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Quince Dilemma
Duncan Blackwell
Posts: 87
I have ordered 2 quince
1 is a 7ft tall Vranja variety and the other is a 4ft tall Chaenomeles Fire Dance
Now my initial plan was to put the 7ft by the front corner of my shed, my shed is 5ft higher than my patio and the soil is retained with gravel boards. When I first looked online for info on quince, I didn't find anything that said the tree was going to grow to a behemoth size. So I can't plant it by my shed
The 4ft was going in a half whisky barrel by the kitchen door, but now I'm thinking that it should go in the ground where the 7ft was originally destined to go. So how easy would it be to keep the Fire Dance to a neat bush? Can I risk planting it by the gravel boards without risk of the roots destroying them? There is a 4ft retaining wall where my garden is located, could I plant the Vranja close to this wall, or again would the roots laugh in my face and bring it crashing down? And why aren't I getting any emails when I get a reply 
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Posts
Chaenomeles may be pruned to keep it within bounds. We have a lovely one which is tied in to a trellis and thought it is 6 feet tall, it is no more than 2 inches wide at any point. Don't get much fruit on it, but it does flower well.
Vranja is prone to suckering as well, by the way. BUT I cannot see any reason for it to damage your wall as the roots are fairly shallow and not that spreading. There are no roots coming from our Queeches Prolific Quince tree under the lawn near to it.
Berghill, Thanks.
I may put the Chaenomeles by the kitchen window after all then
I agree with Berghill - chaenomeles can be trained to a wall https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=8OF20YcRZSNlAM&tbnid=g0A54E-JI6jXgM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gettyimages.com%2Fdetail%2Fphoto%2Fchaenomeles-x-superba-trained-up-wall-high-res-stock-photography%2F128125001&ei=C4sQU6vGDsiQhQfY9YCYDA&bvm=bv.61965928,d.ZG4&psig=AFQjCNHSopXrySCAhwepKg106v6Le5l4Iw&ust=1393679494573319
As for Vranja, you can grow it as a free-standing specimen standard tree, or train it against the wall as an espalier http://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/articles/fruit-tree-fans-and-espaliers .
As for notifications, I hadn't had any for ages then a week ago I started getting them, but all in one lump every afternoon. Hey ho!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Dove, top bloke
Don't like the look of the picture though, looks a bit tatty.
If I grow the Vranja as a specimen tree, will that help stunt its growth? I actually don't mind it sitting behind the wall.
If it's not raining Sunday, I'll take some pics of the garden layout and you'll see why I'm not too sure about anything
We have what I think is Serbian Gold in our garden, growing as a bush interspersed by an early-flowering clematis. It doesn't fruit much, but looks lovely.
I think it's probably been there a while - but I've seen some very smartly espaliered chaenomeles - just can't find any pictures of them
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
If you grow something as a specimen tree it does the opposite of stunt its growth.
It allows it to grow to it's full potential, usually so that you can see it at it's best from every angle.
Duncan!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.