All aboard the Mugo train!

[Soldano666]

 

[Vance Wood]

I saw this on Youtube. Beautiful work on an impressive piece of material.

 

[LeonardB]

Look at him now.
4 years riding the train as the first passenger ever.
He still needs to grow another 5 to 10 years but he is coming along.
What a little time does huh?View attachment 258058

I think I like my method better ( buy a great tree from Vance! ). Got this home and rewired a few branches that wire was biting. Best I have owned so far.

 

[MrWunderful]

Whats the best way to tell if a mugo is hardened off for the year? Loosing 3rd year needles? Setting next years buds? Forgive me if it’s already been said, I haven’t read through this thread in a couple years.

 

[Vance Wood]

Whats the best way to tell if a mugo is hardened off for the year? Loosing 3rd year needles? Setting next years buds? Forgive me if it’s already been said, I haven’t read through this thread in a couple years.

Sometimes they will lose third year needles but that is not always the case, it depends on the variety and the health. The best way to tell is when the new needles have hardend and extended and the new buds have swolen. Why are you asking the question?

 

[MrWunderful]

I

Sometimes they will lose third year needles but that is not always the case, it depends on the variety and the health. The best way to tell is when the new needles have hardend and extended and the new buds have swolen. Why are you asking the question?

I want to select the buds. I read the resource, and it just says “in fall”.

Mine has hardly dropped any needles, so thats good news!

 

[sorce]

I


I want to select the buds. I read the resource, and it just says “in fall”.

Mine has hardly dropped any needles, so thats good news!

I was snapping some off a couple weeks ago, noting how easy it was, clean, leaving others intact.

First time noting this ease of clean removal so don't know about the window length, but I do remember it being more of a pain before, which would likely have been later in the year.

Sorce

 

[Vance Wood]

I wait till after the first frost to remove "The too many buds". I do it with a pair of tweezers. I grasp the bud at the base, squeez and give a quick snap. The bud should just pop right out.

 

[MrWunderful]

I wait till after the first frost to remove "The too many buds". I do it with a pair of tweezers. I grasp the bud at the base, squeez and give a quick snap. The bud should just pop right out.

Thanks for the help Vance!

 

[Japonicus]

I wait till after the first frost to remove "The too many buds". I do it with a pair of tweezers. I grasp the bud at the base, squeez and give a quick snap. The bud should just pop right out.

I counted one terminal having roughly 24 buds.
Cant wrap my lens around the mounds to accurately show that, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Now I know where it gets its' cultivar name 'Congesta'.

 

[Vance Wood]

I counted one terminal having roughly 24 buds.
Cant wrap my lens around the mounds to accurately show that, so you'll just have to take my word for it.
View attachment 265097
Now I know where it gets its' cultivar name 'Congesta'.

 

[Vance Wood]

With tweezers pluck out all of the little buds but two in locations where you want new growth. Try to retain in your culling buds that are about the same size. Not the biggest or not the smallest. Set down with a cup of coffee, can of beer, or a cup of self pity depending on your point of view and examine the tips and their buds. When done doing that start with the tweezers.

 

[Japonicus]

or a cup of self pity depending on your point of view and examine the tips and their buds. When done doing that start with the tweezers.

Pitty indeed, I do not relish such. If this continues this way for several years
it will not be difficult to part with. My other 2 types of mugo are normal with 1-3 buds right now.
Hitting all with copper this evening if winds are calm.

@Vance Wood to make sure I understand your language
"Try to retain in your culling buds that are about the same size"
Culling is my task, and I eliminate smallest and biggest buds 1st, and keep 2 directors from the balance, right?
Come on over and roll your sleeves up, and bring help please.
I'm going to try Sorce's early (prior to frost) stance today and see what happens on a couple of terminals.
Going to take all year anyway.

 

[Japonicus]

Why not some Fall pruning for shape? Rather than bud selection here^ just cut outside of the next 2 buds

 

[sorce]

View attachment 265160
Why not some Fall pruning for shape? Rather than bud selection here^ just cut outside of the next 2 buds

That seems quite sensible on this ClusterusFucus.

Sorce

 

[Japonicus]

That seems quite sensible on this ClusterusFucus.

Sorce

Well if you can see I tried some selection on that particular terminal as you had done.
It is not time, but, we are in the midst of yet another heat wave.
Tree did not need watering, and mornings not crisp, in opposition to the recommendation in the Resources.
Buds not coming clean unless longer like 1/4".
I really like the silhouette and otherwise growth habit of this mugo. It is on Scots stock though,
and I hate the colour variance between the two trunks, though trunk sizes are even but straight so far.

 

[sorce]

Seems I was a bit early, as I would rather not have these smaller buds getting active due to removal, which is what happened here.



Swelled em some.

I do like knowing the nublette will close some prewinter.

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

Seems I was a bit early, as I would rather not have these smaller buds getting active due to removal, which is what happened here.

View attachment 265170View attachment 265171

Swelled em some.

I do like knowing the nublette will close some prewinter.

Sorce

Dude!
Is that NeefleCast?

 

[Hartinez]

@M. Frary and or @Vance Wood . All of the mugo I started this year have survived the work, including the 2 I gave to my pops for Father’s Day. Should I wait till next year to thin out buds that have set for next years growth?

 

[sorce]

@Hartinez

I wait till after the first frost to remove "The too many buds". I do it with a pair of tweezers. I grasp the bud at the base, squeez and give a quick snap. The bud should just pop right out.

Sorce