Under watering vs. needle cast?

[gjantzer]

A fairly new to me Mugo that has recently started losing the lower needles. With the recent temp change (mid 80's) I find myself wondering whether this guy is needing more water or if I am experiencing needle cast for the first time. Can anyone chime in? Also, should I be cutting this guy back pretty heavily around the 1st of July to start encouraging new growth closer to the base? I am pretty happy with the base on this tree and am ready to start some work. Any recommendations on where to take this Mugo?

 

[Nybonsai12]

Do you have a close up of the needles? From the pictures it doesn't look like needle cast, but shedding of older needles?? or perhaps just not enough sunlight penetrating to the affected areas?

You will want to start work on it by removing branches to get light into it. If you are removing any thick branching you will want to leave an inch or two long stub. What design did you have in mind is more important so you know what direction to take it.


Hopefully Vance Wood will chime in as I believe him to the most experienced member on this board with this species. he's given me loads of help with mine.

 

[Adair M]

This is normal shedding of old needles.

Take a look at your tree. Where is all the new growth?

On top.

Look at the growth on the lowest branches.

Not so much.

How much sun do those lower branches get?

Not so much. Why not?

Look at the top. It's solid vegetation. No light can penetrate down into the center of the tree.

Why does that matter? Needles are leaves. The tree's solar panels. If there is no light available, the tree has no use for them, and will sluff them off. If the lower branches cannot get light, what do you think the tree will do? Yes, the lower branches will get weaker and weaker as the tree chooses to grow the top. The "inside" of the tree will become barren of foliage as the canopy blocks the sunlight into the interior.

Our job, as bonsai artists, is to balance the tree. Remove excess growth from the top. Allow sunlight to reach the interior to keep foliage alive close to the trunk. Redirect the tree's energy to support and maintain the lower branches.

It's not just something we do when we "create" a bonsai, it's forever maintenance. We constantly have to be encouraging interior growth. Because eventually EVERY branch will grow too long and need to be cut back. There has to be interior branches to cut back to. Especially on pines.

Take another look at the underside of your tree. What do you see? A mass of twigs. See any foliage? No, it's too dark to support any. Your Mugo is "hollow".

Fortunately it's still young. It's not too late. Open it up now, and hopefully the sunlight will stimulate back budding. Wiring the branches will help expose the wood to the sunlight.

This applies to all pines. For Mugo specific advice, talk to Vance.

 

[Vance Wood]

Needle cast on Mugos (in my experience) goes after second year needles. I agree with every body else this looks like simple shedding of three or more year old needles. Nothing is a true ever green except a green painted wall in Chicago, and that can be challenged. However if you spray with Captan or some other mild fungicide you should be able to head off any major problems.

 

[Vance Wood]

A fairly new to me Mugo that has recently started losing the lower needles. With the recent temp change (mid 80's) I find myself wondering whether this guy is needing more water or if I am experiencing needle cast for the first time. Can anyone chime in? Also, should I be cutting this guy back pretty heavily around the 1st of July to start encouraging new growth closer to the base? I am pretty happy with the base on this tree and am ready to start some work. Any recommendations on where to take this Mugo?

Potentially a really nice bonsai. You should start thinking about exposing the trunk a little bit. You didn't save the lable did you? I would really like to know which cultivar you are growing. It looks like Tyrolean.

 

[gjantzer]

 

[gjantzer]

Should i just remove the dead needles and some of the dead lower branches now and then open the tree up the first week of july?

 

[Vance Wood]

Not familiar with this cultivar.

Any branches that connect to the trunk should have a stub left one inch or more. They can be cut flush in a year or two and or jined out into dead wood. If you cut them flush to the trunk now, you may cause portions of the trunk to die.

 

[Adair M]

Yes, you can run your fingers up from the bottom,palms up, to gently brush the dead needles off.

As a matter fact, get used to working with your palms up, from under the branch when working with pines. Why? You're less likely to break needles. When you break a needle, it bends. The top part will turn brown. You won't notice for a couple weeks, then you'll see the broken needles.

If you feel the tips of the needles pricking your hands, you're doing it wrong!