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Time to prune Mugo pines

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Pruning this Shrub


I started the other day: hand pruning the Mugo pines by cutting off the new candles midway down.

Neglected it the past few years and my -now- small trees are spreading more than I like. So I just started snipping and finished 3/4 of one and will get them both done this weekend.

Just a bit tedious, but not difficult.

You can see how large I let this one grow by the photo, but it is off to the side and is fine for now, although visually it takes up space. The other one has stayed about a third of this size.

oh. and that is my favorite cat waiting for some poor unsuspecting birdie. Handyman and I call him “Bob”, the kids call him “Assassinator”. My favorite cat ever (I’m more of a ‘dog’ person). He has so much gumption and personality, but is slightly more scared of things since the time we got him “fixed”- didn’t trust people so much after that. heh.

All about pruning your mugo pines, from earlier posting.

Grow a Mugo Pine:

About Ilona Erwin

I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

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Comments

  1. johanna_lea says

    mugo pines make fine bonsai, i have made 2….for proper growth containment, center candle is
    pinched off early, all other candles pinched half off. central bud had most growth hormones, and other branches will flourish and maintain the nice rounded shape. guess its about similar pruning
    for the “big” ones…it is traditional technique for most (bonsai-shaped)pines to remove some candles ( if you have 6, take off 2) this makes for denser
    more thrifty growth, better for the trees. but always the Center candle needs to be diminished or gone, for good branching.
    top bud always has the main
    growth in it. vty j-lea