Huge New Mugo

[fore]

Just got back from visiting a great nursery here in Chicago. Here's a 2.5' tall, and the trunk is about 5" wide. It's burlaped obviously, so am not sure if I should cut back the pine and just stick it in a pot, or pot it up barerooted as the dirt is quite muddy right now coming out of burlap and just leave all the foliage.

I've kept up on Vance's latest thread about working on ramification on Mugo's, but I'm not at that stage. Last spring, I bought a $20 mugo, perhaps May?...anyway, I styled it and bare rooted it the same time. It died. So I want to take this one much slower lol

Thanks
Chris

 

[Poink88]

Nice score, congrats!

Can't wait to see the trunk.

 

[Gaitano]

What nursery did you go to?

 

[Vance Wood]

Just got back from visiting a great nursery here in Chicago. Here's a 2.5' tall, and the trunk is about 5" wide. It's burlaped obviously, so am not sure if I should cut back the pine and just stick it in a pot, or pot it up barerooted as the dirt is quite muddy right now coming out of burlap and just leave all the foliage.

I've kept up on Vance's latest thread about working on ramification on Mugo's, but I'm not at that stage. Last spring, I bought a $20 mugo, perhaps May?...anyway, I styled it and bare rooted it the same time. It died. So I want to take this one much slower lol

Thanks
Chris

I'm sorry you lost your $20.00 Mugo. I hope you did not take my advice as suggesting you should bare root your Mugo at any time. Neither of these points have ever been in any of my posts. Also I always suggest doing any major work including potting and repotting Mugos be done in the Summer anytime after Father's Day. May is too early even for a tree that does not need major root work accomplished and bare rooting is far more serious than minor root work.

 

[fore]

What nursery did you go to?

Lurvey's in Des Plaines. This was only $80 which I thought was pretty good.

 

[fore]

I'm sorry you lost your $20.00 Mugo. I hope you did not take my advice as suggesting you should bare root your Mugo at any time. Neither of these points have ever been in any of my posts. Also I always suggest doing any major work including potting and repotting Mugos be done in the Summer anytime after Father's Day. May is too early even for a tree that does not need major root work accomplished and bare rooting is far more serious than minor root work.

No, not at all Vance. I just thought I was doing the right thing at the time lol
So are you telling me to just keep it wrapped in burlap till July? Can I style it now, or at least, set the structure? Or should this wait too. Just not sure what to do with the root ball until I can bare root it. Thanks for any guidance Vance!
Chris

 

[my nellie]

Nice tree!
Refrain yourself and you will have in the near future a good bonsai.

Lurvey's in Des Plaines. This was only $80 which I thought was pretty good.

I always feel so jealous about your bonsai nurseries. We have not one here.
Just imagine that I have bought my little "nothing" for €40 last October...., you can see it's photo
View attachment 36284

 

[JudyB]

Nice tree, looks pretty chunky! I see your German Shepard lurking on the deck, what a good boy...

 

[Vance Wood]

No, not at all Vance. I just thought I was doing the right thing at the time lol
So are you telling me to just keep it wrapped in burlap till July? Can I style it now, or at least, set the structure? Or should this wait too. Just not sure what to do with the root ball until I can bare root it. Thanks for any guidance Vance!
Chris

The damage was already done if major root work has been done, I have to go over every post again to make certain. However if this tree was dug from the ground this year and wrapped in burlap this spring leave it alone except to put it in some sort of container till July. In July you can start working on the top to eliminate some unwanted growth and open it up to allow light in.

 

[fore]

Nice tree!
Refrain yourself and you will have in the near future a good bonsai.
I always feel so jealous about your bonsai nurseries. We have not one here.
Just imagine that I have bought my little "nothing" for €40 last October...., you can see it's photo
View attachment 36284

Alexandria, "Ouch"...that's not much of a Mugo for 40E! Though this was a 'normal' nursery, just had some fantastic material. I think, for $100, there was some 3'ers, 6-7 trunks, but in huge...meaning so heavy I couldn't lift it, so I went with the 'smaller' one lol

 

[fore]

Nice tree, looks pretty chunky! I see your German Shepard lurking on the deck, what a good boy...

Thanks so much Judy! My backyard is becoming overfilled lol I need a bigger backyard like you have

And yeah, that's Emerson, the old man of the family. 12 y/o and still in pretty good shape for his age. Can't keep up though with our 5y/o female Sydney...what a ball of energy! Great dogs!!

 

[fore]

The damage was already done if major root work has been done, I have to go over every post again to make certain. However if this tree was dug from the ground this year and wrapped in burlap this spring leave it alone except to put it in some sort of container till July. In July you can start working on the top to eliminate some unwanted growth and open it up to allow light in.

Thanks Vance!! That's exactly what I needed to know. Ok, I'll stick it in a pot today and won't touch it till July. Then I'll bare root it in better soil, and eliminate say, 30-40% of the foliage. Sounds good?

Then, to find a place for this monster! lol

 

[Dan W.]

Chris, I wouldn't suggest bare rooting a pine... ever. I don't think that's what Vance said either. -- At most you could probably work out 50% of the rootball this time and then the other 50% in a couple of years. Bare-rooting pines in most cases is a big mistake.

 

[fore]

Chris, I wouldn't suggest bare rooting a pine... ever. I don't think that's what Vance said either. -- At most you could probably work out 50% of the rootball this time and then the other 50% in a couple of years. Bare-rooting pines in most cases is a big mistake.

Thanks Dan, I think you're right. I went and reread his post and he mentions nothing about bare rooting it in July. I guess I assumed the wrong thing lol
So, leave the roots alone this entire yr, and only cut back in July. So when is the correct timing to replace 50% of the rootball? I could've sworn Vance said in another post he works the roots and styles it in July. I could be wrong though

 

[Dan W.]

I think you're right on the timing. He does his re-potting and work in late summer... July'ish, but I don't think he ever bare roots his trees.

 

[Dan W.]

Chris, I just re-read your question and Vances comments.... I think the point he's making is that the tree has already had root work done once this year when it was dug and burlaped. So you don't want to do it again this year. Just slip it in to a slighty larger pot than the root mass with good soil for now. Work the top a bit this July and then maybe next year... or even the next, you can work the first half of the roots. -- I'm sure he'll clarify if I got any of wrong.
Pines are slow work and good fo building patience.

 

[Dav4]

If this were my tree, I'd remove the burlap covering along with any twine or metal caging, then take a hose and wash away a bit of the outside of the entire clay rootball you are almost guarranteed to find. I've worked with B and B mugos before, and there was no other way to remove the clay without severely traumatizing the roots. I'd use the hose to wash away just a little bit from all around the rootball so that you are exposing just a small amount of the root/root tips before slip potting. This will let the roots more easily grow into the better bonsai soil. You can also wash away the clay on the top to get down to the beginning of the root flare to give you a better idea of styling options.

 

[fore]

Chris, I just re-read your question and Vances comments.... I think the point he's making is that the tree has already had root work done once this year when it was dug and burlaped. So you don't want to do it again this year. Just slip it in to a slighty larger pot than the root mass with good soil for now. Work the top a bit this July and then maybe next year... or even the next, you can work the first half of the roots. -- I'm sure he'll clarify if I got any of wrong.
Pines are slow work and good fo building patience.

Thanks Dan! I believe this is correct. Pics below.

What's now got me a bit freaked out is winter care. This winter I lost a JRP, and those crucial branches on the JBP. I thought putting up a hoophouse would give me a grade of certitude, but like life, there's no such thing lol I hope I do better this upcoming winter.

 

[fore]

If this were my tree, I'd remove the burlap covering along with any twine or metal caging, then take a hose and wash away a bit of the outside of the entire clay rootball you are almost guarranteed to find. I've worked with B and B mugos before, and there was no other way to remove the clay without severely traumatizing the roots. I'd use the hose to wash away just a little bit from all around the rootball so that you are exposing just a small amount of the root/root tips before slip potting. This will let the roots more easily grow into the better bonsai soil. You can also wash away the clay on the top to get down to the beginning of the root flare to give you a better idea of styling options.

Dave, just a bit late lol We have a huge rainstorm hitting soon, so I had to get it done earlier. However, I did it much the way you suggested. The dirt was indeed a clayish soil (pic 1,2) I used a rake to gently pick away the top layer to at least expose the trunk (pic 3), and as well on the sides thinking I could get it in the largest nursery pot I had, a 4g I think. I did expose 'some' external roots but not much (pic 4) But even then, it wouldn't fit, I would've had to pick at least 2" more the circumference and I didn't want to do that. Wish I knew I could use the hose for a little bit, oh well.

 

[fore]

Fort., I had this HUGE collander I picked up, more for fun as it's kinda cool, last yr. So I lined it with window screen, layer of lava drainage, and then turface/pumice/lava. It's heavy as a pallet of lead, so I'm going to have to figure out a way to move it around. Looks good though imo! ;D