How much can I prune Mugo Pines?
Since Mugo Pines and other conifers do not sprout from stem wood like deciduous trees do, you need to take special care when pruning to ensure that your mugo pine retains both its dwarf size and healthy growth. Learn more about dwarf and full-sized Mugo Pines using the Plant Finder tool! A month or two after you prune your Mugo Pine, you need ...
How do you keep Mugo pines from getting too tall?
The principal rule when it comes to mugo pine pruning is this: do not prune in the fall. Pines do not produce new buds from old growth. That means that the tree will stop growing from any pruning points if you cut branches out of season. Instead, prune mugo pine in spring and only trim the new growth.
Do Mugo pines produce new buds?
How do you prune Mugo bonsai?
When should Mugo pines be pruned?
The principal rule when it comes to mugo pine pruning is this: do not prune in the fall. Pines do not produce new buds from old growth. That means that the tree will stop growing from any pruning points if you cut branches out of season. Instead, prune mugo pine in spring and only trim the new growth.Jul 27, 2020
How far can you cut back a mugo pine?
I have 6 mugo pines growing together and crowding out my other plantings. How much can I prune them back without causing damage? You can prune out 1/2 to 2/3 of the expanding new tip growth (called candles) this spring. Repeat each spring to minimize new growth.
How big does a mugo pine get?
around 20'Mature Size The mugo pine grows to a height of around 20' and a spread of around 25' at maturity.
How do you care for a mugo pine?
When growing mugo pines in containers, it's important to water them weekly during the growing season. As winter approaches, keep them well watered until the soil freezes. You can then stop watering if the soil remains frozen. Once the soil thaws in spring, or during warm spells in winter, water as soon as possible.Apr 12, 2022
Prepare your tools
Make sure your pruning tools are sharp and clean when you begin. This will make for clean cuts and promote the health of the Mugo.
Prune at the right time
Mugo pines should be pruned in the springtime when new growth is forming. The Mugo is the only pine that you MUST prune when it’s growing. Prune it in the fall and the parts you prune will not grow again. This may seem like it makes the process easier but what it actually does is make the shrub sparse.
Promote good growth
Remove any dead limbs as well as those that have become damaged. The idea here is to leave only live material that will continue producing needles. Dead parts of the plant either don’t have needles or they have needles that are a rusty red. When you cut the secondary branches, make sure you are cutting on a bias at about a 45° angle.
Make sure the mugo pine gets good sun
You will want to remove at least two-thirds of the buds (also called candles) from your Mugo. The best way to do this is to remove the largest ones first then let the plant rest. A week later, come back and remove the smaller ones. This allows more sunlight to penetrate the plant and promote a hardy, vibrant pine.
Just take a little off the top
It is very important to understand that unless you are removing dead material, you don’t want to prune past the candles if you can avoid it. Even if you do it in springtime you could irreparably damage the plant and even kill it completely by cutting too far in.
