Fruit Tree Quince Pruning
If you have a quince tree growing in your backyard, you know how attractive these fruit trees can be. They grow to around 15 feet (5 m.) tall, offering bowl-shaped pink flowers and fuzzy leaves. Not to mention the large, edible fruit. These stunning trees can live to 50 years or more, so it’s well worth taking good care of them. Fruit tree quince pruning is part of that care.
When to Prune Quince
Pruning quince trees is a garden task you should tackle in late fall or winter when the quince is dormant. Don’t procrastinate until spring or you may eliminate your crop for the year. That is because quince tree fruits on new growth, not old growth. The new shoots that appear in spring carry the buds that will first flower, then later develop into fruit. If you start cutting back quince fruit trees after new spring growth appears, you are also removing that year’s fruit.
How to Prune a Quince
When you tackle fruit tree quince pruning, be prepared to spend a little time at it. First, inspect the tree for dead, damaged, diseased, or crossing branches. You’ll want to trim them all out as part of the tree’s annual pruning. Fruit tree quince pruning also includes removing branches that grow inward. Branches growing into the center of the tree prevent air and light from circulating. Also consider cutting back quince fruit trees to remove any branches that form very narrow or very wide angles with the trunk. If you are wondering how to prune a quince’s branches, remove them just above the point where they emerge. Leave the growth collar attached to the supporting branch. Some gardeners also top the quince when they plant it. This keeps the fruiting branches within easy reach. It isn’t required for tree structure, however.
