Mugo Pine.. the progression story

[The Specimen]

Hi everyone

I would like to start a single thread showcasing Mugo Pines in

from trees in training to advanced specimens.. a collaborative resource of pictures and information.

Now i don't know much about this wonderful specie so I'm hoping to learn and be inspired.

I have seen truly amazing specimens in photos only from abroad such as those collected from the rocky Italian Alps

.. and wondered to myself what about the story of Mugo Pines here in Australia?


I would love to see what people here have done with regards to these mountain pines

I have a project coming in few days time.. very exciting and can't wait to share with you all

[Jarrod]

Thanks for the photos Gerard!

[The Specimen]

Thanks for sharing Jarrod and in deed a fine specimen u have there.

How old is it and what's its origin? What mix do u use for planting?

I noticed your Mugo is moving in the direction of the drawing.. can u elaborate?

Cheers to the first Mugo on this thread!

Hope many more to be shared

[Jarrod]

This tree is 65 years old, sold to me from the last owner who had grown the tree for 30 years. It was recently taken to a workshop with Hiro where we discussed and decided on this design for the tree moving forward.

[The Specimen]

65 years is impressive and plz do keep this thread posted with developments.

I've got one in the ground at my parents and boy o boy are they slow growers.. I've had it for about 6 years and my guess to approx age is around about 11 years or so in total.

I'll post photos soon..

Has anyone seen Mugo growing wild here in Australia or are they mainly cultivated?

I was hoping to see more Mugo postings

[shibui]

Don't know of any feral mughos in Aust. We only plant fast growing tall, straight species for timber or pulp so there would be little chance of yamadori mugho here but bonsai is about using what you have and we have radiata in large numbers and they can make great bonsai.

The ones I have grown did not seem to be too slow when given good conditions. will post one in training when I get a chance.

[The Specimen]

Maybe we should include pines of all types.. has there been a national award or recognition for the best pine bonsai in Australia?

Maybe we could include different sub categories?

[Jarrod]

I am amazed that more mugos haven't been posted! Come on people!

[Andrew F]

Love your mugo Jarrod.

[The Specimen]

Jarrod what mix do u use for potting?

I must share with u all that on my drives each day to work, i cant help but perve on some very desirable conifers and one is a pinus of some sort grown in amongst the bushes along side the road.. hmm could it even turn out to be what seems to be the elusive mogo??

Does anyone know how large does mugos grow up to? How long can they live?

.. well from what I heard, u can have specimens dating back to the Roman Empire so my quest is to find Emperor Mugos of Australia or at least descendants there of.. now..

"Show me to your Emperor "

Can anyone recall a rare find.. possibly pinus of some sort that was discovered here in Australia that was on the news years ago?

[The Specimen]

Could it be the endangered Mt Spurgeon Pine?

Does anyone own one?

[The Specimen]

IMG_1253[1].JPG

Finally my Mugo Pine has arrived which has made me very happy though I do have concerns and would like to reach out for some guidance and advice.

While it does appear quite bushy, on close inspection it seems as though there could be several trees united rather than the one which I would have much preferred.

Also the limbs are quite long and flimsy and on closer inspection, I found there to be some rot at the base where stubs of cut branches was buried under the soil.

The previous owner said he had had it for approximately 11 years and it since has had 2 re-pottings professionally done.

I would like people's thoughts on this Mugo and your suggestions and ideas for better development.

My questions :

- Should first priority be to repot and if so when should i do it and what medium should I use?

- Can I air layer or take cuttings to make use of the long flimsy limbs? When should I do this?

- For driftwood visualization, is it recommended that I only use wood available on the tree or can I add a piece of natural driftwood?

- Ideas and suggestions on what else I should / should not do?

Thank you and I look forward to reading your suggestions and comments.

[Andrew F]

Wow that is unique material to work with.

Check out Pavel Slovak's work for inspiration.

[The Specimen]

Thanks velv! I was looking for this everywhere as i lost the thread.. got it now!

[The Specimen]

Bump.. plz see pics n qs above..