Quince is a southern, almost exotic tree, which skilled gardeners have learned to grow even in the conditions of central Russia. The success of such an undertaking largely depends on how the seedling was planted and how it was cared for in the first year of life.
We'll talk about how to plant quince in the fall in the article. We will also show you some tricks for caring for the tree and give information on the optimal planting time.
Why is a transplant needed?
The main purpose of growing quince is to obtain a harvest. With good care, it can bear fruit for 30-50 years, during which 40-100 kg of fruit will be harvested from one plant annually. This indicator depends on the quality of the soil - if you plant a quince on light sandy loam soils, it will begin to produce a harvest earlier, but it will be small and the tree will quickly die. On fertile loams, quince grows quickly and begins to bear fruit a little later - at 3-4 years of life, and by 8-10 years the yield will reach its maximum.
The main reason for replanting a tree is low yield. Most often this happens due to soil development or insufficient illumination of the area. Therefore, you need to carefully choose a new place for it.
Interesting varieties
- "RedJoy" Red Joy is a thorny deciduous shrub that grows up to 50 cm. The leaves are small and shiny. The flowers are large, 3 cm in diameter, red, fragrant, appear in March-April, before the leaves develop. Red Joy fruits are edible, yellow, aromatic. Chaenomeles loves sunny or slightly shaded places and moist soil. Suitable as an original decoration for small gardens, for planting in public places, and for constructing low hedges.
- “Sargenta” Sargentii - the variety has a wide crown, reaching 1.5 m in width and 0.8 m in height. Before small leaves appear, bright orange flowers will bloom on the thorny bush in March-April. It bears fruit in the fall; large greenish-yellow fruits with a red blush are used in jelly, for making tinctures and wine.
- "Sido" Cido - the shrub produces bright yellow fruits containing vitamin C and pectin. Fruits are used to make wine, delicious liqueurs, and jellies. The "Sido" variety grows up to 1 m in height and 2 m in width. Growing requirements: a warm, sunny position with a moderately moist substrate. Care consists of trimming lush side shoots.
- «Calif" - a variety bred in the Donbass. Can reach a height of 2 meters, non-thorny. The flowers are white with pink spots. Fruits weigh about 100 g. Resistant to frost, drought, and pest damage.
Benefits of spring transplantation
Spring transplantation of quince increases the chances of successful engraftment by reducing the risk of frostbite of the root system. It is not without reason that gardeners chose this time of year for the following work:
- the first harvest can be harvested 1 year earlier than when transplanting in the fall;
- During the winter, you can build a plan for managing the garden plot in such a way that things do not stagnate, for example, mark out the plantings, think about the proximity of crops and the quality of the soil.
- despite the fact that the replanting will take place in the spring, preparation for work begins in the fall - you need to dig a hole in advance and fertilize the soil - this approach will help free up time in the midst of spring troubles.
When quince is transplanted in spring, the survival rate of seedlings is better visible - you don’t have to waste a year monitoring the plants.
Growing
The first flowers of this frost-resistant and unpretentious plant appear in May - June. Chaenomeles fruits are small in size, very sour and aromatic; they ripen in August–September. The photo shows blooming chaenomeles.
This low-growing shrub is planted in a sunny place, protected from the wind. Chaenomeles easily tolerates drought, but does not tolerate waterlogging. Japanese quince grows well in slightly acidic soil. If the soil is heavy and clayey, it is better to plant decorative quince on a hill.
There is no need to insulate the plant for the winter, but it is better to bend the branches to the ground. If there is not enough snow, the branches may freeze and will take a long time to recover.
The plant can be planted in the spring, before the buds wake up, and in the fall, a month before frost. The seedlings are placed at a distance of 1 m, the root collar is not buried. If you plan to form a hedge of decorative quince, leave 50 cm between plants.
Feed the plant during the flowering period. You can use complex mineral and organic fertilizers, bird droppings and manure.
Prune the plant after harvesting the fruits before the first frost. In the spring, cut out all branches damaged by frost.
Japanese quince has strong immunity. She practically does not get sick, pests are not attracted to her dense leathery leaves.
Common quince bears tasty and healthy fruits. It is often used as a rootstock for pears. Chaenomeles is an ornamental shrub, it blooms early, its beautiful flowers decorate the garden in early spring. You can make an original wine from the aromatic fruits of Japanese quince.
Quince grows in almost every garden plot. In order to get tasty and healthy fruits from quince every year, you need to know how to properly plant quince in the fall and what kind of care it requires.
Selection of material for transplantation
Success in replanting plants depends on the quality of planting material and site preparation. Gardeners prefer to replant 2-year-old quince seedlings - at this age it has an optimal root system: developed enough to take root in a new place and at the same time not too large - damage during digging and carrying will be minimal.
When replanting seedlings, pay attention to the condition of the shoots - there should be new living buds on the branches. The trunk is intact, without damage, growths or cracks.
Pruning during transplantation
The formation of a quince crown is an important stage in the life of the plant. The abundance of future fruiting depends on this - in the first years of life, the crown of the seedlings is cut in the form of a bowl, with the crown as open as possible. This is necessary for sunlight to reach all branches of the plant.
Like replanting, it is better to do it in the spring, before sap flow begins: this way, the cuts will have more time to dry and heal: pathogenic organisms or fungi can get into an open wound, which will destroy the newly transplanted plant.
When transplanting a young seedling (1-2 years old), the first level of branches is formed by pruning - it is the most important. To do this, cut them at a distance of 7-8 buds from the trunk (distance from the soil surface) so that 4-5 branches remain on the trunk. Then they begin to form 2 tiers - they cut off the branches located at a distance of 30-40 cm. If necessary, dry and painful shoots inside the crown are also removed.
With proper crown formation, a 5-year-old quince has:
- the distance from the soil surface to the first branch is 50-60 cm;
- 8-10 evenly spaced lateral branches;
- the angle between the trunk and the main branch is at least 45°.
In an adult plant, the root shoots must be removed.
How to properly prepare a place
With the right approach, the place for the quince is prepared in the summer, and in the fall they begin directly planting the seedling. The crop thrives on any type of soil, but on sandy and sandy loam the fruits will be smaller in size, the pulp will remain hard, and the harvested crop will be used for jam or compotes.
On the contrary, on oily, clayey soils, quince produces larger fruits that are ready to eat without heat treatment. In addition, on nutrient-rich soils, quince begins to bear fruit in the third year, and maximum yield is achieved by the eighth year of life.
Sandy soils can be improved by adding:
- clay - no more than half a bucket per square meter;
- humus or compost - a bucket per square meter;
- peat - 5 kg per square meter.
You need to be careful with peat - if applied excessively, it acidifies the soil, which becomes unsuitable for growing quince. You can add stove ash (1-1.5 cups) to the peat to neutralize the acidic component.
After adding the components, the soil is plowed (there is no use digging here), then watered and left alone for a month. During this time, the nutritional compounds contained in humus or compost will disintegrate into elements accessible to the seedling. If the area is not flooded with water, rooting will take longer and the quince may not have time to prepare for winter. The land for Japanese quince is prepared according to similar principles.
It is not difficult to understand when to plant quince - as soon as the leaves begin to fall, you can get to work. The main thing is that there should be at least three weeks before frost.
Preparing the site and soil
When replanting a quince in the spring, a new place for it is prepared in advance - in summer or autumn. First of all, pay attention to the acidity of the soil - the tree does not like alkaline soils. They may need to be acidified. To do this, before winter, peat, leaf compost or pine needles are added to the substrate. Mineral fertilizers include colloidal sulfur, ferrous sulfate or ammonium sulfate. To lightly acidify the soil in the spring, use ammonium nitrate.
If you need a quick result, then the area is spilled with a solution of citric or sulfuric acid. You need to be careful with vinegar - it negatively affects soil microflora.
The abundance of fruiting depends on the illumination of the quince - the more light reaches all its branches, the higher the yield. Therefore, it should not be planted near blind high fences, in the shade of trees or a house. An open area on the south side of the garden is ideal.
Methods for transplanting quince
Transplanting to a new place is a serious test for a plant: as it grows, the root system expands, and every year it becomes more and more difficult to uproot it without damage.
Transplanting seedlings
If the quince was purchased in a container, it can be planted in late spring. When transplanting a plant with an open root system, the seedling is rooted in a new location until the buds swell. If its roots are exposed, immediately after purchase.
Planting a seedling with bare root looks like this:
- in the chosen place, dig a hole 2 times wider than the earthen ball at its height or slightly higher;
- loosen the bottom, shake out the remaining soil to remove weeds;
- add a small layer (3-4 cm) of a mixture of fertile soil and fertilizer into the recess, place a peg for a garter in the center;
- lower the seedling into the hole, lay the roots, tie its trunk to a peg;
- cover with prepared soil so that the earthen ball of the seedling rises 5 cm above the surface or is level with it;
- Water the planting generously with settled water and mulch with peat.
The next feeding of the seedling is carried out no earlier than 2 years after transplantation.
Replanting a young tree
You need to dig up and move the young quince to a new place carefully so as not to accidentally damage the main root and shoots.
The procedure will be as follows:
- carefully collect the branches and tie them with rope;
- clear the soil around the rhizome of mulch and weeds;
- Fill the hole with plenty of water until the earthen ball softens;
- mark and dig a circle around the tree with a diameter of 50-60 cm;
- When immersing the shovel in the contour of the circle, lightly rock the quince trunk until the plant is free;
- carefully remove the tree from the hole, holding it by the trunk at the very rhizome;
- transfer to the prepared bag, keeping the earthen lump;
- pour a small layer of fertile soil into a hole prepared in advance (the depth and width are equal to the height and diameter of the earthen ball, respectively);
- lower the tree into the hole so that its earthen lump is flush with the surface of the soil;
- if required, add a mixture of soil and fertilizers, compact it, pour plenty of warm water;
- release the rope holding the shoots.
Transplanting a mature tree
With age, the survival rate of quince decreases - a 15-year-old adult plant will most likely die during transplantation. Therefore, it would be more advisable to root a cutting from an old tree in a new place.
When to plant quince in spring: optimal timing
In order for planting to be as successful as possible (i.e., the seedling takes root faster and adapts without unnecessary stress), it is necessary to observe the optimal timing of the spring procedure. When is it better to plant fruit crops in open ground? This should be done before the buds swell , and also after the outside temperature begins to remain stably above +4-5°C.
It is impossible to name an exact universal time for completing the procedure for each region. After all, weather and climate conditions vary greatly. For example, in the middle zone (Moscow region) planting is optimal in mid-April, but in Siberia and the Urals it is better to do this at the end of April, while in the southern regions this can be done much earlier: at the end of March.
By the way! When choosing planting dates, you can use the 2022 Lunar calendar:
- Favorable days: in March: 4-6, 11, 12, 20, 26-28;
- in April: 5-7, 19-24;
- in May: 5-13, 17-23.
- Unfavorable days: in March: 1-3, 16, 30;
- in April: 15-17, 29, 30;
- in May: 14-16, 28-30.
Care after transplant
After replanting, caring for the plant remains standard - during drought it needs abundant watering and loosening of the top layer of soil. The frequency of watering depends on the climate: in arid regions - once every 3 weeks, in temperate latitudes - once a month. Water consumption per plant is 15-20 liters. To prevent burns on the foliage, watering is carried out under the roots in the evening. For the winter, the plantings are mulched with pine needles or fallen leaves.
To strengthen the plant's immunity to pests and diseases, quince is periodically fed. It is worth considering that if fertilizer was applied to the pit during transplantation, then the next feeding should be no earlier than 2 years later. It is carried out in early spring by adding organic fertilizers, such as bird droppings, to the soil. Among organic fertilizers, ammonium nitrate in granules is used. If necessary, phosphate-potassium fertilizer is applied to the soil in the autumn.
