Styling issue with newly acquired mugo

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Made a cpl cuts. Not really sure what to do with this branch here
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I feel both sides of this minajatwa are significant. If anything I feel the tree is sort of cascading with a left slant coming off the rock. So maybe that will dictate the direction I go. Any advise is mire than welcome!!!
 

Carol 83

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It’s called Cass bonsai. Only one in the area and their closing shop. Lots of great deals!
I know, been there several times, great guys. Last time I was there, there wasn't a whole lot left. I actually looked at that jade that you bought, but got a Green Island ficus instead. Guess I'll check their website to see when they have open shop.
 
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I know, been there several times, great guys. Last time I was there, there wasn't a whole lot left. I actually looked at that jade that you bought, but got a Green Island ficus instead. Guess I'll check their website to see when they have open shop.
I love that jade!
 
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Still having issues. Wired up a couple branches but just not happy with it. Think I came up with a plan. Trying to show my idea in the photos to get a triangular shaped canopy in there.

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So basically I would be taking off most of the uppper foilage and leaving a small triangle canopy down below. Any thoughts, likes, dislikes????

Thanks again
 

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Well didn’t get much advise on the styling this time around. Pretty sweet little mugo if you ask me and wanted some other opinions even though I had a plan in mind.... sorta

Basically just trimmed a little more to achieve the start of a canopy at lowest point of tree. I kept a branch up top for a few different reasons even though they may not be needed. 1- didn’t want to take off two much foliage and jeopardize the trees health. 2 might just keep them to let grow as a sacrificial branch to help thinkin the roots running down the rock a little more. 3- possible jin, although I feel Jin up too might take away from the lower part of tree because it may not transition well. Unless I grew a Jin branch long enough to bend and play a role with canopy possibly.

Anyway here it is now
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Choose this as a front basically bc you roots growing down both sides of the rock is clearly visable
 

0soyoung

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Well didn’t get much advise on the styling this time around. Pretty sweet little mugo if you ask me and wanted some other opinions even though I had a plan in mind.... sorta
Been there and still doing that, myself.

So it is time to figure out why it doesn't work. What I've noticed about root over rock stylings is that the rock tends to become the trunk, visually. The tree you started with had a nice little canopy in (more or less) the standard scalene triangle shape. A scalene triangle canopy shape is per 'the rules', which means it won't be the focal point - it will be accepted because it is what is expected. Had you somehow cleverly lowered it a bit so that a little peg of a trunk above the rock wasn't visible, it might have looked like a small tree with a thick, powerful trunk. Maybe it would have taken another season or two to get the canopy in balance with the trunk-rock, but that would be all that was left to do and then maintain it.

That idea may leave you unsatisfied and that is okay. But, in addition to a non-scalene triangle canopy, you've also brought a low branch across the rock-trunk. This is a nice way to disguise a long, thin, taperless trunk, but you've got a nice fat tapering rock and you've obscured it.

All in all, I think you have minimized the strong points of your tree and emphasized the weak ones. So, I suggest that you get straight in your mind, why you thought this was such a great little tree when you bought it. Now that you are where you are with it, do your best to determine why you think it has gone wrong and what it will take to deal with it and get on a track that is making a tree that will smile back at you.
 

Colorado

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I agree the branch obscuring the rock doesn’t make much sense. For a root over rock composition, I’m expecting to see, well....roots and the rock.
 

Potawatomi13

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Hard to see after work done. Personally of branches in circle would remove middle and upper(rear)one, keep cascading one. Other bar branches deal with as time inspires design if still present at all;).
 
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Thanks for the replies!

I honestly didn’t think that branch was covering up too much of the roots. But if everybody thinks that way then I’ll get it out of the way. Obviously the root over rock setup is why I think this is a great little tree. The foliage is cosmetic and can be placed anywhere or regrown over time.

Yes the initial canopy had a triangular shape to it, but it was just full of bar branches and all wrong. Had to do something....

I feel I’m headed in the right direction by cleaning it up of all potential problems in the future.

Osoyoung, I’ve done some much negative in your eyes, why not shed some light on what you might do with it. What’s done is done btw
 
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0soyoung

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I’ve done some much negative in your eyes, why not shed some light on what you might do with it. What’s done is done
I have no desire to figure it out.
I gave you a critique that was meant to be helpful - if it isn't to you, so it goes.
Keep enjoying your tree.
 
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I get that. And I am enjoying it. I was quite happy with but I went ahead pulled the lower branches to the side a bit more to reveal more of the rock. Still trying to figure this stuff out...
 

sorce

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Pick that Irish Moss from the pot...that oxalis too...

Them roots seem like they are going to dry out few by few and they sure don't need competition.

I'd moss up the base a bit, even up the rock crack, keep them roots covered some.

Eff the Design ...IMO...

Until it no longer looks like a seedling on a rock.

Sorce
 

Adair M

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Sorce is right. Those roots need to become more substantial. I would apply spaghnum miss to them, and wrap them back up. I feel they were exposed too soon.

Pruning was a mistake. At least to the extent you did. The tree needs foliage to make the energy to make wood, heavily pruning removed the food factories.

With pines, I generally try to keep as many branches as I can. Sure, I know about bar branches... many of my best trees have bar branches! I would remove a bar branch if it looks ugly. If not, I leave them on. So, “it depends”.

But in the early stages, the tree needs food. A bit of judicial pruning to set structure would have been ok, but I think you went too far.

At this point, address the roots as I suggested, and leave it alone for a couple of years.
 
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