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New House, new garden - Can I move a cramped, out of control Quince tree/shrub?

becky.a.rawlinsonbecky.a.rawlinson Posts: 12
in Plants
Hello!

I've recently moved home and have inherited a garden that has a great number of lovely mature plants, which is fantastic, but they aren't half on top of one another! 

I'm a newbie at all of this but have started planning my garden, and want to avoid losing anything that I possibly can whilst still being realistic. This Quince tree (I think?!) is penned in right behind the gate that separates my front and back gardens, but seems to crawl round against the fence and behind an evergreen shrub. Is this the kind of thing I could dig up and move? Could it suit container growing - would it need heavy pruning to facilitate this?

I'd love a hand identifying everything as well if there was anyone out there that could help - is this possible without as many leaves to go off of? 

Thanks in advance! 

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    edited November 2018
    Hello Becky , welcome to the forum :)  With regards to moving your quince, l always think that if something is in the wrong place, you've got nothing to lose by trying to move it. If you do, my advice would be to make sure you have the new position all ready for it to go in to. Better to over than under estimate how big a hole it would need ! As long as the ground isn't frozen you should be okay to move it, but you may want to trim it back a bit first. I confess l don't know much about quinces, but there will be others on here who do. In the meatime, this may be of some help
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=298
  • becky.a.rawlinsonbecky.a.rawlinson Posts: 12
    Thank you Anni!

    I think I will throw caution to the wind and move it, there are a few branches that have grown under the earth so fingers crossed at a push I can plant these on. I will have to quite heavily prune it, in order to allow for the move. I appreciate that you're not so savvy on Quinces, but otherwise would you think you could convert a typical large shrub/tree to a container or would this just be asking for trouble? Going to struggle to find it a decent place to live otherwise! 
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I will be honest, l would rather see something like that in the ground, rather than a container.  If you do pot it up, you will have to keep it fed and watered, and l always think a large shrub like that wouldn't be very happy. It may be better to get rid of it altogether if you think you don't have the space for it and grow something you really want. I appreciate your wanting to keep it, but it may have had it's day.  :)
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    They shouldn’t take up a lot of space. The way it’s growing there may have been an attempt to wall train the shrub. A very popular way to grow them, and far better to show off the early blossoms.

    You can prune off stray growth and pin/tie younger supple branches to a wire fixed to your walls. Over time, the branches age and stay in that position. I agree with AnniD, not a shrub that will do well in pots.
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