Identifying, selecting and pruning fruiting quince

Q: I have become interested in growing fruiting quince and have several plants. Do they fruit on current year’s growth or last years? I need to prune them a bit. They are delicious if properly prepared.

I have Le page and Angers varieties mainly as pollinators in addition to Aromatnaya, Cookes Jumbo, Orange and Van Deamon. Plan to plant some new varieties before spring. To cook them I cut them up in quarters and boil until tender ( takes a while). Then add sugar( use same weight sugar as the quince weighed).Simmer for a while until you create a thick syrup.The quince will turn from the white color of the raw fruit to a beautiful orange or pink color. Amazing that a fruit that is so unappealing raw can be so delicious when cooked. I like to eat them with ice cream or simply by themselves.

A: I commonly see two different kinds of quince. “Flowering” quince, Chaenomeles speciosa, is flowering now, with red, white or pink blooms. The blossoms come from buds originating on last year’s growth. These shrubs can be pruned after flowering is finished.

“Fruiting” quince is a small tree that blooms on new wood. For best results, prune in winter to stimulate new growth in early spring which will then produce large quince fruit from which you can make your quince preserves.

quince fruit

flowering quince