Leggy Mugo Pine

[parvae_arbores]

I rescued this mugo pine from my landscape last year and stuck it in a pot at the end of the summer last year after it died back about 60%. I have never worked with these before but I am having analysis paralysis on how to deal with the 4 equal size branches coming out of the trunk. My immediate instinct is to wire it open a bit and fertilize hard to see what kind of back budding I get this growth season before trying branch selection and wiring. I put a drawing of what I think the end structure should look like and I plan to cut off all but one of these branches at some point. Since I have never worked with mugo I was wondering if someone had any advice on when to cut this back. Is it better to cut these back to a bud lower on the trunk across the whole tree and let it grow? Should I cut back to a single leader and wire aggressively (also when on this species).

 

[Paradox]

Cutting back branches to a point where there is no foliage below it will most likely kill the branch.

Yes you need to select one trunk and remove the others. However you do not want to do this all at once. I would do one per year until you get to the one that you want. When you do cut, leave a 1-2 inch stub that will be removed a year or two later. This is to avoid die back into the trunk which might happen if you cut it flush at first. You could start this year with the branch that has the least foliage on it. I wouldnt let it go too many more years to star the process of cutting the branches because it will eventually lead to inverse taper at the point where all the branches come out.

Yes feed it well but I wouldnt do any other major pruning for back budding until you get down to your chosen trunk, because you arent going to have much to work with in the mean time.

After you get down to one trunk, you need to decide whether you want the trunk to thicken or if the thickness of it at that time is where you want to be at.
If you want a thicker trunk, you need to let it grow more.

This is a long term project and it will take you a few years to get down to that one trunk and even more after that to get the tree to where you want it for a trunk. Remember trees dont work on as fast a time scale as us humans do. Patience is key.

 

[parvae_arbores]

Cutting back branches to a point where there is no foliage below it will most likely kill the branch.

Yes you need to select one trunk and remove the others. However you do not want to do this all at once. I would do one per year until you get to the one that you want. When you do cut, leave a 1-2 inch stub that will be removed a year or two later. This is to avoid die back into the trunk which might happen if you cut it flush at first. You could start this year with the branch that has the least foliage on it. I wouldnt let it go too many more years to star the process of cutting the branches because it will eventually lead to inverse taper at the point where all the branches come out.

Yes feed it well but I wouldnt do any other major pruning for back budding until you get down to your chosen trunk, because you arent going to have much to work with in the mean time.

After you get down to one trunk, you need to decide whether you want the trunk to thicken or if the thickness of it at that time is where you want to be at.
If you want a thicker trunk, you need to let it grow more.

This is a long term project and it will take you a few years to get down to that one trunk and even more after that to get the tree to where you want it for a trunk. Remember trees dont work on as fast a time scale as us humans do. Patience is key.

Would you wire it this year to get the shape of the selected trunk and just wire the rest out of the way?

 

[Paradox]

Would you wire it this year to get the shape of the selected trunk and just wire the rest out of the way?

Yes but you have until the end of March to do it. After that you start to risk the developing buds.
If you cant get it done until after March, wait until after September

 

[parvae_arbores]

Yes but you have until the end of March to do it. After that you start to risk the developing buds.
If you cant get it done until after March, wait until after September

Interesting I have read that you should work them heavily at the end of the summer online. I will wire it up and share pics later.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

This resource is the "complete" guide by Vance Wood. Seriously, I follow Vance's guide for my mugo and it works great.

Tutorial - Compiled Vance Wood on Mugo Pines

Compiled Posts by Vance Wood on Mugo Pines UPDATED 5/20/2018 Vance, I have gathered posts you made on B-Nut over the years from the archives. I have consolidated this info below. I appreciate your sharing your years of experience with this...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[parvae_arbores]

This resource is the "complete" guide by Vance Wood. Seriously, I follow Vance's guide for my mugo and it works great.

Tutorial - Compiled Vance Wood on Mugo Pines

Compiled Posts by Vance Wood on Mugo Pines UPDATED 5/20/2018 Vance, I have gathered posts you made on B-Nut over the years from the archives. I have consolidated this info below. I appreciate your sharing your years of experience with this...

www.bonsainut.com

I found this earlier and was about to post to ask if it was good since it is very intricate. I am going to follow it.

 

[sorce]

analysis paralysis

I wouldn't believe in this.

I remembered hearing this recently so I searched it. Seems we have a problem believing this as a group.

I just watched a TedTalk about how procrastination is good. It's almost this exactly, only in a positive in light.

This is what I call, the man trying to make you think taking your time to make a good decision is a f...pardon me, a physcology problem. If we don't see the 2 paths they're creating to medicate us here, were screwed!

On one hand, you buy medication to fix your ANalyoursis Paralysis.

Or buying medications cuz you're depressed cuz you make a bunch of stupid fast decisions that ruin your life. "Ruin" is defined as things that bring depression and stress.

Don't let them push this "fun to say" BS on you.

Excuse me, I'm going to find the Dr. who made this shit up.

Sorce

 

[Potawatomi13]

Seems better part of tree has been removed leaving behind skinny octopus. Personally suggest pick 3 best trunks then remove others. Begin to develop from this with first priority growing decent sized trunk. Believe 4 trunks is considered bad form or unlucky to Japanese but seems naturally awkward to me and I avoid it. Perhaps some genuine expert can elaborate on this?

 

[Maiden69]

I guess I will be the exception to the norm... I would leave it be for another year. I ordered a p.mugo from Evergreen Plant Nursery last year, and it was like yours but skinnier. The little research that I have done suggest to let them develop roots and foliage, the more foliage, the more they back-bud. You can force back-budding by pruning, but they will develop slowly. The more foliage down the branch, the more resources that are pulled through the branches, the faster the buds will develop. I wanted to really repot my mugo last summer, but I left it alone, this spring almost the entire lower trunk area is full of new buds, once they develop I will have plenty of new branches to chose.

I guess to me, selecting a trunk line right now will just slow down the development, that would be treating a pine like a deciduous tree.

 

[parvae_arbores]

I guess I will be the exception to the norm... I would leave it be for another year. I ordered a p.mugo from Evergreen Plant Nursery last year, and it was like yours but skinnier. The little research that I have done suggest to let them develop roots and foliage, the more foliage, the more they back-bud. You can force back-budding by pruning, but they will develop slowly. The more foliage down the branch, the more resources that are pulled through the branches, the faster the buds will develop. I wanted to really repot my mugo last summer, but I left it alone, this spring almost the entire lower trunk area is full of new buds, once they develop I will have plenty of new branches to chose.

I guess to me, selecting a trunk line right now will just slow down the development, that would be treating a pine like a deciduous tree.

This is probably what I will do, in July if I think its growing well I will cut stuff off but no promises.

 

[parvae_arbores]

Small update on this one, I cut it back hard and wired it. No die back so far. This is a picture of it about 2 months ago.

 

[_space_bard_]

Small update on this one, I cut it back hard and wired it. No die back so far. This is a picture of it about 2 months ago.

How's it doing so far? Any updates?

 

[Potawatomi13]

Yes you need to select one trunk and remove the others.

Unlesss YOU want to grow multi trunk or clump style tree.

The more foliage down the branch, the more resources that are pulled through the branches, the faster the buds will develop.

Close. However if no foliage on trunk/branch "most" pines will not bud that area.

 

[Paradox]

Unlesss YOU want to grow multi trunk or clump style tree.

Yes this is possible but with this tree, the branches split fairly high above the base of the trunk. This will never make a good multi trunk tree unless you bury it deeper in the pot which will hide the base of the trunk and any nebari you may have. Otherwise it will just look like a tree with a bunch of branches at one spot.

 

[Maiden69]

Close. However if no foliage on trunk/branch "most" pines will not bud that area.

While this is what it's been said it is not entirely true. While not the best at bonsai now as he used to be, Peter Chan already demonstrated how easily a healthy pine back buds from old wood. Right now I have a nursery bought pine that I bought last summer that is also pushing new buds within 2-3" from the soil level. I think Ryan also states something similar.

I do think we shouldn't hold our breath hoping for back buds on old wood, but it is possible with a strong growing tree and the right encouragement technique.

 

[Paradox]

Mugos have been known to back bud on old wood if healthy and the right techniques are applied