Rescue: Pine-One-One

koku

*crossposted from http://bonsaisite.com at the advice of a member there*

Okay, so I decided to go to look at plants today. Hadn't planned to buy anything except potting ingredients for now, I just thought it would be good to get used to looking at young growing things to determine their bonsaiability.

That was before I had met the Mugo Pine.



See? Isn't that just an awesome specimen? I wanted him for my yard as much as for a pot. I couldn't get the angle with it in the pot, but the trunk has a nice lean to it. I figured I'd plant him in my future plantation, and use him for propagation for a while (Mugo looks like a good erosion fighter, and i've got a stream bank that needs help).

But then I took off the cheap plastic dirt cup...



As can obviously be seen, he was in for trouble soon. The mold was just on the potting mix, and though badly root-bound, they seemed to be healthy from the outside. I decided that I had better at least clean him up a bit, before I put him in the ground. I filled a bucket with water, to wash out the moldy soil...

It wouldn't even get wet. So I went and bent up a fork to make a root rake, and started unravelling the mess, alternating with pencil-thin blasts from the water hose. After about an hour, I had the roots mostly untangled, and the mold was all but gone. Then I learned something else. It had been slip-potted, badly, out of a square pot. So I spent another two hours massaging and blasting and combing the inner spaghetti into a healthier, outward-pointing direction.

Then I tried my hand at mixing potting mix. Don't know what was wrong with it, but it was most definitely wrong. The water pooled, and eventually managed to filter through the tub (was using a rubbermaid shoebox). Maybe the grit I used was too heavy? I know I didn't pack the soil down any.

Anyway... I'm kinda stuck. Should I finish potting him up, keep him in the garage, and plant him in the ground in a couple months, or should I just go ahead and start the plantation with him now? Should I treat (whatever he ends up in) with anything?

Attached Images

	mugosm.jpg (56.5 KB, 210 views)
	mugosick.jpg (63.3 KB, 210 views)

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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

koku

Even symbiotes can kill their hosts. This one was about to. I haven't heard of many trees living in waterproof soil. Seriously. I left it floating in the bucket of water for 20 minutes, and it was still completely dry when I pulled it out to start cleaning it up.

I kinda think this had to be done. I think also I know what caused it. The inch thick layer of half disintegrated fertilizer pellets in the top layer of soil may have had something to do with it.

edgey

Koku, The mold your refering to is Mycorrhizae. This is a symbiotic parasite (fungus) which attaches itself to the small roots of host trees. Both the Mycorrhizae and the tree gain from this relationship. It usually looks like a white web like substance. Your photo showed a wealth of the stuff and unfortunately you've washed it away! If you have any of it left get it and mix it back into the soil. Its an easy mistake to make to think of it as a disease. Live and learn. The tree might be ok?
Keep it well sheltered over the winter. Bit early for mugos, Beginning of spring is best here in oz for repotting. The soil pooling is a worry, fast draining mix is needed for pines. Mix some river sand into it.
Hard to tell about the tree, No visible trunkline, just a mass of branches. Might be a yard candidate. Good luck with it Andrew

Dav4

How can you be so sure the tree was about to die? The tree is probably planted in a standard potting mix and is rootbound. From the pic, the rootball looks ok to me. I still think you should have waited for a more appropriate time of year, like early summer. You could have slip potted into a larger container with a good soil and waited. I also never heard of myccorhizzae (spelling?) killing a pine. Hey, its your tree... I wish you luckDave

Hopefully, others like Vance wood will chime in

koku

It wasn't just root bound once, it was root bound twice. It had already been slip-potted before, and there was a bit of rot down in the inner root ball. (forgot to mention that) The inner, square, root ball was so clogged and dense that I had to untie it one root at a time until I got enough of the room to move them around.

I'll have to see if I can find any of the old moldy soil. Not that I imagine I got all of it off.

tachigi

Koku, I have to agree with the others. A well root bound nursery plant can shed water due to the density of the roots.

I would also suggest you take a look at this article on mycorrihiza by Colin Lewis. Mycorrihiza If you have washed out all the mycorrihiza check out the my auction store for MyNoc. I have some on sale there. As the man said live and learn.

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Tom

Shady Side Bonsai
Bonsai Vault
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Repotter

It never ceases to amaze me how people will only ask for advice "after the fact."
After the damage has been done.

There is so much good advice here at BT especially on Mugo Pines by Vance Wood.
Just do a search on them.

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rockm

Not to be a nudge or anything , but why is this an "awesome" specimen?