8822 sized particles
but for $3 ea it can certainly go in ground without spilling too much substrate.

I'm sure some of the individual groupings will have to be removed, but that's enough insult for now I believe.

 

[Vance Wood]

Just be careful that you don't over water or that you water enough. Partial shade in this heat.

 

[Japonicus]

Just be careful that you don't over water or that you water enough. Partial shade in this heat.

Indeed, it's scorching hot on our deck where I took the last pictures, and blessed with a gentle lingering thunderstorm for the late afternoon/evening.
There was some root rot beginning on the bottom of the pot/roots on one side and the spiraling side roots dominated the fewer bottom roots as pictured.
Intentionally did not water it much this morning planning on the division today, but you can see the black cavity and lack of vigour here.

 

[Vance Wood]

Indeed, it's scorching hot on our deck where I took the last pictures, and blessed with a gentle lingering thunderstorm for the late afternoon/evening.
There was some root rot beginning on the bottom of the pot/roots on one side and the spiraling side roots dominated the fewer bottom roots as pictured.
Intentionally did not water it much this morning planning on the division today, but you can see the black cavity and lack of vigour here.
View attachment 199189

It should be OK. The white circling roots is a really good sign that the tree can be worked. Did you remove anything for the top of the tree?

 

[Japonicus]

It should be OK. The white circling roots is a really good sign that the tree can be worked. Did you remove anything for the top of the tree?

No. Well there were 3 or 4 new black shoots 1/2 inch long I twisted off, but no utensils were used above ground beyond a hard jet
from the nozzle on the hose sprayer to clean out what it would whilst flat on the ground to support it.
Removed 1/2 the roots after division not disturbing the inside part where cut, gentle with the rest of the roots for the most part.

 

[Japonicus]

...Did you remove anything for the top of the tree?

The divisions were watered in very well. When they're close to needing water, perhaps now,
I will remove some foliage. Just rechecked the resources page Lazylightningly posted up, so...sure will.

 

[petegreg]

My tallest mugo again.

It's our third season. This year I skip shoot pruning. I've done very few works this year - cleaned few Ys, cut few small forgotten bar branches, shortened few branches, had to start removing wires in places, that's why I applied some guy wires.
The top of the tree is growing fine after I almost lost it in winter before last winter.


... a b-e view


And why I didn't prune shoots this summer


This tree will need shoot pruning and re-wiring next year for sure.

 

[DirkvanDreven]

My big mugo pine is doing okay. Last winter branches were set in place using guy wires. New shoots were pruned this week. Next winter this tree will be fully wired and repot into a smaller growbox or a first bonsaipot.

before pruning

and after

 

[Vance Wood]

My big mugo pine is doing okay. Last winter branches were set in place using guy wires. New shoots were pruned this week. Next winter this tree will be fully wired and repot into a smaller growbox or a first bonsaipot.

before pruning
View attachment 199412
and after
View attachment 199413

That is a first rate tree and probably worth a good deal of money if you were to offer it up.

 

[DirkvanDreven]

That is a first rate tree and probably worth a good deal of money if you were to offer it up.

That's not going to happen! This tree is a keeper!

 

[Soldano666]

Cleaned up this guy today. The whole canopy was built with back buds over thr last 3 summers . All original as purhased foliage is now gone. I even got to cut back further today. Pretty minimal work, a couple shoots trimmed and some old downward growing needles removed. Should be good and strong for a repot next year.

 

[Soldano666]

This is such a good thread tbis time of year. Great work guys

 

[petegreg]

I brought one more seed grown mugo from the arboretum for 15 euro this spring.
It will wait in nursery soil till next year. For now it was shot pruned, all trunks? shortened and some guy-wires used to move the trunks where I want them.

 

[coltranem]

Just did my first mugo from nursery pot to pond basket (more pics in my other thread).

Hey @Soldano666 ...this is Mike we met at Bonsai West.

 

[Cosmos]

I brought one more seed grown mugo from the arboretum for 15 euro this spring.
It will wait in nursery soil till next year. For now it was shot pruned, all trunks? shortened and some guy-wires used to move the trunks where I want them.

Any reason to wait a whole year? This would seem like the perfect moment to repot in a zone 6 climate (even if you just did some pruning), just like a lot of members do every summer.

 

[M. Frary]

..this is Mike

Another!

 

[Soldano666]

Just did my first mugo from nursery pot to pond basket (more pics in my other thread).

Hey @Soldano666 ...this is Mike we met at Bonsai West.

View attachment 199498

Hey buddy,.. Looking good

 

[Vance Wood]

Any reason to wait a whole year? This would seem like the perfect moment to repot in a zone 6 climate (even if you just did some pruning), just like a lot of members do every summer.

Mugos will fool you. Sometimes when you cut back hard ( like here) and repot into a pond basket, bonsai pot, can of peaches (like here) they will just trudge along like nothing has happened. They will throw out buds and existing buds will burst and you will think Wow this tree is super I think I'll repot it again------then it dies. Been there done that. Of course you can always say you can't grow Mugos they don't grow where you live. After you have put a Mugo through this stuff in the beginning you have to leave it alone for one year to recover, one year (2) to establish in a new state, and one (3) to get into high gear before you go after it again; three years in total as a minimum.

If you are only following up a pruning session you are probably OK depending on when the tree was last repotted.

 

[petegreg]

Any reason to wait a whole year? This would seem like the perfect moment to repot in a zone 6 climate (even if you just did some pruning), just like a lot of members do every summer.

I know it could be done, but will follow a path of works I have done to one of the same origin. I might take it on a table in late summer and think about where to go with it, bandage and wire the trunks if needed and provide good winter protection (mulching in a garden and forget it till next spring). And I'm very curious to see how it responds to this pruning, aaand pretty busy. ?

 

[Cosmos]

When choosing a date to do a July repot, should the weather be a concern?

I know we need to shade the tree partially for a few weeks, but we've just had the hottest 7-day stretch is Montréal history, and more 30 degree weather (85-90F) coming in the next week, with nights around 18-20C (65-70 F). Humidity is general quite high here when it gets hot (70-90%). Should I wait for things to cool down a little?