Quince?

[Jayb]

I'd like to plant a quince tree, but I've never grown one so looking for some advice really and are they a good choice of fruit tree? I remember eating gorgeous quince jelly when I was little, though I've not had it since. Do I get a tree or a dwarf type? It's a fairly windy spot here often quite wet, will this be ok?  Any recommendations for variety?

[Jayb]

[grawrc]

I haven't a clue about quince trees, hover I have an ornamental chaenomeles japonica which regularly produces bucket loads of fruit. I make membrillo and quince jelly - totally delectable served with cheese. I don't know how many people you are catering for - for me, my son and visitors this one bush produces enough for a year.

[pumkinlover]

Mine is Vrajina, but it does seem to need a good summer.
Irregular or too wet and the fruit splits and then can go off quickly. Also I did not prune it last year -oops- so not had as good a crop.
I'm not sure how well it would do in your area, I've just looked at Welsh fruit stockists tand they do not supply Quince so maybe not so good ?
I've planted a chaenomeles to mix with it as some recipes suggest this.

[winecap]

I don't want to highjack the thread, but I was wondering how the fruit of the low growing quince shrub compares with the fruit from the trees. Do they taste the same? I have used fruit from the tree, but don't have room for another tree myself, but could probably squeeze in an extra shrub. Is it a good option?

[Jayb]

Hmm, looks like a quince tree may not be such a good idea then.  I think looking at the pictures on the net it was a chaenomeles japonica with red flowers and grown under a window, that I remember. Although I don't remember it being very thorny. How savage and unruly are they?

[pumkinlover]

Mine is small yet but I haven't seen any savage or unruly characteristics!
I remember one from home when I was a kid and it seemed tame enough, and I wasn't aware of this side of it's nature.
Not had fruit yet either.

[goodlife]

Hmm, looks like a quince tree may not be such a good idea then.  I think looking at the pictures on the net it was a chaenomeles japonica with red flowers and grown under a window, that I remember. Although I don't remember it being very thorny. How savage and unruly are they?

Chaenomeles is not that bad..they are easier grown as bush rather than trained..bit prickly but nothing like gooseberries.
Only 'trouble' with chaenomeles is that each individual variety's fruit vary a lot..regarding the quantity and quality of the fruit. I think it was in Estonia (or somewhere over that direction) where they have made some breeding attempts to 'produce' Chaenomeles variety with best possible yield and fleshiest fruit in mind rather than their ornamental flowers in mind.
I've got one particular variety in my lotty growing that I rescued couple years ago from being thrown away..it was planted into border for its flowers...but it produce 'cracking' fruit..reasonably large and fleshy and in good quantity.
I'll have a look (if you want one) if it has put some new growth on that could be separated with some roots on..

[pumkinlover]

thanks Goodlife, that would be lovely- the one I bought has really nice flowers.
I'll check it out when I go to the plot and check the name for if it is listed for good fruit as well, but another would be great (if one available).
If you want a nice red flowered one I can do the same.

[Jayb]

Ooops missed that one, I guess you don't have a name for your rescued one? I've been looking at a few I'll see if I can find out about 'Estonia' ones. Leaving it grow as a bush would suit me better than trying to train, fit in much better with the over-grown look!

[goodlife]

Ooops missed that one, I guess you don't have a name for your rescued one? I've been looking at a few I'll see if I can find out about 'Estonia' ones. Leaving it grow as a bush would suit me better than trying to train, fit in much better with the over-grown look!

Nope..no name..it is orange flowered one and though I have another orange one, but bought from garden centre, its fruit is not nearly as nice/good as the rescue one.
I had a look at the shrub yesterday...and I think I might be able to split it and get side shoot or two for you and Pumpkinlover to grow..

[pumkinlover]

Winecap -sorry not able to answer your question as not had fruit yet off the shrub, but remember seeing it as a kid and people using it then.
I think I read somewhere that it is a good addition to the true quince- hence me getting one.

[goodlife]

I don't want to highjack the thread, but I was wondering how the fruit of the low growing quince shrub compares with the fruit from the trees. Do they taste the same? I have used fruit from the tree, but don't have room for another tree myself, but could probably squeeze in an extra shrub. Is it a good option?

I don't have any experience of 'true' quince so cannot compare..but the fruit from Chaenomeles that I've picked have been nice..they've been bright yellow 'satsuma'-size fruit and when fully ripe they have slightly apricot-like fragrance and cook into apple sauce kind of puree but with very distinctive citrus-like flavour going on same time. I found the puree best mixed with apple sauce..but that's my taste buds.
I once made apple and chaenomeles pie..using apple/chaenomeles sauce with apple pieces as 'lucky lumps' for the bite and it was to die for....one of the best 'apple pies' I've ever had and it made you really think hard what is that 'extra' flavour with apple.

[Digeroo]

I have a beautiful chaenomeles japonica with stunning large salmon pick flowers.  I begged a cutting from a neighbour who was hoving it into a skip and told me not to bother as it was very flower shy.  It has flowered and fruited its socks off.   Mine seems to like sunshine and brutal pruning.  Fruit very hard but OH say it gives great taste added to an apple crumble.

[Palustris]

We have a fair number of Chaenomeles of different hues and apart from a white flowered one, they all produce good sized usable fruit. I think the white one does not fruit as it gets all the leaves blasted off after flowering by a savage wind which we often get in April. The others are more sheltered. You may well be advised to grow more than one bush as they definitely do better when cross pollinated.
Our Queeche's Prolific tree has never produced a fruit and is always badly affected by Black spot despite spraying with fungicide.

[Jayb]

Is that black spot as in the one roses get?

[Palustris]

Yes, as they are in the Rosaceae, they get the same sorts of diseases. Rarely see it on the Chaenomeles bushes or fruit though.

[Jayb]

Air's clean here so black spot has always been quite a problem.
More ticks for a Chaenomeles!

[John85]

Goodlife,
Is it possible to have more details about Estonian attempts to improve chaenomeles for fruit production.Do you remember where you found that information?

[Palustris]

This makes interesting reading.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-385.html

[goodlife]

Goodlife,
Is it possible to have more details about Estonian attempts to improve chaenomeles for fruit production.Do you remember where you found that information?

Oh..that was couple of year ago that read about it ..I'll see if I can dig it out..it was some kind of research report for the species.