Mugo pine repot
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Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
I would step it down to a pot about 1/3 smaller (ie 2/3 the size of the current pot) than the current pot to start. Reevaluate in 3 years minimum
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
I want to suggest not repotting in july. I've never had mugos survive summer repots.
I've had all spring repots survive and that makes me want to advise against summer repots.
I've had all spring repots survive and that makes me want to advise against summer repots.
Russ1
Yamadori
In my climate I have had great results from re-potting Mugos and all pines in mid March, when the buds are just starting to swell, and not later than the First week in April, bare root and heavy root pruning no problem. I used to go as late as mid April but lost one tree due to an early May heatup in the upper 80's.. Since then I also bring the trees into my basement for a day or so when it gets hot like that but prefer to not have to do that..
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
Vance and I have had discussions about it and we agreed to disagree. I have my results, he had his.
Three invested years can be ruined by a single repot, which is why I am so vocal about taking a unnecessary risk of repotting in the hottest month of the year. It worked for him ever single time, and it didn't work for me every single time.
I have never heard of mugo responding badly to a spring repot, whereas the summer thing had a 40/60 (bad/good) outcome for the other people who responded back then.
Do as you please, I'm not here to convince you
If you do choose to do a july repot, make sure you do the after care right.
Three invested years can be ruined by a single repot, which is why I am so vocal about taking a unnecessary risk of repotting in the hottest month of the year. It worked for him ever single time, and it didn't work for me every single time.
I have never heard of mugo responding badly to a spring repot, whereas the summer thing had a 40/60 (bad/good) outcome for the other people who responded back then.
Do as you please, I'm not here to convince you
If you do choose to do a july repot, make sure you do the after care right.
Why July? Besides early spring, the next safe time to repot mugo pine is in late summer, i.e. late August or early September, depending on the weather forecast and your location. If you are in a zone 5, you can probably repot earlier in August, as long as it is not too hot and the air is not too dry.
Thanks that why I ask the group here. You all have a lot more experience than I, and want to know what multiple people have to say, so I can make a better decision. ThanksVance and I have had discussions about it and we agreed to disagree. I have my results, he had his.
Three invested years can be ruined by a single repot, which is why I am so vocal about taking a unnecessary risk of repotting in the hottest month of the year. It worked for him ever single time, and it didn't work for me every single time.
I have never heard of mugo responding badly to a spring repot, whereas the summer thing had a 40/60 (bad/good) outcome for the other people who responded back then.
Do as you please, I'm not here to convince you
If you do choose to do a july repot, make sure you do the after care right.
MrFancyPlants
Masterpiece
Is is in aggregate now? Or is that just a top dressing?
I refilled it some had washed out over winter so top soil in bottom
MrFancyPlants
Masterpiece
Long live the Mugho King. Vance has great reference material for learning all about mughos. But, you don’t have to do summer repotting to learn from his techniques.
I am not good with Mughos, but I’d listen for the other’s recommendations and maybe wait until Spring.
I don’t have a good sense for when previous root work and cutting back was done and how much the tree has responded with growth.. But you might want to wait for strong growth before attempting a repot, if you are vested in the tree.
It is over potted though, maybe the focus would be to replace the organics with a more breathable mix with pumice etc. as much as you can while minimizing root disturbance. You could have a few pots on hand of varying dimensions. But I would make sure the tree is very strong before worrying about how shallow the pot is.
Lift it out very gently to access the condition of the roots, and proceed with caution.
Anderson flats can also be a great way to build strength in a tree while transitioning to an aggregate mix, but you could go back into the same container in a pinch.
I am not good with Mughos, but I’d listen for the other’s recommendations and maybe wait until Spring.
I don’t have a good sense for when previous root work and cutting back was done and how much the tree has responded with growth.. But you might want to wait for strong growth before attempting a repot, if you are vested in the tree.
It is over potted though, maybe the focus would be to replace the organics with a more breathable mix with pumice etc. as much as you can while minimizing root disturbance. You could have a few pots on hand of varying dimensions. But I would make sure the tree is very strong before worrying about how shallow the pot is.
Lift it out very gently to access the condition of the roots, and proceed with caution.
Anderson flats can also be a great way to build strength in a tree while transitioning to an aggregate mix, but you could go back into the same container in a pinch.
It was been in this pot for 3 years, it’s been growing very strong, with a lot of back buds last year and this year. It’s definitely strong enough for repotting. Vance has said that roots and branches are affected by cutting either one.
So I’ll repot it next spring, and ask how much it can be cut back at each repot.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
I have one mugo that I've been working on for close to a decade now. I've settled on late winter/early spring for repotting. I almost killed it with a summer repot back in 2021, but it managed to live thankfully. I know summer worked for Vance, but it doesn't for me. Never had an issue repotting in spring. Here is the tree in question.
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/mugo-pine-progression.55791/
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/mugo-pine-progression.55791/
That looks great! It gives me hope for my second Mugo I’m trying to develop in the same way. I’ve cut a lot of branches and thought I almost killed it but it’s coming back fairly strong now
stubmle
Mame
Not to disparage Mr. Wood, but I'm starting to suspect the Summer-repot method worked so well for him due to his specific climate. I lost all 3 mugos that I repotted last August. One croaked immediately, one limped along and died before Winter, one looked great but just never woke up in Spring. Maybe it was something specific I did wrong, but it seems like this matches up with other people who live on or near the East Coast- Summer repots are dicey for us.
I'm going to give it another shot this year, but if I have the same failure rate I'm not going to try it going forward. I would've tried a Spring repot this year but I was busy traveling & could not source new material at the time.
I'm going to give it another shot this year, but if I have the same failure rate I'm not going to try it going forward. I would've tried a Spring repot this year but I was busy traveling & could not source new material at the time.
GeorgeAlexander
Sapling
GeorgeAlexander
Sapling
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
I have a ton of respect for him and what he did with mugos but I also disagreed with Vance on the timing of repotting. He always repotted scots and mugos in July. It worked for him but it doesn't work for many. I also think it is because of his climate that it worked for him.
I have never had a scots I repotted in July survive.
Ive repotted mugos in both spring and in July with success but the spring repotted trees always recovered better. I once repotted one in July and another the following spring. The spring tree bounced right back. The one repotted in the previous July sulked and stalled until mid summer.
I will never repot a pine in July again.
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