Mugo Pine - Progression

[MJL]

Howdy - remember the Mugo pine that was going to accompany me to Canberra for the workshop ... here it is...


Well with COVID lockdown - no masters at workshops and no face to face lessons here in Melbourne - I was left to my own devices.

The tree was healthy so I went hard at the roots a few months back when fully dormant - 75% came off and into a training pot it went. Before I took the roots off however - I used the dense soil/roots to anchor wires. I went as hard as I dared with bends - I am sure masters and better technique could have induced greater movement.

Also I opted for a multi-trunk form to start ... I think this allows me to move to a more creative stance in future if warranted - but in the first instance I chose multi-trunk. Safe.

In truth - it’s now more Niwaki than bonsai but I reckon it’s made this first transfer to pot quite well ... it seems to have maintained health and indeed, is starting to move for spring. I am also amazed how the move to a pot - even this training pot - has gone the tree more gravitas.

What the future holds - I am unsure. For now, I think these huge disruptions to roots and bends are enough for this season - perhaps I’ll trim growth next season?

Anyway - a master I am not, overly creative I am not. But I hope there enough technique and design there to start something ... and we can all watch the progress over the years.




As always - feedback welcome.


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[TimS]

Grafting could be your friend with this one Mark, don't rule that out just yet. I 100% agree with leaving it alone now to recuperate, i know my fingers get itchy on the long and tedious weekends with nothing else to distract me but my trees, but the best thing for it now is to recover. Down the track once it starts throwing healthy extensions you could always remove a some scions and graft them at more strategic points if you find yourself needing foliage closer in or lower down on those longer bare branches. It would require some thought and perhaps once the lock down is over taking it to an experienced hand to look at the most beneficial and optimal spots so they don't stick out like a sore thumb, but it's always an option that is on the table. Alternatively you might find there are ways you can manipulate the foliage you do have to foreshorten the length of bare sections.

On the whole i quite like that it isn't just the usual downward swept pads of foliage arranged about the trunks with a dome on top. I think once it recovers you can make sure further decisions about which branches in the canopy may be surplus to requirement to perhaps rationalise the primary trunk as clearly being the primary and the others as subordinates, but on the whole i think from a rough piece of material this is a good step.

Of course feel free to dismiss all of that, i'm certainly no authority on pines, so i'm trying to come at it from a more general angle than giving you advice on a species i'm not particularly well practiced with.

[MJL]

Never thought of grafts so thanks and I certainly won’t dismiss yours or other ideas. Much appreciated.


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[shibui]

Mugho are known to bud on older wood occasionally. I believe the trick is to have the trunks growing really strong then cut back as hard as you dare. The energy that was going into the trunk is then used to initiate new buds. At the very least there will be a flush of new shoots near the tips, sometimes further back.
Grafting is also an option as Tim says.
some radical bending might also get some of the branches down to provide lower foliage pads.

[boom64]

Great start Mark ,nice how you kept most of the branches ,plenty of options for future development . Cheers John.

[Ryceman3]

I think the Niwaki ship has sailed MJL... I’m pretty sure the translation is “garden tree” meaning ‘not in a pot, but the ground’. I’m happy to be corrected there but whatever the correct definition is for Niwaki, this one has set sail for the land of bonsai. It might be a longish journey, but you have left port and are heading for the open seas...
Would love to have some sage words of advice but I have no clue when it comes to Mugo so I’m along for the ride.

[MJL]

Welcome aboard R3 .... on the high seas we sail. and oops - Niwaki .... I think you're right. Title changed.

[Ryceman3]

Welcome aboard R3 .... on the high seas we sail. and oops - Niwaki .... I think you're right. Title changed.

I'm sure a year or so ago I would've made some kind of joke mentioning "as long as it's not the Titanic", but now I feel like it would be more appropriate to say "as long as it's not a cruise on the Ruby Princess" ... how times have changed!
Good luck with it mate.