How to Grow and Care for Quince Tree

How to Plant Quince Tree

When to Plant

Early spring is best for planting a quince tree. Do not plant quince in hot, dry weather that will stress the tree.

Selecting a Site

A sheltered spot in the sun but out of the path of wind is ideal for this tree. Do not plant a quince tree in a low spot where frost accumulates.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

If you are planting more than one quince tree, space them 10 to 15 feet apart to let them grow and breathe.

Dig a hole twice as wide as the tree’s roots spread out. Make sure the tree is set in the hole at the same depth as it was in its nursery container. Spread the roots out when placing the seedling in the hole.

Quince Tree Plant Care

Light

Full sun is best to produce the best fruit and prevent disease, but some partial shade can be tolerated.

Soil

Keep the soil around the quince tree well-drained, slightly moist, and never completely dry, and be sure it is composed of a mix of organic content. Quince trees prefer acidic soil but will tolerate very low alkalinity. Basic soil will lead to iron deficiencies.

Water

Quince trees are not very drought-tolerant and can only endure one or two weeks without water while establishing. Give your tree a deep watering every two weeks to once a month, depending on temperature, at other times. Insufficient water results in fruit drop. Overwatering can lead to the onset of fire blight.

Temperature and Humidity

Quince trees prefer warm, sheltered spots to grow. However, they can withstand cold temperatures as low as -15 degrees Fahrenheit and thrive in USDA zones 5 to 9.

Fertilizer

Fertilize only once a year during the winter, applying a slow-release, low-nitrogen fertilizer with micronutrients under the canopy. High nitrogen content and providing too much fertilizer will invite disease into the tree.

Types of Quince Tree

The cultivars of the quince tree produce varied fruits:

• ‘Jumbo’ bears white-fleshed fruit.
• ‘Orange’ grows fruit with more rounded, orange-yellow flesh.
• ‘Pineapple’ fruits have white flesh with a pineapple-like flavor and aroma.
• ‘Smyrna’ has pink flowers and yellow fruit.
• Rich’s Dwarf is a smaller tree that grows 8 to 12 feet with large fruit.
• ‘Champion’ has fruit that tastes a bit like lemon.
• ‘Cooke’s Jumbo’ grows springtime white-pink flowers and large fruit.

Quince Tree vs. Japanese Quince

The quince tree (Cydonia oblonga) shouldn’t be confused with the Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica). Japanese quince is an ornamental flowering shrub, not a tree, that produces pale pink or white blooms in early spring on a visually interesting multi-trunked tree that becomes gnarled as it ages. In the United States, Japanese quince is best considered a unique flowering shrub option in the landscape and it is rarely grown for its fruit as is Cydonia oblonga. To add to the confusion, Japanese quince is also mistaken for another shrub called flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa), but this shrub grows slightly taller to 10 feet and it is native to China.

Harvesting Quince Fruit

Quince trees will usually start cropping when five or six years old. The fruit does not ripen on the tree, only when it’s off the tree. Once you have fruiting, wait until the fall to harvest; the fruit is ready for picking when they are golden yellow and orangish. Fruit ready to harvest will also be very fragrant, intensifying as they mature. Grab the fruit off the tree before the first frost.

How to Grow Quince Trees in Pots

Growing a quince tree in a large pot requires diligence when it comes to watering. Choose a dwarf quince tree for best results so it can easily grow in a container though, regardless of size, a quince tree needs its roots spread out in a large space. A container still needs rich, loamy soil that’s well-drained and placed in full sun. This means the plant will need frequent watering to keep the pot from drying out but without becoming soggy. In colder regions, protect the container by bringing it indoors or covering it so winds do not damage it.

Pruning

After the last frost, prune dead and damaged branches and remove lower branches. The fruit develops on old growth, so be cautious when pruning the tips of branches. Suckering quince trees have the habit of forming thickets, so remove suckers immediately.

Propagating Quince Tree

Propagating a quince tree from a cutting is a more reliable method than growing the tree from seeds. Take cuttings in the fall or early winter; take a long, 10-inch cutting at an angle from a young branch that is ideally one to three years old using a sterilized cutting tool. Then take these steps:

• Remove the bottom 3 inches of bark from the cutting and dip it in rooting hormone.
• Place the cutting into a pot with rich, moistened potting soil.
• Once you see leaves develop, transfer the cutting into a larger container and place it in indirect sunlight, keeping the soil moist.
• Plant outdoors in the early spring, removing suckers before you put the seedling in the ground.

How to Grow Quince Tree From Seed

You can grow a quince tree from seeds but you will need to wait an extra long time for it to fruit (though sometimes trees from seed do not fruit). Take seeds from a ripe quince fruit and clean them or buy the seeds. Then, take these steps:

• Stratify the seeds by putting them in a plastic bag with some moist soil or sand, then place them in the refrigerator for about three to four months. Some seeds may sprout in the refrigerator while chilling.
• Fill a tray or small pot with moistened potting soil, add seeds, and cover them with a thin layer of soil.
• Place the tray or pot in a warm location with indirect sunlight and keep the soil moist.
• The seeds should further germinate in a month to six weeks.
• Plant seedlings outdoors in the early spring when they reach about a foot tall.

Overwintering

When the tree goes dormant in the winter, simply mulch the plant to protect the roots.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Quince trees are attractive to the codling moth. These bugs can result in wormy fruits. Codling moths are frequently found on fruit trees, including apple trees. You may need to trap them and follow up with pesticide spray if the numbers are large.

Fire blight is a devastating bacterial disease that affects apple, pear, quince, and other fruiting trees and shrubs.

The sign that typically appears first is a watery, light tan bacterial ooze that exudes from cankers on the plant. This ooze will turn black and will leave marks on the tree as it runs down the trunk. Fresh blooms on trees are the most prevalent infection sites and remain so as the petals fall. Flowers that have been diseased will wilt and become discolored.

Fire blight can spread into limbs, trunks, or root systems and can kill vulnerable host trees. When the pathogen spreads from blossoms into the wood, the newly infected wood underneath the bark has pink to orange-red streaks.

Copper solution sprays are the only materials available on the market to consumers for fire blight control. If fire blight is suspected, hiring a licensed arborist with a pesticide applicator license may be your only recourse.