Quinces First Flowers

Erik

I picked up this "potensai" late last summer. This is our first spring together, and I think she's fliting with me.

The first pic is from last week.

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quince1.jpg (65.1 KB, 134 views)

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Erik

And this shot is from two days ago.

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quince2.jpg (56.7 KB, 132 views)

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susieq

Eric, have you worked with quince before? I am just curious as I have had some for many years and could never get them to produce nice little branches...... They don't bud back with lots of ramification when trimmed......at least not for me. I love the plant. A long time ago (at our now defunct club ) a girl brought one in that was just gorgeous. It had great trunk and lots of little branches. I have never figured out how she did it. If you know the trick to these, please share.....
Sincerely, Susieq

FredL

From what I have read, there are at least three species of shrubs used for bonsai and they differ considerably in growth habit. Chinese Quince (I don't have the scientific name at hand) forms a trunk and it's branches ramify reasonably well. It is entirely suitable for upright styles. Japanese Quince does not form a trunk and is used pretty much exclusively in clump style. Flowering Quince, of which I have a few, is intermediate in habit and can be used for informal upright but is unlikely to form a trunk anywhere near that of Chinese Quince.

In response to this thread, as well as one awhile back by Attila soliciting times anyone has given bad advice, let me confess that I told someone awhile back that Flowering Quince is suitable only for clump style trees. Shame, shame on me! Turns out that some pretty decent informal uprights have been developed with it.

Anyway, I do love my Quinces dearly. Anybody that doesn't have at least one is missing a truly beautiful tree that is not terribly fussy nor difficult to maintain. Mine are real aphid magnets, but this is a small price to pay, I've found. Plus, they are real easy to divide. I started with three that I got at Walmart late in the year for $1.00 each 18 months ago and now I have 6 just from trees that broke off during repottings.

Fred

TreeBay

>there are at least three species of shrubs used for bonsai

There are two main Quince genera for bonsai, and as you mention, at least three species popular for bonsai with several varieties, so it does get confusing!

1) Chinese Quince (Fruiting Quince) is Pseudocydonia sinensis
2) Flowering Quince is Chaenomeles. Species within that group include C. speciosa and C. japonica (Japanese Flowering Quince)

Lots of varieties within those groups, though! The photo up top is Japanese Flowering Quince. Chinese Quince is the one with the big pear-size golden fruit you see in the fall and winter exhibition books.

Regards,

Matt

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