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Mountain pine is common in Central and Southern Europe, in the Carpathians it grows higher than other coniferous forests. The culture is distinguished by extraordinary plasticity, it can be a shrub with several ascending trunks or one short, topped with a pin-shaped crown, dwarf elfin with articulated shoots. The Mugus mountain pine is one of the natural forms often used in landscape design.
Description of the mountain pine Mugus
Mountain pine Mugo var. Mughus is not a variety, but a subspecies, so its shape is stable, and all specimens are similar to each other. It is a creeping shrub with articulated branches and ascending shoots.
Mugus grows very slowly, more in width than in height. An adult shrub usually reaches 1,5 m with a crown diameter of up to 2 m. Young shoots are smooth, green, then become gray-brown. The old bark is gray-brown, peels off in scales, but does not fall off, it just becomes dark brown, which is a species sign of mountain pines.
The needles are dark green, very thick, hard, can be even, partially or completely twisted, the length is within 3-8 cm. The needles are collected in 2 pieces and live from 2 to 5 years. By the way, this is an indicator of the health of the mountain pine. The longer the needles stay on the shrub, the more comfortable the plant feels. A strong fall of the needles is a sign of trouble, you need to urgently look for and eliminate the cause.
Cones are symmetrical, after ripening they look down or to the sides, are attached directly to the shoots or hang on a short handle, ripen at the end of the second season. In the autumn of the first year, the color is yellow-brown. After full ripening, the color becomes the same as that of cinnamon. On one mountain pine, cones of the same size, keeled, scaly shields, too. Only in the lower part they are flat, and in the middle – with a growth, often equipped with a thorn.
The root of the mountain pine Mugus goes deep into the ground. Therefore, the culture can be used as a soil-protective one, withstands drought well, and develops on any soil. In nature, Mugus often grows among stones, on the edge of cliffs, and the crown literally hangs in the air. She keeps there only thanks to a tenacious powerful root.
Although the homeland of the mountain pine Mugus is the Balkans and the Eastern Alps, it grows without shelter in the second zone and withstands frosts down to -45 ° C. In one place, the shrub, with proper maintenance, will live 150-200 years.
Mountain pine Mugus in landscape design
Thanks to the shape of the crown and more than modest size, the Mugus pine seems to be intended for growing in Japanese gardens. It looks good in rock gardens, rockeries and other compositions among stones and boulders.
Mugus tenaciously clings to the ground with a powerful root, it can be planted on any sloping areas, and if the owners have enough money, even used to strengthen crumbling and sliding slopes. Often culture decorates the terraces or the front entrance to the house.
Mountain pine Mugus is grown in flowerbeds with flowers undemanding to moisture, among small roses. It will decorate the foreground of large and small landscape groups.
But the designers do not use it as a tapeworm – the Mugus pine is small, and it wins in group plantings. Even if other conifers are its neighbors.
Pine mountain Mugus looks great in the company:
- heathers;
- cereals;
- roses;
- other conifers;
- ground covers;
- peonies.
The culture can be planted even in the smallest garden, and always attracts attention.
Planting and caring for mountain pine Mugus
When caring for Mugus pine, it should be borne in mind that in nature it grows high in the mountains. This is not an artificially bred variety, but a subspecies. Comfortable conditions for the shrub will be such that they are as close as possible to natural ones.
Mugus prefers moderately fertile, well-drained soils. But it tolerates somewhat compacted and poor soils. In a place where there is constantly water, the mountain pine will die.
Mugus grows well in bright light. A light shadow is acceptable, but undesirable. Winter hardiness – zone 2. Resistance to anthropogenic pollution – satisfactory. This means that pine cannot be planted near factories, parking lots, highways.
Shrub in places where groundwater comes close to the surface will grow only with good drainage, and even better – on an artificial embankment.
Seedling and planting preparation
Mugus mountain pine seedlings should be taken only in containers. Even if the root is dug out with an earthen clod and sheathed with burlap. It goes deep into the ground, the plant itself is small, it is difficult to know its age. It is possible that the root was damaged during digging. And pine transplants are normally tolerated only up to 5 years, then there is a high probability that they simply will not take root.
When buying a shrub, attention should be paid to the needles. The more years the needles have been preserved, the better the seedling.
This means that not everything is safe with the seedling. It is “on the verge”, and planting in new conditions, even a container plant, is still stressful.
Mugus pits are dug 2 weeks in advance or earlier. Recommended substrate: soddy soil, sand, clay, if necessary – lime. Gravel or sand can act as drainage. What can not be added when planting is humus of animal origin.
A hole is dug deep enough to fit at least 20 cm of drainage and a root. Width – 1,5-2 times more than an earthen coma. Drainage is poured into the planting pit, the remaining volume is 70% filled with substrate, and filled with water.
Rules of landing
Container-grown mountain pine can be planted all season long. But in the south in the summer it is better not to do this. Preference should be given to spring planting in cold and temperate climates, in warm or hot – autumn.
The main thing when planting a mountain pine Mugus is to carefully measure the position of the root neck. It should coincide with the ground level, or be 1-2 cm higher. If you raise it to 5 cm acceptable for other varieties, it will not end in anything good. Mugus is a real dwarf, it’s too much for her.
Boarding process:
- Part of the substrate is taken out of the pit.
- A seedling is installed in the center, the position of the root neck is measured.
- Sprinkle the soil in layers, carefully compacting so that voids do not form.
- Watered.
- Mulch the trunk circle.
As a backfill, it is better to use the bark of coniferous trees, bought at the garden center. It is sold already processed, it is impossible to bring pests and diseases with it. That is why coniferous litter or bark collected independently in the forest cannot be used for this purpose.
As mulch, you can use peat, rotted sawdust or wood chips. Fresh ones will rot right on the site, generate heat, and can destroy any plant.
Watering and top dressing
Mountain pine Mugus needs frequent watering only the first time after planting. In the future, they can only damage the culture. This variety is very drought tolerant and does not tolerate waterlogging.
Young plants (up to 10 years of age) are watered once a week in the hot summer. Mature – no more than once a month, but at the same time, about 50 liters of water are spent on each specimen.
Top dressing must be applied only for young pine trees (up to 10 years old): in spring with a predominance of nitrogen, in autumn – potassium-phosphorus. Adult specimens fertilize only growing in adverse conditions. For example, in the industrial center.
But foliar top dressing, especially with a chelate complex with the addition of magnesium sulfate and epin or zircon, is desirable. They not only make up for the lack of trace elements, but also increase the resistance of mountain pine to adverse conditions, including air pollution.
Mulching and loosening
The soil under the mountain pine Mugus needs to be loosened only in the first two years after planting. This operation breaks the crust formed after rains and watering on the ground, and allows the roots to receive the necessary oxygen, moisture, and nutrients.
In the future, they are limited to soil mulching, which retains moisture and prevents the germination of weeds, creates a suitable microclimate.
Trimming
Mugus pine grows slowly and needs only sanitary pruning. You can increase its decorative effect by pinching off 1/3 of the young growth in the spring. But the culture is beautiful without crown formation. Of course, if you wish, you can create something original using cropping, as in the photo.
Preparation for winter
Only young plants need shelter for the winter for the first, and in cold regions and the second winter after planting. To do this, it is enough to mulch the soil with a thick layer of peat, and wrap the Mugus mountain pine with white non-woven material, or put a cardboard box on top with holes made in advance. It is important to somehow fix it so that the wind does not rip it off.
Then the mountain pine will winter well under the snow.
Reproduction
Those who like to propagate the Mugus mountain pine can only use seeds. This is not a variety, and all seedlings, if they can be brought to a permanent place, will have a high decorative effect.
But without a specially equipped room, it is extremely difficult to do this. In addition, caring for young plants takes a lot of time. So the seedlings will constantly die, and they are unlikely to live up to the age of 5.
Cuttings of pines, including Mugus, as a rule, ends with the death of rooted shoots. Culture can be propagated by grafting, but this operation is not for amateurs.
Diseases and pests
Pine trees often get sick and are affected by pests. Against their background, mountain Mugus looks like a model of health. But only if planted in the right and environmentally friendly place.
Among the pests of mountain pine stand out:
- pine hermes;
- aphid pine;
- common pine shield;
- pine moth;
- pine scoop;
- pine silkworm.
When caring for the mountain pine Mugus, you may encounter the following diseases:
- blister rust of pine (seryanka, resin cancer);
- soil rot caused by waterlogging.
At the first sign of disease, mountain pine is treated with fungicides. It would seem that it is worth adjusting the watering, planting shrubs in the “right place”, and there will be no problems. But this is not the case, unfortunately. Rust creates a lot of trouble for gardeners.
Pests are killed with insecticides. To avoid problems, the pine tree must be carefully examined, gently pushing the branches apart with clean hands.
Conclusion
Mountain pine Mugus withstands air pollution better than other members of the genus. Its decorative effect and small size allows you to plant a crop in large gardens and small front gardens, and if you choose the right place, it does not take much time to care for.