What would you do with this Mugo?

greerhw

Check this out, maybe it will inspire you .
Harry

http://internetbonsaiclub.org/index...2&topic=23009.0

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BonsaiSteve1

Hello,

Like Vance said, "Do not take off more than 30% of the top at any one time."

I recently acquired a Mugo for a Roy Nagatoshi workshop. They are great trees.

One important piece of advice he gave is not to do a lot of pruning on it all at once. Many moons ago, Roy did a workshop in Mississippi and they all had Mugo Pines. He had them do a bunch of pruning on them and EVERY tree died. He trimmed mine up a little and said not to touch it for a year.

Just keep this in mind....

Sound right Vance??

kingkong

Dad gumit Harry. What about his wife? Now she is going to have her feelings hurt. Amazing what can be done.

Vance Wood

I've doen far more than one third and gotten away with it but I generally don't suggest others do the same; I hate people blaming me when things go bad.

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bonsaikc

This tree may also be a very good candidate for bud grafting low on that massive base. You could produce a show-worthy tree in many fewer years without having to wait and hope for back budding, which might not happen as low as you want.

You have a fantastic base for a new tree, I agree with Vance that that should be your focus, and just forget about the top except as you need it to keep the tree alive. If you decide to graft, you don't even need to take anything off the top at all until your grafts have taken and you can start pruning back at that time.

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bliorg

Ok, you guys rock. Too good. Here's what I'm thinking:

1. Give the tree some recovery, and ponder on moving it to a grow box.
2. Study the base, get some ideas for jin, and think about where I'd graft into it.
3. Reduce the top by maybe 20% or so in a few months, depending on how it's progressing, to try and induce budding.
4. Study, study, study these techniques before I try any of them. Lots of what you guys are talking about are things I've read about for years and seen in Bonsai Today, but have never attempted.

I think there'll be some nursery stock in my future, and maybe a trip over to New Hope and Ringoes sooner than later. I was figuring this Mugo was an experiment tree, but you guys have me convinced thaqt, given lots of technique I need yet to master, it could be great.



Thanks, everyone!
Scott

JGamby713

Hey Scott,


Don't start jinning until you figure out a design.....

I personally would love to see what the branch I circled in black looks like. I am thinking everything gets jinned but that one and it becomes the tree.... that is ofcourse with a better picture to clarify what I am thinking.

You wouldn't even have to graft if that branch is good....and grafting mugo from what I have been told is not as easy as JBP.....so I have been told. The link Harry provided is very good, look at the European bonsai sites, these are the guys that have figured out Mugos and have the best to look at for inspiration.

See Ya! Jason

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bliorg

Jason, forgive me (I can be a bit dim...), but I'm not seeing where you circled anything. Could you point it out or repost it? I'd be happy to shoot more detail pictures...


Thanks,
Scott

Vance Wood

If you start cutting you will start getting back budding. Any time you have smooth bark, as you have on this tree, it is likely to back bud way down low on the trunk. These branches were likely produced during a period of very rapid and vigorous growth and are probably not that old. I pointed out to you the old needle scars? This is where the budding will take place. It is when you start getting the hard flaky bark that back budding becomes an issue.

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