All aboard the Mugo train!

[sorce]

Wasn't it until like the sixties that railroads could legally shoot anyone on their property?

Just Saying.

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

Bec

No, I meant John Kinckley, Jr. He was a mixture of Hinckley and Mark David Chapman who would joke about obsessing over people he wanted to kill and take unsettling souvenirs from them. The guy who portrayed him was more creepy than funny and he never made the big time. The first one or two jokes were funny, but three minutes into it, you'd just sit there cringing and wanting a fresh drink. Your comment about killing someone to get Vance's tree sounded like you stole it from his schtick, especially with the ambiguity in your joke.

Who's joking?

 

[michaelj]

I can kind of run you through the first few minutes of the routine if you harbor doubt. It was creepy enough to remember even after 30 years. Involved killing Judd Nelson to get Molly Ringwald to give him her panties and continued on with a Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields story. He opened for a guy who had a thing about parachutes. I later saw the second guy at another club and even on a cable comedy show, but never saw the Kinckley guy anywhere else. Like I said, more creepy that comedic. We still talk about him when a suitably creepy remark is made.

 

[LanceMac10]

This thing was eyeing me....soooo....








Weeehoooooooooo......................

 

[Alain]

Ok, here is my 2nd ticket for the train (the fault is entirely Vance Wood's who make me wish to have more with his videos )

I got it from home depot for $19 and I hope I didn't screw it up too much.

Before


single-ish trunk



after


still single-ish trunk


and now it is taking the storm in my yard.

2 constants when I buy mugo obviously:
- I'm apparently unable to find the cluster tree they are supposed to be;
- it rains cats and dogs the day I get them;

 

[Vance Wood]

It's good to see someone taking the chances to go out there and get their hands on this kind of material. You said something I am not quite sure of: I'm apparently unable to find the cluster tree they are supposed to be;. I'm not sure I understand what it is you are saying or understanding here. I think you're on the right track. With this tree I believe you need to utilize the left side of the tree to create your bonsai. This means you are going to had to discourage the right half of the tree. This is going to have to be done carefully over a couple of years.

 

[Alain]

It's good to see someone taking the chances to go out there and get their hands on this kind of material. You said something I am not quite sure of: I'm apparently unable to find the cluster tree they are supposed to be;. I'm not sure I understand what it is you are saying or understanding here. I think you're on the right track. With this tree I believe you need to utilize the left side of the tree to create your bonsai. This means you are going to had to discourage the right half of the tree. This is going to have to be done carefully over a couple of years.

Thanks a lot!

What I meant (but it's a joke) is that the mugo seem to have the bad reputation of having a sort of cluster of branches and not a single trunk but the 2 I bought have some trunk.
The first one I bought it in a nursery (The hidden garden) in their special bonsai section so I though they made sure to develop a trunk when they grew it (and furthermore I saw the start of the trunk when I bought it).
This one on the opposite comes from Home depot and I didn't really see anything as it was full of dead needles (like in your video). I just felt with my fingers that it looked like it had a rather thick base. So I was happy to see a trunk

I don't know what 'discourage' means exactly (although I think I guess the general idea, however I don't know how one reaches this goal) but my idea was actually that the left part of the tree was the trunk line:

So it's nice to see that I was right

For the right side I was planing to try to make it touch the ground (at least one of the lower branches) like in one of your trees that I saw this afternoon (the one M. Frary uses as his cellphone wallpaper), I really love it!

Anyway for the moment I will just pray that it had survived the sort of biblical flooding that just felt! (and my other trees also if possible)
You say that mugo love water, well, they've been served!

 

[aml1014]

I gotta jump on this train I've been watching it for weeks and it actually in courage me to go but a little guy. Any advice

 

[JoeR]

@Vance Wood

I returned home yesterday to see my trees alive, some in good shape some in bad shape. My mugo has pushed lots of buds and is in good shape. Still very hot here so Im waiting longer to cut that other branch.

My goal with this tree is to get some backbudding on select branches to compact the tree. The issue is that the branches have one big fat bud at the end of the branches which is the opposite of what I need. I dont understand how and when to accomplish this goal?

I understand I need to cut that bud but I dont know when or how.

 

[Vance Wood]

Take a paie of tweezers grasp that big fat bud right at the base, apply a little presure and turn it till it pops off. This is best down early in the morning when growth tends to be crisp. This will induce a lot more back budding.

 

[JoeR]

Take a paie of tweezers grasp that big fat bud right at the base, apply a little presure and turn it till it pops off. This is best down early in the morning when growth tends to be crisp. This will induce a lot more back budding.

I assume this can be done now then right?

 

[Vance Wood]

The sooner the better.

 

[Paradox]

The sooner the better.

When is the best time to do this?

 

[Lazylightningny]

Here's my mugo where it stands today. I purchased it in May of this year, and have done no other work other than removing the 3 branches seen in the photo. What else can I do this year besides bud selection this fall?
The branch on the left will be the eventual trunk. I plan on removing the right branch at some point.

 

[Vance Wood]

Here's my mugo where it stands today. I purchased it in May of this year, and have done no other work other than removing the 3 branches seen in the photo. What else can I do this year besides bud selection this fall?
The branch on the left will be the eventual trunk. I plan on removing the right branch at some point.

If you plan on keeping the branch on the left as your new tree, a decision I whole heartedly agree with, you can start reducing down the other side of the tree. I would do this in stages seeing that this portion of the tree is of greater mass than the one you wish to keep. If you cut the branches down to the last bunch of needles on their respective branches as though you were trying to induce back budding. The idea is to cut the branch back slowly so as not to kill the entire branch to the extent it may take the other side with it.

 

[Paradox]

The sooner the better.

When is the best time to do this?

Requoting so Vance sees and answers. Please and thanks

 

[Lazylightningny]

If you plan on keeping the branch on the left as your new tree, a decision I whole heartedly agree with, you can start reducing down the other side of the tree. I would do this in stages seeing that this portion of the tree is of greater mass than the one you wish to keep. If you cut the branches down to the last bunch of needles on their respective branches as though you were trying to induce back budding. The idea is to cut the branch back slowly so as not to kill the entire branch to the extent it may take the other side with it.

When is the best time to do this?

 

[Vance Wood]

Now, right now.

 

[JoeR]

If I were to wire and style the tree now, how much would I be able to take off now?

I think another third needs to come off, which is mainly just that one back branch and a few twigs here and there.

Tagging so you dont miss it @Vance Wood

 

[Lazylightningny]

Now, right now.

Thanks, Vance. Took care of it yesterday.