Pear quince ∗ The 10 best planting and care tips

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Cydonia
• Family: Rose family (Rosaceae)
• Tribus: pome fruit family (Pyrinae)
• Occurrence: Europe, Asia
• Growth type: Large shrub or small tree
• Growth height: 3 m to 5 m
• Leaf: ovate
• flower: fivefold, terminal
• Fruit: gathering follicle fruit
• Root system: deep rooter
• Hardiness: hardy
• Usage: boiled, stewed, baked

growth

the pear quince is a type of the genus Cydonia, which is assigned to the subtribe pome fruit (Pyrinae). The only plant species of this genus is the wild quince (Cydonia oblonga). From a botanical point of view, it is not a cross with real pears (Pyrus). This connection is reflected, among other things, in the fact that the furry fruits of a pear quince are not suitable for raw consumption. A quince tree makes up for the culinary shortcoming with these characteristic attributes:

• growth type: Deciduous shrub or small tree with pink-white flowers and aromatic, pear-shaped fruits for processing into juice, jellies, jams and compotes.
• growth habit: tree-like, broadly upright shrub or small tree with short stems.
• growth height: 300cm to 500cm.
• growth width: 200cm to 400cm.
• bark: initially felty hairy, later smooth, brown-red.
• root: deep rooter
• Horticulturally interesting properties: easy to care for, high yield, hardy, bee friendly, high ornamental value, second variety not obligatory as pollinator, long harvest time, compact fruit tree for the small garden.

blossom

Hobby gardeners gain important insights for high-yield cultivation from information about the blossoms on the quince tree. Flower ecology determines whether or not an additional pollinator is required. Flowering time and position are decisive for expert pruning care. You can read key data about the pear quince blossom in this overview:

• flower shape: stalked, simple, bell-shaped, fivefold with double perianth (5 hairy sepals, 5 ovate petals, 20 short stamens, 5 free styles).
• flower color: white or pink.
• flower size: 4 cm to 5 cm in diameter.
• flower ecology: hermaphroditic
• position: terminal on annual shoots.
• heyday: May and June

With its blossoms, the pear quince attracts smaller visitors bumblebees and others wild bees. As a reward, the pollinators can expect a rich buffet of nectar at the lower end of the petals.

fruit

Four to eight years after planting, a pear quince bears the first fruits with these characteristics:

• fruit type: pome fruit
• fruit shape: pear-shaped on the 5 mm long, hairy pedicel.
• fruit color: golden yellow when ripe.
• special feature: seductively fragrant fruit, hard flesh with many pips and stone cells under a furry skin.

Against the background of these fruit properties, it becomes clear: the pear quince is not a fruit to bite into. That is no reason to do without the fruity-tart fruit enjoyment. Quince lovers make a virtue of necessity and process the fruit into compote, jam, chutney, jelly or quince bread. How to master the preparation, see the following video:

The best tips for processing pear quince and apple quince

Pear Quince Varieties

The best pear quince varieties are chance seedlings of the wild quince (Cydonia oblonga) from Eastern Europe or were discovered in regions of Germany with mild winters. In tree nurseries, the floral lucky hits are increased through refinement so that the unique fruit qualities remain unchanged. The following table presents five favorites of German hobby gardeners in more detail:

Although the wild quince thrives with hermaphrodite flowers, a few pear quince cultivars are not self-fertile. In general, the harvest yield is significantly higher if you place a pollinator next to each quince tree. The planting of pear quince and apple quince in a double pack is recommended for the hobby garden.

Plant pear quince

You should buy ready-to-plant pear quinces for grafting from your trusted tree nursery. Because quince roots are extremely sensitive to frost, the tree nursery master grafts the noble variety onto a robust base. Best planting time is in autumn. Here you can find out where and how to plant a pear quince correctly:

Location

These are the optimal conditions for a pear quince in the garden:

• A sunny to half-shady location, ideally with a south-west orientation.
• normal garden floor, preferably nutritious, fresh to slightly moist and well-drained.
• Neutral to slightly acidic pH (high soil lime content triggers leaf chlorosis).

An important criterion for the choice of location is the crop rotation. If a stone fruit tree previously resided in the intended place, there are no concerns about imminent soil fatigue. If the predecessor was a pome fruit tree, replace the bedding soil over a large area or plant the quince tree in a different place.

planting tips

With the right planting technique, the focus is on the grafting point on the quince tree. Windthrow protection is a good idea. Old varieties and some rootstocks tend to form annoying offshoots. Root material requires root and plant pruning. Read these tips and tricks to find out what really matters when planting a pear quince:

• preparation: Soak bare-root and potted goods in water for a few hours.
• excavation work: Dig the planting pit, thoroughly loosen the base, including the pit if necessary rhizome lock lining, excavation with compost soil Mix.
• root cutting: cut the main roots of the bare-root quince tree and remove damaged parts.
• planting depth: the grafting point is 10 cm (a hand's breadth) above the soil surface.
• support pole: Drive in wooden posts 10 cm to 15 cm next to the trunk, connect with hose ties.
• plant cutting: Cut back the central shoot by a third, 4 to 5 strong side branches as future main branches treetop Leave and shorten as well, remove all other side shoots.

Finally, tread firmly on the ground and water the freshly planted quince tree generously.

digression

Pear Quince Apple Quince Difference

Maintain pear quince

With care on the back burner, the pear quince makes itself popular in the home garden. The water and nutrient supply are just as easy to manage as pruning, harvesting and wintering. Read the best care tips here:

• Pour: in case of drought water with stagnant tap water or collected rainwater.
• mulching: tree disc regularly mulch with compost, leaves or dried grass clippings.
• Fertilize: in March fertilize with 3 liters of compost and 100 grams horn shavings.(€9.00 at Amazon*)
• To cut: Quince tree every 3 years in February to cut, Thin out dead wood, worn away, exhausted fruit wood derive from a promising side shoot.
• To harvest: harvest fruits with golden-yellow skin from the end of September/beginning of October.

In the first few years, a light winter protection is recommended. Cover the root slice with a layer of fall leaves and spruce sticks. Older quince trees are completely hardy.

Popular Varieties

In addition to the top 5 popular pear quinces, these historic varieties are vying for the home gardener’s favor:

• champion: robust variety, also known as master quince, easy to care for, completely hardy, medium-firm, sweet-sour flesh.
• Franconian house quince: Quince tree with pear-shaped, furry fruits that give off a spicy scent.
• Pineapple quince from the Aisch: Franconian landrace, medium-sized fruits, special quince scent with a sweet note of pineapple.
• Bamberg Michelsberger pear quince: historic lover's variety comes from a 130-year-old mother tree from Michelsberg, bears cylindrical, pointed fruits.

FAQ

At which location in the garden can you plant a pear quince?

The pear quince wants a sunny, warm, ideally somewhat sheltered location. Icy east winds in winter freeze back the shoot tips. The demands on the soil are modest. normal garden floor should it be. Preferably loose humus, nutritious and slightly moist. Exclusion criteria are a high lime content and waterlogging.

Are invasive foothills to be feared on the quince tree?

A grafted pear quince usually does not drive any runners that undermine the garden. With old pear quince varieties that result from propagation by sowing come from, things look different. These quince trees can certainly sprout offshoots, possibly with an invasive character. Therefore, if you are planting an ungrafted quince seedling, we recommend using one rhizome lock.

Is the pear quince self-fertile?

In terms of pollination behavior, quince trees are divided into indeterminate, self-sterile and self-fertile varieties. The self-fertile varieties are in the majority. These include almost all well-known pear quince varieties, such as Bereczki, Vranja, Portuguese pear quince or Champion. The degree of fertilization in a single position is sufficient for use in the home garden. In general, the harvest yield can be significantly increased even with self-fertile fruit trees if you plant two quince trees.

My pear quince bore two fruits for the first time in autumn. Is a pruning now necessary?

The cutting care of a pear quince is usually limited to one thinning cut. When the treetop becomes so dense that the sun's rays can no longer penetrate, you should go to the pruning shears grasp. The best time is at the end of February when the weather is frost-free. On the other hand, if the harvest leaves something to be desired, you can boost profitability. Horizontal branches form the best fruiting wood. For this purpose, shoots that point steeply upwards are removed or tied in a horizontal position.

Is the pear quince hardy?

As a rule, all pear quince varieties in Germany are hardy. The degree of winter hardiness depends on various factors: A quince tree is fertilized for the last time in July so that the branches mature before the first frost. The wood is not exposed to direct east or north winds in winter. Furthermore, a very wet or dry soil can negatively affect winter hardiness.