Buying a mugo pine

[Damian79]

Hi guys
I'm thinking about buying a Mugo pine I have my eye on at local nursery. It seems to be healthy enough but I'm not 100% sure.
Can anyone offer any advice on what to look for as I don't have any pines as yet and don't really know good stock from not so good
Thanks
Damo

[Gerard]

Hi Damian,
Pines usually have a strong habit of growing branches in whorls. (lots of branches coming from one point on the trunk)
This is often a problem with mugo pines because you will get a lot of branches followed by a long boring length of trunk before getting another whorl of branches. This can make tree design very difficult.
Having said that, the right material can produce wonderful bonsai.

[Damian Bee]

Have a look to see what the graft is like,(if it has one).
Also the health of branches, if they are in too much shade they can die back so check for browning needles or branch dieback.
Perhaps also, (depending on its size) the structure of the tree?
Hey why not post a pic?
I am not big on conifers, that's the best I can do for you but it at least gets the ball rolling

[Damian Bee]

Ahh, a double post. You beat me to it Gerard