Mugo dev help

[Ninecloud]

Got a couple that have roots in this netted sac. Per Vance's suggested material, B&B mugo should be put in netted pot to leave alone but any idea when this should be done? Should I wait for summer for that? as most of the work with mugo seems to be in summer, just wondering if I can repot
sooner and set it and forget it while pruning small stuff.

 

[cmu268]

I would defer to those much more knowledgeable than me, but I think repotting Mugos should be done in summer, July-August, especially if you're doing any rootwork at the same time. Maybe it's different for B&B Mugos and maybe if you just slip-pot them and forgo major root pruning you could, but I lean towards waiting until summer. I have 3 that I am working on, but all from nursery stock and repotted last August, they all seemed to like that time of year for work.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I repot mugo in spring, before their roots start growing, so I don't have to cut off material that the plant has already invested in.
And I'm willing to defend that method in a discussion.

Mugo comes from Europe, mainly the Alps. In the Alps there are rockslides and melting snow and ice in spring, so evolutionary speaking that's the time when they have to take the largest amount of damage and bounce back.

I have too many casualties in summer repots. Reason enough to just not do summer repots at all. It's 4 deaths in summer repots versus 15 alive in spring repots for mugo alone.

Don't expect to be able to remove the entire bag at once if the roots have grown through it. I find leftover mesh from decades ago in some nursery stock. I pick it out when it sticks out above the soil.

 

[Ninecloud]

I repot mugo in spring, before their roots start growing, so I don't have to cut off material that the plant has already invested in.
And I'm willing to defend that method in a discussion.

Mugo comes from Europe, mainly the Alps. In the Alps there are rockslides and melting snow and ice in spring, so evolutionary speaking that's the time when they have to take the largest amount of damage and bounce back.

I have too many casualties in summer repots. Reason enough to just not do summer repots at all. It's 4 deaths in summer repots versus 15 alive in spring repots for mugo alone.

Don't expect to be able to remove the entire bag at once if the roots have grown through it. I find leftover mesh from decades ago in some nursery stock. I pick it out when it sticks out above the soil.

Awesome, i will definitely consider all of this, just want to make sure your area's demographics and weather won't make too much of a difference. i think you guys in the Netherlands are 8a-8b for hardiness but just bit more to consider..., May I inquire how hot your spring and summers get and for long and when they start and finish? - sorry bout inquiring so much - i really thing it makes a difference. Been finding more and more literature that cold exposure, and nighttime cold exposure might also make a difference on how you treat natives of other regions - if its exposed to colder longer it might behave different where you are then from where I am, and im afraid this might cause some of that conflicting data that you're mentioning, and I appreciate the info for my own awareness.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I only do celcius so you'll have to convert it yourself. Our springs are mild, feb-april can be -15 to 23°C with the freezing temps lasting a couple days, sometimes up to ten days. They go up and down with the lowest temps around march. But we often get a fake summer before a cold snap in spring.

Usually mugo don't care. The Alps can be -5 at night and +25°C in spring as well, depending on sun exposure and location.

Our summers range from about 17°C to 33°C and last from May to August, sometimes with warmth (20°C and up) going into september and october. Sometimes it freezes a little bit halfway through october.

For what it's worth: I raise my plants in a spartan way; I do my part of the job and they do the rest. If a cold snap happens, that's their problem. They stay on the bench. But an unexpected frost never killed my plants. I've imported plants from warm parts of Spain and Portugal and they go out immediately, even if it freezes. That includes expensive yamadori.
Expected heat did kill a bunch, as did rootwork after the roots have grown. So I tend to repot rather sooner than later, to make good use of that first root growth of the year. Roots only stop growing in winter, and that first flush in spring takes a bunch of energy. I strongly believe that taking those expensive parts off is in no sense beneficial for the plant.

Whatever you read, anywhere, that includes my own posts, it should make sense to you. It should sound logical. If it sounds counterintuitive or illogical, it probably is.
We've had this discussion more than once on this forum. So you can probably find the pros and cons of mugo summer repotting. If memory serves me right there's a 40/60 summer/spring stance in general.

 

[Ninecloud]

I only do celcius so you'll have to convert it yourself. Our springs are mild, feb-april can be -15 to 23°C with the freezing temps lasting a couple days, sometimes up to ten days. They go up and down with the lowest temps around march. But we often get a fake summer before a cold snap in spring.

Usually mugo don't care. The Alps can be -5 at night and +25°C in spring as well, depending on sun exposure and location.

Our summers range from about 17°C to 33°C and last from May to August, sometimes with warmth (20°C and up) going into september and october. Sometimes it freezes a little bit halfway through october.

For what it's worth: I raise my plants in a spartan way; I do my part of the job and they do the rest. If a cold snap happens, that's their problem. They stay on the bench. But an unexpected frost never killed my plants. I've imported plants from warm parts of Spain and Portugal and they go out immediately, even if it freezes. That includes expensive yamadori.
Expected heat did kill a bunch, as did rootwork after the roots have grown. So I tend to repot rather sooner than later, to make good use of that first root growth of the year. Roots only stop growing in winter, and that first flush in spring takes a bunch of energy. I strongly believe that taking those expensive parts off is in no sense beneficial for the plant.

Whatever you read, anywhere, that includes my own posts, it should make sense to you. It should sound logical. If it sounds counterintuitive or illogical, it probably is.
We've had this discussion more than once on this forum. So you can probably find the pros and cons of mugo summer repotting. If memory serves me right there's a 40/60 summer/spring stance in general.

I greatly do appreciate all the information and wisdom. Yeah, im a huge newbie here - I should have dug deeper. All great information, my intention was to aim for spring repot if able along with everything else. This has helped me gain much more confidence, and thank you for that.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

No problem! I think it's good to revise information sometimes. Back when I first got here, everyone agreed with Vance, and for good reasons.
But as soon as you dive deep, you'll find that there are no absolute truths in the plant keeping world.
Summer repotting isn't wrong! It's just more risky in my opinion, and even though I love risks, I feel stupid doing things that have never worked for me.. Like summer repotting.
I can't do it. Others can. We pick different paths with similar results and that's perfectly fine.
That's why I think it's important to have a logical explanation for yourself.

I do recommend getting a couple more plants. Also, check if you're the owner of some kind of golden cultivar of mugo because it looks a tad bit yellow. Could be a bit overwatered (as in: water suffocated roots) if it's not the cultivar that causes the color.