Mugo Pine Question - Cleaning out from inside

[Deleted member 47471]

How do I clean out dead/weak/cluttered needles to open tree up for light and air?

I just bought my first one recently and would like to clean it out from inside. I copied and printed the Vance Wood Pine post but did not see anything in terms of routine cleaning out (what not to remove/what to remove/how to do it).

Thanks very much!

My Mugo

 

[Dav4]

The only Mugo I ever worked died... 20 years ago . With that being said, if this was a JBP or JWP, I'd be identifying keeper branches(keep more than you want for final design) and non-branches. Remove the non keeper branches leaving a stub, then wire out the remaining branches so those weaker interior buds get sun... imo, they will be the tree's future as you'll be wanting to eventually cut back the strong growth.

 

[Paradox]

Thinning will help get some light inside that mop of needles but I would not wire it now. Wait until October.
There is a lot of tender new shoots on that tree right now.
Wiring right now and you risk breaking a lot of those off in the process.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Thinning will help get some light inside that mop of needles but I would not wire it now. Wait until October.
There is a lot of tender new shoots on that tree right now.
Wiring right now and you risk breaking a lot of those off in the process.

Understood, yes, will follow Vane Wood’s legendary posts and guidelines.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Understood, yes, will follow Vane Wood’s legendary posts and guidelines.

Do I just grab loose needles from deep within with tweezers and toss them? No plucking, yes?

 

[Paradox]

Do I just grab loose needles from deep within with tweezers and toss them? No plucking, yes?

Vance used to say cut the ones on the top and the bottom of the branches. You can cut them with scissors or pluck with tweezers. Usually safer to cut with scissors. Less chance to damage latent buds. Leave the side ones because that is where new buds can form most easily

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Vance used to say cut the ones on the top and the bottom of the branches. You can cut them with scissors or pluck with tweezers. Usually safer to cut with scissors. Less chance to damage latent buds. Leave the side ones because that is where new buds can form most easily

Oh I see, okay not just removing the fallen needles from the center. Got it.

 

[Gaitano]

I just went through and cleaned mine out. I cut back all the dead branches and the dead needles and untwisted some of the branches. I removed a few branches that were obviously not going to be part of the future tree and were repetitious, two branches where I only would need one, to help send energy back to buds closer in to the trunk. These are the buds to identify and work to build to be the future branch, and what you will cut back to when they are strong enough to take over. I probably only removed 5-10% of live branches and as mentioned above, I left a stub. I believe Vance mentioned the better time to do the majority of your branch cutting is in July? Hopefully there was enough cleaned out/up to let light and air into those small buds.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

I just went through and cleaned mine out. I cut back all the dead branches and the dead needles and untwisted some of the branches. I removed a few branches that were obviously not going to be part of the future tree and were repetitious, two branches where I only would need one, to help send energy back to buds closer in to the trunk. These are the buds to identify and work to build to be the future branch, and what you will cut back to when they are strong enough to take over. I probably only removed 5-10% of live branches and as mentioned above, I left a stub. I believe Vance mentioned the better time to do the majority of your branch cutting is in July? Hopefully there was enough cleaned out/up to let light and air into those small buds.

Correct. July. I will likely remove dead fallen debris and follow Vance’s seasonal recommendations. I am determined to succeed greatly with my first pine.