Quince is a beautiful tree, tasty and healthy fruits

Japonica

Quince is a plant that people have been growing for a very long time. Several millennia ago, methods of its reproduction and cultivation were already known. Various dishes were prepared from its delicious fruits, they were used for medicinal purposes.

What is good about quince

Why is quince so good? First, by its incomparable fruits. Quince fruits outwardly resemble pears or apples, they can be round, oval or pear-shaped. Their flesh is quite tough, but very juicy. Quince fruits have a pleasant aroma, so quince is often used in cooking. Quince is often added to meat dishes, compotes, jams are made from it, and jelly is made. Many people like to drink tea with a slice of quince. Quince can be used not only as a fruit tree, but also for beauty in landscape design. With the right shaping, the tree can be given a beautiful silhouette. At the end of May, quince blooms and pleases the eye with its large pinkish flowers, which are somewhat reminiscent of magnolia.

How quince grows

Quince is a plant that loves warmth very much; Central, Minor and Central Asia and the Caucasus are considered its homeland. However, this does not prevent it from growing in Russian latitudes. In its homeland, quince can reach a height of eight meters, and in our latitudes it grows up to three to five meters. It has dark gray or brownish black bark and oblong dark green leaves.

Quince roots grow shallowly into the soil, which is both a plus and a minus for it. If you look from one side, then the quince can grow in places where the groundwater is high, but on the other hand, the shallow location makes the roots vulnerable to frost.

Despite its peculiar root system, quince tolerates drought well, although it loves abundant watering very much. Quince loves the sun no less. When planting quince, you should not forget about it. On the site, you need to choose a sunny place for the quince, where the cold wind will not disturb the quince.

Quince thrives on any soil. However, there is a small nuance here, poor conditions reduce the life expectancy of the quince and its yield. The life span of a quince is already short, it can live a maximum of 50-60 years. On bad soil, it will last much less. If you want to get bountiful harvests and enjoy the magnificent flowering of quince for a long time, you should not spare a good place in the garden for it.

Quince care

As with any plant, quince needs to be looked after. Despite the fact that quince is drought-resistant, it loves water, it needs regular watering. If you want to get good results, you should not neglect it. Six heavy waterings during the growing season will be sufficient. During a drought, their number can be increased. You should not water the quince often and little by little, this will not be of any benefit, and it can harm young plants. Because of this, the already shallow roots will cease to grow downward, remaining on the surface moist soil layers. This will make the tree vulnerable to frost.

Do not forget to feed the quince. They feed it in about the same way as apple trees. Timely feeding will ensure a bountiful harvest. Both mineral and organic fertilizers are suitable for feeding.

The quince bush can be shaped. It is worth starting to engage in the formation of a bush in early spring. To do this, all the branches left as a base are cut off by a third. Pruning more will stimulate the overgrowth of new shoots, which is difficult to correct later.At the same time, you need to cut off all dry and diseased branches. In summer, crown formation continues by pruning and breaking off branches. At the end of summer, the fastest growing branches are pinched at the end so that they have time to harden and can survive the winter.

In regions with a cold climate, where there is severe frost at night and the bright sun shines during the day, there is another point that requires attention. Due to its bright dark color, the bark of the quince can be very hot in the sun during the day, and its temperature drops sharply in the evening and at night. These temperature fluctuations can lead to the formation of wounds called frostbites. To prevent this from happening, you need to take action. You can whitewash the trunk, shade trees, or wrap the trunks with special garden bandages.

Due to its shallow root system, quince does not tolerate frost well, therefore, before wintering, the ground around it must be covered with humus or dry leaves. When the snow falls, it is worth throwing a snowdrift under the tree. This will help protect the roots. In regions with a cold climate, quince must be additionally insulated.

Quince is ill quite rarely, pests also have to be encountered infrequently. The most important pest is the moth. It can harm the crop. In order to prevent the appearance of this pest, it is necessary to treat the quince with an insecticide at the beginning of summer.

Despite the fact that quince is rarely exposed to diseases, preventive treatments will not harm it. They will help protect the plant from many diseases and pests and will save you from a huge number of problems.

How to plant quince

Planting quince is practically no different from planting other fruit trees. The most optimal time for planting quince is April or October. Before planting quince, you need to dig a hole in about a month and fill it with fertile soil. The depth of the hole should be about 60 cm. If the soil in the garden is poor, it is worth adding humus, humus, compost. This will make the soil more fertile. After the soil settles in the hole, you can start planting seedlings. After planting, the seedling must be watered abundantly. In the cold northern regions, when planting quince, the grafting site on the seedling must be sprinkled with soil.

Quince fruiting

Quince begins to bear fruit after two to three years. The harvest becomes more abundant every year. There are usually a lot of fruits, they are very large and heavy. For thin young trees, this is a huge load that they may not be able to withstand. The weight of the fruit can cause the tree to bend or break. To prevent this from happening, you need to strengthen it with props.

The fruits begin to ripen around September. To make them as tasty and aromatic as possible, do not rush to pick them, let them spend as much time on the branches as possible. They can be on the branches until the frost. Sometimes they are left to lie in the basement so that their taste is fully manifested. Quince is stored for a very long time, with the right approach, the fruits can lie until spring.

Quince fruits are very useful. They are often used as medicinal raw materials, as well as seeds and leaves. Leaves are usually harvested in spring and early summer, while seeds and fruits are harvested in autumn and winter. On the basis of medicinal raw materials obtained from quince, diuretics, antiulcer, antibacterial drugs are made.

Reproduction of quince

Quince reproduces quite easily. It can be propagated with seeds, which must be stratified before planting. This method is the simplest one. But there is one but - seedlings obtained from seeds can hardly be called fruitful. In order to get good harvests, this option is not suitable. But they can be used as a stock for pears, varietal quince and medlar. For reproduction, seeds are taken from ripe fruits, from the moment of collection of which at least four weeks have passed. The seeds are washed in warm water and dried on paper.Seeds can be planted before winter, or in spring.

To obtain a harvest, a more suitable option would be a vegetative propagation method using cuttings, layering, grafting, root growth.

Quince in landscape design

Quince is great for use in landscaping. Since it is not too large, it is better not to find an option for small territories. For design, you can take both a single tree and a group of trees. Bright green leaves, delicate flowers and bright, mouth-watering quince fruits will be a worthy decoration for any site. Quince survives a haircut well, therefore it is suitable even for use as a hedge.

The beneficial qualities of quince do not end there. This tree is an excellent honey plant and will be a godsend for beekeepers. Quince also has solid wood, which is suitable for making various kinds of crafts.

Quince photo