Timing for Quince Pruning

Hello all,

What is the best time for springtime pruning of the different types of quince? I find it difficult to decide with my flowering and fruiting quince because the leaves oftentimes emerge as early as January or February, and I am hesitant to do much pruning that early. Also, the bud locations are not always obvious before the leaves come out. Is it best with quince to just wait for the leaves to develop a cuticle, then prune even if it is still only late February or early March? Also, what is the latest you can prune a quince in the fall and still get flowers the next spring? Thanks in advance!

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Hi Ike, check out Michael Hagedorn’s comprehensive articles on quince : chojubai quince- the Joy’s of chojubai and diminutive jewels. You’ll find them very informative and interesting.

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If you have a Chojubai, you’re lucky. Keep it moist. But plant in deeper containers to prevent soggy situations. If you have a young plant, put it in a training pot with large size soil mix for a few years, so you have some energy to manipulate. Keep in the sun. Use a pesticide when shoots are elongating to control aphids. Wire main branches and shoots from the base for multiple trunks, and cut and grow following that. Cutting rather than wiring is not so much to create branch taper, as there will be little of that, but for the short, zigzagging and erratic branching that is only created by many years of scissor work. Cut back in June to one to three internodes only on refined trees (and again in the fall), leave extensions on younger plants to develop trunk. Always immediately remove shoots that come from the base that you are not intending to use as trunks—they will weaken the older areas. There’s more to it, but that will get you started. the url is ‘Chojubai’ Quince—Diminutive Jewels | Michael Hagedorn great photos to give you inspiration!! :heart_eyes:

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