Pruning japanese quince (chaenemoles)

Posts

• luis_pr Posts: 123

  April 2021 edited April 2021

  Hello, karajanebates. You can prune after blooming is over since the bushes bloom on old wood. Pruning should be fairly light, but when done immediately after blooming, yes, it will stimulate new growth that makes for more profuse blooming on the following spring. But I also observe that my red-orange quinces begin to bloom early in winter, when the plant has few/none leaves and the blooms are more "obvious". Once leaf out progresses, they are -as you mentioned- harder to see. I have rarely pruned mine but I recall that pruning triggered fruit production. Luis
  

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• Robert West Posts: 241

  April 2021

  I don't really know the answer to your specific question, but just wanted to say that if it's well established, you really don't seem to be able to prune them too hard.
  
  I inherited one that was decades old when I moved into my house. Was massively overgrown for where it was, by a path. I was having to cut it back 2-3 times a year so people could get past it! It was about ten ft tall at one point.
  
  In the end, I cut it back to about six 4ft tall stems, cutting everything else back to the ground (barely a leaf left on it). A year and a half later it looks lovely. And can now be kept in check once a year. 
  
  Just wanted to reassure you that you can be drastic if you ever need to.  

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• karajanebates Posts: 24

  April 2021

  Thankyou Both! I have hard pruned down to about 3 foot before but I didn’t take other stems completely down to ground. It is well established and just goes mad. I see others around here full of flower without the extra growth but they seem smaller/younger. I’ll cut it back next month to the flowers and see what it looks like next spring. Then it may be time for the drastic thin out a lot of stems to ground level. Thanks again!😍😍
  

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