General: The mountain pine (Pinus mugo) grows in the mountains of Central and Southern Europe and has at least three subspecies. The subspecies uncinata develops into tree-like specimens that can reach heights of up to 20 meters. The evergreen needles are 3 - 4 cm long, dark green and hardly prick. The mountain pine is very hardy and grows in a wide variety of soil conditions.
Care as a bonsai: Pine trees are very popular for decorating bonsai. They are robust and offer many design options. As a bonsai they exude a lot of power due to their coarse character. On the other hand, the designed pine shows little change compared to deciduous trees and thus gives the viewer a lot of calm over the course of the year. A designed pine is basically very easy to care for. The new shoots (candles) are shortened or broken with the fingers in May and branches that are too dense are thinned out in late summer. In summer, a sunny location is very beneficial. Pine trees shouldn't be kept too wet. During long periods of rain, it is even advisable to put the plant under a roof. You can wire and design all year round. However, this should not coincide with the repotting in September. In addition, the plant must ideally be frost-free after the design. A structurally stable, airy mixture is used for the substrate and attention is paid to the presence of mycorrhizal fungi. You can recognize the fungus by an even, fine and white coating that envelops the roots and, ideally, runs through the whole earth. Pine trees are very hardy. Even so, they should be protected from dry winds in winter.
Particularities: The subspecies uncinata grows stronger and more upright than the normal form. It is particularly suitable for designing larger trees.
