Content
Mountain pine is widespread in Central and Southern Europe, in the Carpathians it grows higher than other coniferous forests. The culture is distinguished by its extraordinary plasticity, it can be a shrub with several ascending trunks or one short, crowned with a kegle-shaped crown, elfin with geniculate shoots. The mountain pine Mugus 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 cultivar, but a subspecies, so its shape is stable and all specimens are similar to each other. It is a creeping shrub with cranked 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 turn gray-brown. The old bark is gray-brown, flakes off, but does not fall off, it just turns dark brown, which is a specific feature of mountain pines.
The needles are dark green, very dense, tough, 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 a mountain pine. The longer the needles stay on the bush, the more comfortable the plant feels. Severe dropping of needles is a sign of trouble, an urgent need to 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 cuttings, ripen at the end of the second season. In the fall of the first year, the color is yellow-brown. When fully ripe, the color is the same as that of cinnamon. On one mountain pine cones of the same size, keeled-shaped scaly shields - too. Only in the lower part are they 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 crop can be used as a soil-protective crop, it 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. It keeps there only thanks to the 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, if properly maintained, will live for 150-200 years.
Mountain pine Mugus in landscape design
Due to the shape of the crown and more than modest size, the Mugus pine seems to be intended for cultivation in Japanese gardens. She looks good in rock gardens, rockeries and other compositions among stones and boulders.
Mugus clings tenaciously to the ground with a powerful root, it can be planted on any sloping areas, and if the owners have enough funds, even use it to strengthen crumbling and sliding slopes. Culture often adorns the terraces or the front door of a house.
The mountain pine Mugus is grown in flower beds with flowers that are undemanding to moisture, among small roses. It will brighten 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.
Mountain pine 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 the mountain pine Mugus
When caring for the 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 to natural as possible.
Mugus prefers moderately fertile, well-drained soils. But it endures somewhat compacted and poor soils. In a place where water constantly stands, the mountain pine will die.
Mugus grows well in bright light. Light shade is acceptable but not desirable. Winter hardiness - zone 2. Resistance to anthropogenic pollution - satisfactory. This means that pine trees cannot be planted near factories, parking lots, or highways.
A 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 plot preparation
Mugus mountain pine saplings 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, its age is difficult to recognize. It is possible that the root was damaged during the excavation. And the pine transplant is 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 is.
This means that not all is well with the seedling. He is "on the edge", and planting in new conditions, even a container plant, is still stressful.
A pit for Mugus is dug 2 weeks in advance. Recommended substrate: turf, sand, clay, if necessary - lime. Drainage can be gravel or sand. What cannot be added during planting is humus of animal origin.
A hole is dug so deep that at least 20 cm of drainage and a root can fit there. The width is 1.5-2 times the earthen coma. Drainage is poured into the planting pit, the remaining volume is filled by 70% with a substrate, filled with water.
Landing rules
Container-grown mountain pine can be planted all season. 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 collar. It should coincide with the ground level, or be 1-2 cm higher. If you raise it to 5 cm permissible for other varieties, it will not end well. Mugus is a real dwarf, that's too much for her.
Planting process:
- A part of the substrate is taken out of the pit.
- A seedling is installed in the center, the position of the root collar is measured.
- Sprinkle the soil in layers, carefully compacting so that voids do not form.
- Watering.
- The trunk circle is mulched.
It is better to use the bark of coniferous trees purchased at the garden center as a bedding. 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.
Peat, rotted sawdust or chips can be used as mulch. Fresh ones will rot right on the site, generate heat, and can destroy any plant.
Watering and feeding
The mountain pine Mugus needs frequent watering only for 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 hot summer. Mature - no more than once a month, but at the same time about 50 liters of water are consumed for each copy.
Top dressing must be applied only for young pines (up to 10 years old): in the spring with a predominance of nitrogen, in the fall - potassium-phosphorus. Adult specimens fertilize, only growing in unfavorable conditions. For example, in an industrial center.
But foliar dressing, especially with a chelate complex with the addition of magnesium sulfate and epin or zircon, is desirable. They not only compensate 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 should be loosened only in the first two years after planting. This operation breaks up the crust formed after rains and irrigation on the ground, and allows the roots to receive the necessary oxygen, moisture, and nutrients.
In the future, they are limited to mulching the soil, which retains moisture and prevents germination weeds, creates a suitable microclimate.
Pruning
The 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 culture is beautiful even without crown formation. Of course, if you wish, you can create something original by cropping, as in the photo.
Preparing 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 mountain pine Mugus 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 perfectly hibernate under the snow.
Reproduction
Those who like to propagate the mountain pine Mugus will only be able to use seeds. This is not a variety, and all seedlings, if it is possible to bring them to a permanent place, will have a high decorative effect.
But it is extremely difficult to do this without a specially equipped room. 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 5 years of age.
Cutting of pines, including Mugus, usually ends with the death of rooted shoots. The culture can be propagated by grafting, but this operation is not for amateurs.
Diseases and pests
Pines are often sick and affected by pests. Against their background, mountainous Mugus looks like a model of health. But only if planted in the correct and environmentally friendly place.
Among the pests of mountain pine are:
- pine hermes;
- pine aphid;
- common pine scale;
- pine moth;
- pine scoop;
- pine shoot silkworm.
When caring for the mountain pine Mugus, you can encounter the following diseases:
- blister rust of pine (seryanka, resin crayfish);
- rot caused by waterlogging of the soil.
At the first sign of disease, mountain pine is treated with fungicides. It would seem that it is worth adjusting the watering, planting the shrub in the "right place", and there will be no problems. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Rust creates a lot of hassle for gardeners.
Pests are destroyed with insecticides. To avoid problems, the pine must be carefully examined by gently pushing the branches apart with clean hands.
Conclusion
The mountain pine Mugus withstands air pollution better than other members of the genus. Its decorativeness and small size allows planting crops in large gardens and small front gardens, and with the right place, it does not take much time when leaving.
