All aboard the Mugo train!

[Gaff74]

Nice looking trees @Japonicus !

I picked this pumilio a while back, early to mid-March, right about the time the most everything around here got shut down d/t COVID-19.
These photos are from April 1.
Since then, I transferred (not really a formal "repot", but more of a gentle transfer without disturbing the roots) to a larger garden pot.

This evening, I thinned out the buds, after reading on this site and some others.
On the weaker branches, I left one strong bud and one weak bud.
On the stronger branches, I left two small buds.
I'm hesitant to push this much more just now, so just going to leave it be.

Feeding it with some standard fare balanced Shultz liquid fertilizer.

Once buds have borken and, candles are extending, the flush in on, I will pinch the candles back, leaving a few needles, to promote density and ramification.
Not sure when exactly that timing will be, since I am a total noob.

 

[_#1_]

Last late summer, I did a bare root repot and did a boneheaded move of cut first ask question later. I proceeded to cut three or so large roots first and THEN untangle the mess. Comes to find out more than half the roots mass originated from those larger roots I had cut! They where all circled round and round. I also took off 40/50% foliage at the time. It's then planted in a pond basket with P+L 1/4 " size. I usually add composted pine barks to my mix but I don't think I did with this one.

Fast forward to today, I see roots on the side and candles about to pop needles. So that's an encouraging sign it's at least not dead.

So here's my cheap test project. I would like to eliminate all but one branch to create a single trunk. My plan is to not touch it this season and take out a branch next spring. Repeat every spring till only chosen one is left. Is this the fastest way without compromising the health of the tree?


Last year I took out two large branches and thinned out the rest. One at bottom middle and another upper left of pic. I'm keeping the large branch on the middle right. And I didn't realize their candles grow like this lol.

 

[Japonicus]

...take out a branch next spring. Repeat every spring till only chosen one is left.

Last late summer... I also took off 40/50% foliage at the time.

Then. Not Spring.
Given the resources on Vance, and the fact that the tree will gain strength from the Spring flush, let it flush and harden off and collect energy.
You can probably do more than just A branch at a time safely, but do we keep the sacrifices, or let the new central leader become
a single mostly sacrifice leader? Not a BP mugo is slow, but I would want to start the transition at the trunk scars from eliminations, sooner than later.
Then I think back to the energy lost from all the pruned branches...dangit I like the extra branches!
I would eliminate the big branch with all the buggers. Makes a 90º turn back in to form perhaps the current apex?

I see you have a 3 way candle too.

 

[_#1_]

Thanks @Japonicus! Ahh that makes sense. Let new growths create energy through growing season, and trim at fall/winter. Sometimes I can't seem to put 1+1 together lol.

The reason I chose one trunk instead of several is if you look at the top view, all the branches/sub trunks are on the same plain. I worry they will cause horrid inverse taper. Visualize a light bulb

The profile doesn't look half bad right now though lol

 

[Japonicus]

Thanks @Japonicus! Ahh that makes sense. Let new growths create energy through growing season, and trim at fall/winter. Sometimes I can't seem to put 1+1 together lol.

The reason I chose one trunk instead of several is if you look at the top view, all the branches/sub trunks are on the same plain. I worry they will cause horrid inverse taper. Visualize a light bulb

The profile doesn't look half bad right now though lol

You're right a horrid knuckle it is and typical, it's just so darn convincing in profile
It will be a nice tree, I'm just not sure I would lose the branches one per year ya know.
2 would at least compromise between all at once, and 1/yr ☺

 

[Japonicus]

if you look at the top view, all the branches/sub trunks are on the same plain.

Please Share your Photos

White Pine? I wanna see a lit pic! Brought it in, from the rain but the Christmas lights are in the attic so used the flash instead. oops camera crooked. No software to correct. Thanks Nikon no updates from 32 to 64 Bit colour :( It's the one in my avatar, but that shot was before I...

www.bonsainut.com

Post 4353 it appears @Vance Wood has removed at least 5 visible branches clean to the trunk at one time
though it's not mentioned, so possible that stubs had just been cleaned up, but I think it was a one go of it
as fresh cut as it looks.

 

[_#1_]

Holy hell, how I missed the post? Thanks for pointing that out!

This is my first pine, please forgive my ignorant question. Is it most likely OK to eliminate all the branches leaving only the leader? If it grew strong this season?

 

[Vance Wood]

Just remember that Mugos are unique in the bonsai world. They are single flush trees meaning that they only produce growing tip/candles once in a year for the most part, so you cannot treat them like a Black Pine or a White Pine and expect the tree to respond as either one of them favorably. A Black Pine is a multi flush Pine and can be induced to produce multi tip/candles per year. A White Pine is a single flush Pin but wont do either response so the best you can do is try to get it to grow on itself as best as possible.

 

[Vance Wood]

Holy hell, how I missed the post? Thanks for pointing that out!

This is my first pine, please forgive my ignorant question. Is it most likely OK to eliminate all the branches leaving only the leader? If it grew strong this season?

I am not sure what you are asking here? Could you elaborate?

 

[Japonicus]

I am not sure what you are asking here? Could you elaborate?

This thread post 3403, see his knuckle sandwich and drawn out plan to correct.

I would like to eliminate all but one branch to create a single trunk. My plan is to not touch it this season and take out a branch next spring. Repeat every spring till only chosen one is left. Is this the fastest way without compromising the health of the tree?

With that question, I linked your post from the thread "Please share your Pictures" thinking the example was rather timely given Microscopics question.

My question is, can removing 5 branches in a whorl cause root segmented issues to above branches, or interrupt lifeline?
In your picture in the Picture thread, it appears not.

 

[_#1_]

I am not sure what you are asking here? Could you elaborate?

Based on the pic Japonicus linked above (thanks man for trying to break this down). If my Mugo grew well this season, can I cut all 4 branches/sub trunks in late Oct, early Nov? Leaving only one on middle right?

edit: It would lose about 75-80% of the foliage going into next spring.

 

[MorddexxBonsai]

Just grabbed my first 2 of these from lowes saw them on the way in for $22 and couldn't resist.View attachment 292537View attachment 292538

Pruned my 2 mugos down so they are bifurcated only to get rid of and avoid knuckles.

 

[sorce]

Oct, early Nov?

I liked the earlier plan of cutting one every spring till they're gone.
But you can/should be somewhere in between there and cutting em all off.

Cutting em off in Fall only makes it harder to get thru winter. I like now to make drastic cuts, since the new candles can be gauged for health.

It's already potted? Looks like good soil. That's a bonus.

Everything is in your favor. I don't think you can lose. But going slow can only mean better vigour. Control the vigour on non keeper stuff however you need. You should be able to learn everything about it fiddling till anything needs to be cut.

You can observe and enjoy for probly 2 years with no worries.

Sorce

 

[_#1_]

It's already potted?

Yes, it was bare rooted and repotted only last late summer/early fall. And I kinda butchered the roots too lol. I'm actually surprised it's alive!

You're right. Safer and better to pick off one at a time. Health of tree first.

My plan is to let it grow untouched this season. take off the strongest none leader next spring (while at the same time decandle the others)? Repeat year after.

Thanks sorce!

 

[sorce]

Pruned my 2 mugos

I don't know that I fully subscribe to "must leave stubs", only because I haven't witnessed any dieback yet ....

But I would leave stubs, because they are easier to ....eh....it's an ugly means to a prettier end!

Sorce

 

[Vance Wood]

I don't know that I fully subscribe to "must leave stubs", only because I haven't witnessed any dieback yet ....

But I would leave stubs, because they are easier to ....eh....it's an ugly means to a prettier end!

Sorce

When it happens you will wish you had subscribed to the concept. There is another reason: When you cut a large branch flush to the trunk or secondary branch, if you do not get die back you will get a very large scar that will haunt you for ages. It is better to let the stub dry before cutting flush or making a jin of it. Both will reduce the impact of a potentially ugly scar.

 

[sorce]

When it happens

It won't, cuz I always leave stubs! Lol!

In the pasted case above, that won't cause did back right?
Only when back to the trunk trunk?

I can see how not leaving a stub makes a big wound.
Unfortunately, the literature on "chopping", "BC", and Deciduous trees in general, have people carving back to what they assume will be the final profile.

Sorce

 

[Vance Wood]

It won't, cuz I always leave stubs! Lol!

In the pasted case above, that won't cause did back right?
Only when back to the trunk trunk?

I can see how not leaving a stub makes a big wound.
Unfortunately, the literature on "chopping", "BC", and Deciduous trees in general, have people carving back to what they assume will be the final profile.

Sorce

Yes you can make a concave wound of the cut on a large branch or trunk in the hopes it will heal flush. However; there is no guarantee that it will do that. I have seen them heal over half way and then the tree will abandon the effort and you are left with another scar you may or may not have to deal with later down the road. Frankly I prefer the stub and jin method.

 

[MorddexxBonsai]

I don't know that I fully subscribe to "must leave stubs", only because I haven't witnessed any dieback yet ....

But I would leave stubs, because they are easier to ....eh....it's an ugly means to a prettier end!

Sorce

I'll definitely remember that in the future. I plan on trimming these more once the recover and grow a while so next time I'll try it that way. For now I'm going to let them grow then eventually repot them.

 

[A. Gorilla]

my 1st mugho
View attachment 295962

View attachment 295963

Then the clump I separated July 2018 sporting 1,2 and one 3 way buds.View attachment 295964

View attachment 295965
I could make this single 3 way apical bud the final apex but not sure on that main trunk selection yet.

View attachment 295966

View attachment 295969
This is the other "half" of the 2018 division. Gotta give that 1st branch a good 75º clockwise rotation or more.
Shape is pit near perfect match to my 1st Mugho back whenever I got it in the same sized 1 gallon nursery can these came in.
I only have these 3 and am enjoying them hanging out on my deck or bench. They don't ask for much...

Your "first mugho" cuts glass. Awesome. . How have I never seen that before? Don't hold out on us.