PlantSowGrow
How to plant and care for Dwarf Mountain Pine
Pinus mugo 'Mops'
🌳 Tree
🔁 Perennial
A slow, round, bun-shaped pine with dense dark-green needles — perfect for rock gardens, gravel and pots. Very hardy and drought-tolerant.
Growing Dwarf Mountain Pine: what it needs
- Light
- Full sun · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Drought-tolerant once established
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained soil · pH 6.0–7.0
- Spacing
- 1 m
- Height
- 1 m after 10 years
- In pots
- Grows well in containers
- Feeding
- No feeding needed
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 2–7
Step by step
- On planting day
Plant the Tree
Plant at the same depth it grew in its pot, in a hole twice as wide as the root ball, 1 m from other trees. Firm and water well.
- 0–2 days after “Plant the Tree”
Water In Deeply
Soak the root area with a full can, then keep the soil moist (not wet) for the first few weeks.
- 7–21 days after “Water In Deeply”
Mulch the Base
Spread 5–8 cm of compost or bark mulch in a 1 m circle, keeping it clear of the trunk.
Every year
- MayPinch the Candles
Pinch the new "candles" back by half in late spring to keep it dense.
