Quince -Chaenomeles
sp.
General Informaton: Chaenomeles are much
beloved for bonsai because of their tiny, lovely
flowers, and in spite of their prickly thorns. Most
varieties flower before leafing out, sometimes as early
as January, and may continue to flower for a long time
following. The fruit is yellow and large, too hard to be
edible, but making tolerable preserves. Taxonimists have
suffered much over Chaenomeles. To begin, the species
now known as C. japonica and C.speciosa were hopelessly
confused when introduced into England. They were
originally classified as pears, but then reclassified as
quinces, and then classified as pears again! Finally,
when the genus Pyrus got too large, they were given
their own genus. Then the Chinese quince, Chaenomeles
sinensis, was reclassified as Pseudocydonia sinensis -
false-quince. To make things worse, C.
japonica and C. speciosa hybridize at the drop of a hat
(called C. x superba), which has made it difficult to
know the true derivation of some cultivars (many are
simply identified as C. 'CultivarName'.) Lighting: Full
sun, although partial shade in midsummer is desirable
in very hot areas.
Temperature: Protect from frost.
Watering: Generous, but avoid misting as this
damages the flowers and may rot the fruit. Reduce
watering in winter, but never allow the soil to become
fully dry.
Feeding: Every two weeks from the end of
flowering until fall. Some varieties have spot blooms
throughout the season; these obviously still need to be
fed when growing actively. Use liquid bonsai fertilizer
or half-strength plant food. Proper feeding is essential
for good flowering. Calcium in the soil helps to form
fruit and flowers.
Pruning and wiring: Fruiting and flowering
can sap the plant's energy dramatically, so it is wise
to limit the amount by picking off developing fruit and
flower buds, especially in young bonsai. Flowering
quince likes to sucker from the roots. Suckers should be
removed if a thich trunk is desired; however, thick
trunks can be difficult to achieve, especially in some
popular C. japonica cultivars such as 'Chojubai.' These
plants are most often grown in clump style. Some species
may need to be cut back hard to encourage branch
formation. New shoots should be cut back to 1-2 leaves
after 5-7
leaves have formed, which may be as often as every two
weeks in a vigorous plant. Chaenomeles can be wired from
spring through the end of summer, leaving the wire on
for up to four months, and can be repeated yearly.
Propagation: From seeds, which need to be
cold-treated before sowing in spring, but will germinate
rapidly. Softwood cuttings may be taken in summer,or
hardwood cuttings in winter, but cuttings will root
slowly. Clumps may be propigated through division. Named
hybrids are often propigated through grafting.
Repotting: Chaenomeles is one of the few
species which prefers to be repotted in autumn, but can
also be transplanted in early spring, or even summer if
the top is properly cut back. The books recommend
repotting every 2-4 years, But Brent has found that (at
least in the California sun!) they may need yearly
repotting. Use rich but
well-drained soil. Roots can be cut back by about half
if necessary.
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