Newbie Mugo

bluedevil

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Hey everyone,

I was just wondering what anyone with a much better eye sees down the road for this Mugo Pine I've had for a month. I am looking at as many pictures as I can these days in hopes of learning something, but some things that posters here come up would take me years to learn. I've mostly been studying the horticulture of my projects so I don't kill them when I take the plunge in the spring. Just checking to see if anyone has a reaction to this that may help me out. I'm looking forward to learning a lot at the Carolina Bonsai festival coming up in October.

B. Dev.
 

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treebeard55

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Did you pick this out yourself? Because if so, you may have an eye worth developing! This tree has some definite good potential. :)

The taper is good thruout most of the trunk. The base is pretty decent, and could be developed. There are a good number of usable primary branches, tho you don't have many secondary branches close to the trunk.

It is starting to develop a bulge at my red arrow. That's because too many branches are arising from the same point. You need to take off two and just leave one; I'd keep the smallest, since it's in better proportion. (Yes, I said the smallest of the three.)

If it were mine I'd whack it back at the yellow line, then work at chasing the foliage back toward the trunk for the next couple of years.

One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to look for posts by Vance Wood. Vance has worked with mugos for many years, and has learned a lot about them.

Take care of this tree. It could turn out a killer!
 

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painter

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hey there is a pretty good gallery of mugos by vance at art of bonsai.org
check m out. (sorry for my non linking abilities)
p
 

Rick Moquin

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Treebeard pretty much nailed it on the head from the pictures you have posted.

... and as Vance professes August is the best time to work on Mugos vice spring.
 

bluedevil

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It makes a newbie feel welcome to get some good responses. I hope I can take proper care of it. I picked this out at a local garden store. It looked like it had potential but I knew it would take time before I saw what it needed. I thought the trunk looked great, but I did see that it was beginning to bulge. I'll cut the two bigger branches off at that point and start to chase the foliage back. I've already done some minor pruning. From the articles I've read it seems that Mugo's are a little more resilient than other pines. Would it be OK for me to go ahead and cut those off this fall, or should I wait till spring? I really appreciate the feedback and am open to any other suggestions you may have. I've already learned a lot from some Vance Wood articles.
 

Vance Wood

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Where do you live? Location is important in knowing how late you can do something or how early.

I agree essentially with Treebeard55 with the one exception of where to cut the tree. I would seriously consider chopping the tree down to Tree beard's red line, one trunk or the other. The larger trunk has some nice lines to it, and would provide you with a nice tall single trunk, but the smaller trunk (or branches at the red line) will give you a better proportioned tree making a wonderful trunk even more impressive by its new ratio to the rest of the tree.
 

bluedevil

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Wow, Mr. Wood thank you for your input. I am zone 7b in central North Carolina. Do you think that I have waited too long?
 

Vance Wood

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Wow, Mr. Wood thank you for your input. I am zone 7b in central North Carolina. Do you think that I have waited too long?

I don't think you have waited too long for the pruning or the potting considering your area. What are your ideas about potting the tree? Too often I have told people it is ok to do this, that, and the other and then come to find out latter that they did this, that and the other to extremes and now they are wondering if their tree is OK because all the needles are falling off. I am willing to help with this tree but ask before you do and then at least you know you have follow some sound advise and not just ventured willy-nilly into the wonderful world of tree butchery. At this point you should read my article on root pruning, right now I am not sure if it is still on line because Bonsai Talk is down, but I think you can find it at Knowledge of Bonsai. You can also PM me through this site.
 

treebeard55

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... I would seriously consider chopping the tree down to Tree beard's red line, one trunk or the other. The larger trunk has some nice lines to it, and would provide you with a nice tall single trunk, but the smaller trunk (or branches at the red line) will give you a better proportioned tree making a wonderful trunk even more impressive by its new ratio to the rest of the tree.

You're right, Vance: your idea would give a more dramatic and impressive trunk. My suggestion was aimed at preserving as many good options as possible for the time being.

BDev, your decision. (Don't you just love those words?)

Vance, while this thread has your attention: would you advise repotting a mugo now in Zone 5b?
 

Vance Wood

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You're right, Vance: your idea would give a more dramatic and impressive trunk. My suggestion was aimed at preserving as many good options as possible for the time being.

BDev, your decision. (Don't you just love those words?)

Vance, while this thread has your attention: would you advise repotting a mugo now in Zone 5b?

I too live in a zone close to yours. If the weather does not turn drastically colder it should be OK, but that's the problem here in Michigan; you never know. Actually I am going to be doing a couple myself but you have to be ready to keep the tree under more than normal winter storage if you do.
 
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