New Mugo Pumillio from the nursery

jfecme

I swore when I lost the last mugo I attempted I'd never attempt another one. What's that they say about "never". Im not a novice, but with this pine I have terrible luck. This one is such a beauty I'm going to act like a novice in the hope I can get some "Peter Rabbit" guidance!

So a friend brought me the one in the pictures. Mugo pumillio. It's in a "3 gallon" can which i de-collared yesterday and cleaned all the detritus from the soil surface.

That trunk is about 1 3/8" to 1 1/2" wide. The tree seems pretty healthy at this point. I does have a little dieback on a couple of lower twigs which I attribute to either sun scorch or the extreme drought and heat of the summer.

Now what to do next. this fall shold i attempt to snip out some of the twigs in an attempt to judge the real underlying design and direction/movement? Shhould I trim out some of the minscule "candles and leave it at that, waiting until spring/summer 2008 to do any pruning?

When it comes time to pot it up how about crushed granite and Turface only for the soil? Or should i put in a minimum amount of pine bark?

If I prune and/or trim candles in the fall, can I repot in the spring, or is that too soon, considering the "only one shock a year" rule?

In short, what should I do first and when should I do it? By the way I'm 64 and I'd like to see this looking something like its true potential before I get too old to enjoy it!

Thanks for any help or guidance you can give

Attached Images

	mugo front. BTjpg.jpg (71.6 KB, 38 views)
	mugo top BT.jpg (60.0 KB, 22 views)
	mugo trunk BT.jpg (45.5 KB, 51 views)

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Vance Wood

If you get a chance do a subject search on Mugo Pine, I have written a great deal on this tree, I grow a lot of them, my information may be of use to you. Mugo Pines are not Japanese Black Pines and should not necessarily be treated like them; do the search and post a reply or email me I would be glad to talk to you about this tree. By the way it has a nice trunk and will probably make a decent bonsai in a couple of years.

Vance Wood.

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The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

Vance Wood

Here is what you can do now and into the fall. Snip out the unwanted growth, assuming you know what style or form you can make of this tree. You can also cut out this years new growth all the way back to where it started this last spring. It will start to form new buds in a couple of weeks that will shoot more compact growth and shorter needles in the spring.

I always repot my Mugos in the late spring, around Father's Day, through mid summer, into August, once the new needles have opened and extended, remember this is not a JBP. As to the soil mix I use equal parts A,B and C, by measure not weight, break down follows.

PART A: #2 or #3 swimming pool filter sand or sand blasting sand (same stuff).

PART B: Composted Pine Bark,

PART C: Truface or Red Volcanic gravel, or both together as one measure.

Mugos like more water than JBP but they don't like being wet, they must have drainage. The soil mix you propose is too austere, you need the organics in it.

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The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa