Mugho pine question

october

Hello everyone, I recently styled 2 mugho pines. I hope to get some pictures in the next week or so. I did alot of needle plucking on one of them. I probably would not have done quite as much if I had known that Mughos back bud through the needles left on the branches. I read an article recently that said that unlike other pines where you needle pluck to encourage back budding, mughos are different. You want to leave the needles. The tree still looks ok, but I was wondering if anyone has experienced back budding on a mugho that was needle plucked. Somehow I can't believe that a mugho, especially a young one, would not push out some new candles.

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Vance Wood

The reason for leaving some of the old needles, especially where you want new branches is that it is easier to encourage the buds that reside between the pair of needles than to try and encourage those that reside below the bark below the needle sheath.

The issue with all pines is of course back budding, but in the case of most pines it is almost impossible to predict where that back budding is going to take place. With Mugos it is possible if you leave a few needles in the places you want branches. To do otherwise is to suffer a crap shoot with back budding.

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