Mugo Pine Progression

[Victrinia Ensor]

I've had this pine for the past few years, I picked it up at a local auction because I liked how obviously old it was. I worked on it this weekend, so I took photos before and after the work. I'm very fond of this tree... but I had not delt with some of it's faults. It's getting a closer to satisfying all the time.

This is what it looked like when I got it.

Got it healthy... killed off a lower branch...

Took this after a major restyle...

I put it in an Erin pot, which I originally got for Eric, and felt pretty good that it had more drama.

Another year later... and it had filled in nicely... but it was still nagging me. I wasn't thrilled with the jin on the main trunk... I had been trying to make something interesting of it... but it was too heavy...

Big jin is gone now... I put a shari in the trunk instead, which should always be an option when taking out a large branch (in comparison to the trunk)... I used it as an opportunity to take care of the strong angle in that section of the trunk and softened the curve by carving it. The deadwood will be given some more interest over time. I also took out a section of the crown and cranked it over, so that the crown could have a better apex, and killed a branch in the back. I also reduced the jin in the front. Some thinning and some more time will continue the tree into a more interesting vision.

Enjoy,

Victrinia

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

I was looking through photos for a different tree and ran across a virt I made before I did the major restyle... kinda cracks me up that I got there, more or less, without remembering I had this idea for it. lol

 

[Dav4]

You have a great eye Vic. The smaller, more compact design was not one I saw coming but it really looks good. Great improvement in the trees' health as well.

Dave

 

[jk_lewis]

Nice little (?) tree.

I'm really not the one to comment on pines, but I think I would like to see this a BIT more upright and in a narrower pot, with corners.

 

[bonsai barry]

I tree has a great texture to it, but more than that I love the selection of pots you have to choose from...suffering from pot envy!

 

[fogart]

That is a nice mugo pine, I would love to have it in my collection

 

[gavin555595]

very nice mugo by the looks of it it was grown from a nusery for many many years. I hope i will find one with that quality in my collection.

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

You have a great eye Vic. The smaller, more compact design was not one I saw coming but it really looks good. Great improvement in the trees' health as well.

Dave

Thanks Dave!!! It's funny... I was sort of dragged kicking and screaming into doing this... I was pretty set that I didn't want to change anything about it when I got it. Then Grouper52 and Daniel Robinson were giving me a bad time about it... so I started by killing that first branch. I was stuck in the idea that I didn't want to tamper with something so old... Which can be a common problem... one doesn't want to 'ruin' it. But once I killed the first branch it was plain to me I had to simplify the tree overall, and compact the image to make the trunk more present.

I no longer hesitate to deal with older material...

V

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

Nice little (?) tree.

I'm really not the one to comment on pines, but I think I would like to see this a BIT more upright and in a narrower pot, with corners.

It is relatively small... If it was a bit more upright, a narrower pot would definitely be in order. You should virtualize your thought if you can, I'm not sure it would benefit the drama I've been trying to add to the tree.

V

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

I tree has a great texture to it, but more than that I love the selection of pots you have to choose from...suffering from pot envy!

I am a shameless pot addict. Which comes in handy sometimes.

V

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

very nice mugo by the looks of it it was grown from a nusery for many many years. I hope i will find one with that quality in my collection.

Thanks Gavin... It is a challange getting ahold of mugo's with that kind of bark. That's why I didn't hesitate to snap it up when I saw it at the auction.

V

 

[Ang3lfir3]

I tree has a great texture to it, but more than that I love the selection of pots you have to choose from...suffering from pot envy!

you think you have pot envy..... I WAS going to put a tree in that pot luckily I still have another Erin pot to use for a different tree


we often spend as much if not more time at the bonsai nurseries digging through the pots as we do the trees....

 

[Klytus]

Will you now plant it in the soil for a few years?

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

Will you now plant it in the soil for a few years?

No... I am not interested in making a larger tree of it. This size suits me well enough.

V

 

[woodguy]

Nice Mugo! Thanks for sharing the progression.

 

[Joedes3]

Thanks Victrina. I didn't know that mugo pine backbud like that. I just learned something.

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

Yes indeed they do! I prune back the new growth mid-summer and it responds with a rediculous amount of back budding. It's not unlike a JBP that way.

V

 

[Gandalph]

Very impressive Victrinia !!!

I love Mugo pines, but have killed practically every one I have tried, over-watering I think, but am not for sure.

Can you share your soil mix please? Hopefully, when I dare to do another one that may help.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

Thanks for the kind comment G...

As to soil... it's in the same general mix I keep everything in 60% crushed lava, 40% composted bark. Not much chance of overwatering if you have a 60% inorganic content.

What time of year are you repotting them. Vance advocates for a Summer potting schedule... I can't remember when I did this one off the top of my head, but knowing me, I took Vance's advice.

I'm pretty sure I did it in June.

Hope that helps.

V

 

[tmmason10]

Nice progression and I like what you have done with it. I have to agree with the other comments that pot is great.