All aboard the Mugo train!

[James W.]

I found a big-for-me overgrown in its pot at the back of a nursery for $40.
It looks like it was balled at on time and stuck into a pot to hold. The pot is only about 1/2 full of soil, which is a clay ball surrounded by composted chips. I removed dead needles and dead branches and scraped a little off the top of the root ball to see if it had any better trunk hiding. I think eventually I will dig down and expose a couple more inches.

Should I add enough soil beneath the root ball to get the plant up to the top of the pot and fill in around the sides? Or leave it sit like this until next
summer?
I'm guessing I should just leave this guy alone other than water and fertilizer until next June.

 

[Vance Wood]

I found a big-for-me overgrown in its pot at the back of a nursery for $40.
It looks like it was balled at on time and stuck into a pot to hold. The pot is only about 1/2 full of soil, which is a clay ball surrounded by composted chips. I removed dead needles and dead branches and scraped a little off the top of the root ball to see if it had any better trunk hiding. I think eventually I will dig down and expose a couple more inches.
View attachment 209292View attachment 209293View attachment 209294
Should I add enough soil beneath the root ball to get the plant up to the top of the pot and fill in around the sides? Or leave it sit like this until next
summer?
I'm guessing I should just leave this guy alone other than water and fertilizer until next June.

The way the weather is declining to the winter cycle I would leave it along, place it in an area where it's out of the sun and wind and leave it alone till spring.

 

[Soldano666]

My newest acquisition.... this 3 headed mugo. It may never be Vance's dragon mugo but that's my direction with what I was given to work with. I only removed about 25% foliage, wired out some branches to let the light in and exposed the root base some. It will be fed well thru the fall and again as soon as buds swell im the spring with a planned ropot summer 2019. Thank you again Vance for your wealth of knowledge you are willing to share on this species...

 

[Vance Wood]

I would consider removing the center trunk, or most of it. Though it is hard to see all of the details of this item in the photo, there are a few things wrong with it.

 

[James W.]

The way the weather is declining to the winter cycle I would leave it along, place it in an area where it's out of the sun and wind and leave it alone till spring.

Will do.

 

[sorce]

Noots! This one totally made it...

But yeah...winter is here!

S

 

[Soldano666]

I would consider removing the center trunk, or most of it. Though it is hard to see all of the details of this item in the photo, there are a few things wrong with it.

@Vance Wood Here's better look at what I'm working with and what I've done.

 

[Vance Wood]

@Vance Wood Here's better look at what I'm working with and what I've done.

I will get to a reply tomorrow.

 

[Soldano666]

Okay I lied I hit off about 47 seven

I will get to a reply tomorrow.

Roger that good buddy, I value your input

 

[Soldano666]

47%

 

[Vance Wood]

I will get to a reply tomorrow.

What I would like you to do if it is not asking too much is for you to repeat your video with the tree removed from the pot. No root reduction or disturbance to the roots just the formed root mass without the walls of the container in the way. I think there is a potential for a really great bonsai but I can't see it for sure from you current video.

 

[Soldano666]

What I would like you to do if it is not asking too much is for you to repeat your video with the tree removed from the pot. No root reduction or disturbance to the roots just the formed root mass without the walls of the container in the way. I think there is a potential for a really great bonsai but I can't see it for sure from you current video.

I got you fam...

And the b side

 

[Vance Wood]

I got you fam...

And the b side

I still think that middle trunk is a problem. It may not be more involved than removing the obvious bar branch/branches to just the top of the trunk/tree. Let me think on it.

 

[Soldano666]

I still think that middle trunk is a problem. It may not be more involved than removing the obvious bar branch/branches to just the top of the trunk/tree. Let me think on it.

I reduced about half of the whorls/bar branches in the problem spots. It could prob use another round of that next summer. What I've learned in my short time is cutting back hard like this allows the tree light to pop new buds lower in. Then by next year maybe the year after I can reduce further to compact the canopy, making design possibilities and choices a lot easier. I'm digging mugos

 

[Soldano666]

If I could erase the other videos and post only one this would be it. @Vance Wood this video follows the branching up that main middle trunk. You can see in detail quite a bit better

 

[sorce]

Mugo bath.

The moss was impeding saturation so I had to tear it up and soak this Long Term Plan.


Them keeper buds are keeping.

S

 

[just.wing.it]

moss

....moss....friend or foe, sometimes I wonder...
At least you're still riding on the train!
I fell off this summer....crashed and burned hard....
Maybe next year I'll hop back on....gotta recover from this one first tho...

 

[Soldano666]

Not trying to over run the train with a bunch of nursery stock ive over abused. But..... since I suffered a substantial blow from voles last winter that cleaned out 15 or so of the mugos I had been working on.( Stripped them of every single bud the proceeded to eat off all my batk.) I've now been recollecting my losses with a better game plan eveytime to go check to see if the plants are on clearance at home deeps. They are not on sale yet but there's less and less mugos everytime i go check. So ive been buying a couple at a time... today i was dealt with yet another multi trunk monster, (once I removed the over potted surface soil) screaming at me that it will never be Vance's dragon but I want to be one of his babies.... So I'm running with the clump that's here. I removed about 50% foilage, reducing whorls and branches that don't fit my design, and preserving branches with already existing back buds, and better movement.

 

[Soldano666]

Plus this is the best thread on the webs for info on these biddys. Vànces guidance and our success rates makes it fool proof. So let's keep on chugging on.

 

[M. Frary]

.( Stripped them of every single bud the proceeded to eat off all my batk.) I

Damned V.C.!
I didnt think they ate pine bark either.
Bastards!