Dav4

I'm no expert, but; 1) This is definately the wrong time of year to be doing any rootwork, particularly on a mugo 2) That "mold" appears to be a fungus that has a symbiotic/beneficial relationship with the root system...it actually indicates the tree is healthy 3) As far as potential, I can't really tell from your photos where the main trunk is or what the surface roots look like. 4) They need a very free draining soil mix...pooling is a problem


I'd either pot him back up in a nursery can with an appropriate soil mix(do a search on soil) and keep him in a sheltered area until spring or plant the tree out now and keep your fingers crossed. I've lost mugos messing around with their roots during the winter. Good luck,

Dave