Dear IBCers, Mark and Randy:
Vance Wood the following Email I am posting so everyone has access to
his insight on theMugo question..

Carl L. Rosner

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [IBC] Mugo Pine
Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2003 19:09:32 -0000
From: "Vance Wood"
To: "Carl L Rosner"
References:




Hi Mark:

Carl Rosner forwarded your question to me and I will try to answer for
you. Sometimes old needles two to three years old will do this. It is
quasi-normal, meaning that they do not always do this but they do it
often enough to make it annoying. Mugos are susceptible to needle cast
a fungal disorder that causes the premature drop of older needles. This
is really not a problem unless you were hoping to chop the branches back
to the point that now has no needles. This disease can be cleared up by
spraying with Bordeaux mix, a copper based fungicide. Do not use this
on any thing but pines unless you read the directions carefully.

As to the odd bud break. It could be from the weather being so warm for
so long this summer, or it is possible that a late fertilization
triggered this reaction. I have never had one do this but I live in
zone 5. It is also possible that in pruning late you stimulated the
condition. I seriously don't know if any one knows for sure what
happened. If you wish to write me back and let me know exactly what you
have been doing whit the tree maybe we can figure out a scenario that
makes sense.

Vance Wood.

----- Original Message -----
From: Carl L Rosner
To: Mark Hill ; randi sharp
; Vance Wood

Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2003 4:37 PM
Subject: [IBC] Mugo Pine

Dear Randi:
The expert of Mugo pines is a gentleman and friend of mine known as
Vance Wood. He is also known as the Mugo man, so it behooves you to
drop him a line. By this Email, I am forwarding a copy of the Email
from you and Mark .

Carl L. Rosner

Mark Hill wrote:

Randi

I've been waiting for some of our learned colleagues to answer your mugo
pine questions, but I guess an answer isn't forthcoming.

FYI ... I have two mugo's. One appears happy with normal growth patterns and
the other (in a nursery pot/soil) is doing exactly what you've described. I
guess all I can do is sympathize with you, and wait for spring !!

Mark Hill
Harrisburg PA
I have a mugo in a nursery pot and in nursery soil. I plan to move it to a
training pot, and the appropriate soil, in the spring when the weather
conditions are more agreeable for working with mugo roots in my temp zone.
Until two weeks ago the tree was doing fine. Within the last two weeks I
noticed that the older needles have started to turn brown. Also, laterally
the tree is breaking bud and the buds are starting to open with needles
approx 1/18 to 1/8 inch in length. While the lateral buds are breaking, the
terminal buds are tight and remain tighly closed as I would expect them to
be at this time in the season. The crown remains very green, with no
noticable bud break or buds swelling. The crown also does not show and
tendency towards browning. Any thoughts as to what could cause the tree to
brown and also break bud at this late date in the season?

Randi Sharp
Richmond, VA
Zone 7


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