Newly Acquired Mugo Pine

Maveri9720

I just picked this up from my first Bonsai raid of the local nursery. It's a Dwarf Mugo Pine.

I just got done reading a few of Vance's threads on here concerning them and their care. Initially, I was going to cut the bottom 1/3 - 1/2 off of the root ball and then put it into a grow box for awhile, but when I just got done looking at it again, it seems that since it is in such a small container and the tree isn't that big and it doesn't seem horribly root bound or compacted, that I could just pot it up into a bigger container, maybe a bigger clay pot or something of the sort, instead of having to go into a growing box.

So my newbie plan as of now, barring any opinions/advice from you all, would be to still cut 1/3 -1/2 off of the root ball and gently poke around the remaining rootball to loosen things up and then plant it up into a bigger container. I wouldn't be touching any of the branches nor wiring, just a repot and then let it go for awhile.

Thoughts, help, advice, info is much needed and appreciated.

Also, I don't have any bonsai soil on hand and I haven't advanced to the point of making my own and the nearest Bonsai place is quite a drive away, so what can I pick up at the local garden center / Home Improvement store to re-plant this in?

Thanks everyone for your time and help,

Mitch

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Vance Wood

It looks like it is in a 3 gallon container, that's a fairly decent sized tree unless you are looking for one of these two man monsters. If you do not have any bonsai soil leave it alone for the year. It will be OK in its current container for another year, but if you put it into what you are likely to find in a garden center or just plain old garden soil you are running a risk in my book for getting root rot.

rmuniz007

You should leave it as is and repot it in spring, that should give you enough time learn to make bonsai soil or buy some....I don't know your bonsai experience, but pines could be tricky sometimes. Mugo pines are probably the least of concerns when dealing with pines from my perspective...I am no pro, I still got so much to learn. I was dumb enough to jump right into pines without really knowing what I was doing. The result was losing two potentially pines....

Vance Wood

Don't repot in the spring, Mugos don't care much for spring repotting, and the Dwarf varieties are even more fussy about it. Do not repot before the middle of June.

Maveri9720

Vance,

I know that you have said from your experiences, that Mugos should be repot in the summer and that is why I am asking about it now. And it isn't a three gallon, it's only a 1 gallon. I will be heading to a Bonsai center for our bi-monthly meeting next Sat, so I could have it repotted there. Do you think it is too late in Aug to be doing that, or can I get away with it?

Like I said, I won't be touching/wiring anything, just a repot. And I can get the proper bonsai soil there for the repot.

If it isn't too late to repot it, what would your recommendation be for the pot it goes into? Bigger pot (clay or of the sort), grow box/pond basket, bigger Bonsai pot, etc?

Thanks for your help and direction, it is much appreciated.

Vance Wood

Considering where you live I think doing it this time of year will be OK. Just don't get carried away. You probably have till early November before you start to get some cold weather, that's plenty of time for the tree to recover and form new buds and roots.

Maveri9720

Thanks Vance, I thought I could still have time to do it, but I wanted to know your opinion on the matter.


Last question, for now: I am wondering what type of pot to put this into. Can it go into a bigger Bonsai pot, or should I just put it into a big plastic or clay training pot?

I will repot it Saturday, but I am just not sure what to put it into.

Thanks for your help and advice, it is much appreciated.

bwaynef

Vance recommends a screen-side pot for refinement/growing on of his mugos. You might even contact him about the pots he uses. Failing that a pond basket would do well.

Wayne F.

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Maveri9720

Wayne,


Since it is pretty small, 1 gal when I bought it and then I will cut off 1/2 or so of the rootball, what size growing container would be adequate. I don't want to spend the time and money to build a grow box for something this small, that doesn't need major thickening of the trunk or anything, when I can use a bigger clay pot, or if they make them smaller, a pond basket.

Maybe if the tree was bigger, or needed alot of growing out, from a trunk chop or something, then I could understand, but I don't see it with this tree, but also remember I am very new to Bonsai, so I have limited knowledge.

What do you think?