Walmart Steal! Pinus Mugo

Jordon Bigelow

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Look at this Pinus Mugo. I found this at a Walmart for 17.00 It has really solid bones and I am very excited about this one. I have 2 sacrificial branches I am going to let grow to help thicken the base of my trunk. But overall I was just excited and wanted to share. I am always on the lookout everywhere I go now haha. Never think that a simple Walmart won't have good stock. Might not be the best picture.
 

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sorce

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Wal-Mart seems to have better stuff for The $ than anywhere else...

Just a smaller selection. The B stock.
Perfect!

Mugo?

Nice.

Sorce
 

Jordon Bigelow

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Wal-Mart seems to have better stuff for The $ than anywhere else...

Just a smaller selection. The B stock.
Perfect!

Mugo?

Nice.

Sorce

Yeah I think it has good bones the trunk is really cool! Can't complain for 17$ ha. The only problem that I have is the trunk bulges outward near the right side of the trunk. I trimmed a lot today to reveal the beautiful tree underneath. That is what I ended up with. Would it be bad in a few years to just take a saw to that bulge? Just to help the taper.
 

Jay travis

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Look at this Pinus Mugo. I found this at a Walmart for 17.00 It has really solid bones and I am very excited about this one. I have 2 sacrificial branches I am going to let grow to help thicken the base of my trunk. But overall I was just excited and wanted to share. I am always on the lookout everywhere I go now haha. Never think that a simple Walmart won't have good stock. Might not be the best picture.
SCORE1
 

GrimLore

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Never think that a simple Walmart won't have good stock.

Very good deal! Must be the Manager there is far more adept at keeping her/his department in good shape. The only one around here has been in no less then "sad" condition for a few years now.

Gratz!

Grimmy
 

Jordon Bigelow

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Thank you, I think I just got super lucky. I found a tree of this size, but without a cool trunk at a nursery. It was listed for 55$ so I definitely saved money. Now I just don't know what else to do with it. I am going to leave those branches for sacrifice later. So that I can grow my trunk thicker. I am just going to try to keep it alive. I am so confused though. A lot of Bonsai books talk about care, but they don't talk about when to prune and what to prune if you are trying to develop a trunk and stuff. Either I am right and they don't talk enough about development, or I have just read too many books and I am a little overwhelmed.
 

M. Frary

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Thank you, I think I just got super lucky. I found a tree of this size, but without a cool trunk at a nursery. It was listed for 55$ so I definitely saved money. Now I just don't know what else to do with it. I am going to leave those branches for sacrifice later. So that I can grow my trunk thicker. I am just going to try to keep it alive. I am so confused though. A lot of Bonsai books talk about care, but they don't talk about when to prune and what to prune if you are trying to develop a trunk and stuff. Either I am right and they don't talk enough about development, or I have just read too many books and I am a little overwhelmed.
Look into the Mugo Train thread.
Get yourself and a seat on that train and enjoy the ride.
 

Adair M

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Look into joining the Bonsai Club of Utah. They have monthly workshops.

Utah has some of the best bonsai material in the world growing in the mountains around Salt Lake City. I'm sure you will meet collectors thru the club.

No offense to WalMart or Mugo Pines, but the junipers up in the mountains are what you should be working with.
 

Jordon Bigelow

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Look into joining the Bonsai Club of Utah. They have monthly workshops.

Utah has some of the best bonsai material in the world growing in the mountains around Salt Lake City. I'm sure you will meet collectors thru the club.

No offense to WalMart or Mugo Pines, but the junipers up in the mountains are what you should be working with.

I am already planning on joining the club. I am very excited. I also definitely want to do some Yamadori. I don't have a pickup truck, but I want to find some good specimens. I am going to have to wait until around winter to go and look. Then when the end of winter comes I will probably go and collect. The other problem I have is a very small porch (I live in an apartment). I am very dedicated to this and hope to make it a life long pursuit for a number of reasons. So I plan to collect as many trees as possible. Especially when I am learning. Then I will probably sell some cuttings/potensai to family members and friends. Thanks everyone for your advice so far. :D
 

Adair M

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I am already planning on joining the club. I am very excited. I also definitely want to do some Yamadori. I don't have a pickup truck, but I want to find some good specimens. I am going to have to wait until around winter to go and look. Then when the end of winter comes I will probably go and collect. The other problem I have is a very small porch (I live in an apartment). I am very dedicated to this and hope to make it a life long pursuit for a number of reasons. So I plan to collect as many trees as possible. Especially when I am learning. Then I will probably sell some cuttings/potensai to family members and friends. Thanks everyone for your advice so far. :D
Collecting is hard work. The way to learn is to volunteer with an experienced collector. Expect to do all the dirty work. Expect no return. What you will learn is priceless!

You don't sell cuttings to friends and family. You give them away.
 

Jordon Bigelow

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Collecting is hard work. The way to learn is to volunteer with an experienced collector. Expect to do all the dirty work. Expect no return. What you will learn is priceless!

You don't sell cuttings to friends and family. You give them away.

I guess I could give away the cuttings. I more meant like growing trees that I made from cuttings after a year or two of growth. But you're probably right, I should just give them away to help spread the love of Bonsai.
 

Adair M

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I guess I could give away the cuttings. I more meant like growing trees that I made from cuttings after a year or two of growth. But you're probably right, I should just give them away to help spread the love of Bonsai.
The thing is, the Utah and Western junipers that grow around you don't have the prettiest foliage. They're collected for their old, gnarled trunks. Often, prettier foliage like shimpaku is grafted on, and the old foliage is removed. That way, you get a cool trunk, and nice foliage.

Cuttings of Utah and Western Juniper aren't very desirable. Cuttings of shimpaku, especially Kishu and Itoigawa are. So, get one of those and stick cuttings.
 

sorce

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Yeah I think it has good bones the trunk is really cool! Can't complain for 17$ ha. The only problem that I have is the trunk bulges outward near the right side of the trunk. I trimmed a lot today to reveal the beautiful tree underneath. That is what I ended up with. Would it be bad in a few years to just take a saw to that bulge? Just to help the taper.

Sorry missed this!

My main question is, how should I be pruning this (if at all) to keep growing the trunk but without letting the tree grow wild. If I am supposed to grow it wild let me know.

From the train....
But I figured you should Have it in your thread...

Here's what I'd do......

Maddenaviary-image-1497690805412.jpeg

For me...
Everything rides on that twisted trunk.
Feature!

Right now your heavy branches are higher...
Flipflopped...
Rather than try to fix the bulge, and correct the branch sizing.....

Future tree is green line.
Of course...I'm counting on a new bud for that first right branch. But even without it...you can still build your whole tree off that top Fork.

Since that fork is important for the future design...
I'd cut it back to two at the red line around before August...
And THATS IT FOR CUTTING THIS YEAR!

So Since that low branch..and everything above the bulge is sacrifice...
Wire it (any way!) behind the yellow to allow light to the Future keeper tree.

Consider removing the light blue section first (2018-2019) to allow room for your Future tree...and to keep some sacrifice.
You could more slowly remove one branch a year till gone. (leave one inch stubs to prevent dieback!)(oops already!);)

The low branch could remain indefinitely...for health...and A safety plan B!

That lil bud at the arrow...
Inside of curve..
Pluck it!

FYI...you're not doing anything in spring!

I would only repot next year aFter fathers day.
Health dependent, maybe lop an above the bulge branch.

If you can do more at that time, Vance will advise.

Extra thought....
We keep stubs on for a year before cutting flush...to keep the trunk from dying all the way down to the root that fed it.
A sap detour if you will.
Fake it into pushing sap there still, till the routes around the collar are reestablished.

That said....the ponder....

Had you left stubs, you could probly have repotted this year...
But since some of your roots are now in a state of limbo, considering wether or not they are necessary to support the tree, I would wait.
I don't want to say "compromised"...
That's more reserved for root rot...

But...

The roots are "thinking" about what to do...
And anymore tinkering get to stinkering the thinking.

Love the twist!

Grown right..

That's a Friggin $ feature!

Wal-Mart!

Score!

Sorce
 

Jordon Bigelow

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I put wound sealant on, (not shown in the picture), so I hope that will help my error.
Ok so wire the upper branches to the right? Am I ok to do that now or wait until next year? Also, do these grow candles I need to pluck? I just don't want to screw something up and ruin a branches design or something. If not, should I just let the branches grow as much as possible and open up light to the trunk? Also, when I cut back at that fork (around the end of July) I still leave a limb for dieback? How long?
 
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