Pinus MUGO 'MONTANA'

Pinus MUGO 'MONTANA' - Dwarf mountain pine 'Montana', Mugo pine 'Montana'.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Among the numerous members of the pine genus, numbering about 130 species, there are both the familiar majestic pines - Scots pine and stone pine - as well as lesser-known dwarf forms with prostrate or cushion-shaped crowns.

Pines are plants with strictly whorled branching and two types of shoots - long shoots and dwarf shoots. Needles are located only on dwarf shoots. By the number of needles on a dwarf shoot, pines are divided into two-needle, three-needle, and five-needle species.

Mountain pine is a slow-growing shrub, reaching up to 6 m (20 ft) in height and width when mature. Sometimes 10 m (33 ft) trees are also found. The smooth trunk with brown bark eventually becomes covered with darker-colored scales that later persist only in its upper part. As shoots grow, they change color from greenish to gray-brown. Slightly twisted rigid needles with a blunt tip, up to 3-4 cm (1.2-1.6 in) long, display the uniform dark-green coloration characteristic of mountain pine. They grow in bundles, unlike the needles of spruce and larch.

Seeds are stratified for 30 days in a cold environment at 4-5 °C (39-41 °F). In home conditions, seeds are placed in a refrigerator.

Before planting, seeds are soaked in warm water for 24 hours and for 2 hours in any growth stimulant, then sown to a depth of about 7 mm (0.28 in) and covered with a layer of soil. They are moistened from a spray bottle, covered with film, and germinated in the light at 18-22 °C (64-72 °F). Seedlings need ventilation. Overwatering and drying out of the sowing must be avoided. Seeds can germinate from 3 weeks to 2 months.

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Mountain pine is a light-demanding plant. Regarding soil, it has no special requirements, growing excellently even on dry, easily permeable soils. It tolerates drought and polluted air well and is frost-hardy. The base species is propagated by seed sowing, while cultivars are propagated by grafting or layering. It does not stand out with dramatic decorative effects, but is well suited for organizing the space of small gardens. It has numerous ornamental forms that are widely used in landscaping.