Growing Japanese Quince

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Chaenomeles japonica - use in garden landscaping

Among the variety of plants now growing in the garden of the St. Petersburg Brahma Kumaris Center, from fir trees to garden greenery, of particular interest is the Japanese quince growing along the eastern facade of the Center building.

In 2000, 200 seedlings were brought to us from the Pulkovo nursery of the "Flowers" association. At first, no one was sure that such a heat-loving plant would take root here. On Poklonnaya Gora (this is the highest point in the city), the wind rose is very pronounced, and the air temperature is lower than the city. Since we have a multi-level garden, when purchasing a quince, we had the goal of using it as a hedge, separating one landscape section of the garden from another - the central part from the actual garden part.

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Of course, in order to better learn a new plant for us, we had to turn to special literature, studied everything that we could find. So we learned that Japanese quince (chaenomeles) naturally grows in Japan and China. There are four types of it, two of which - Japanese quince low and Japanese quince high - have become widespread in our country.

It is a flowering thorny shrub up to 1.5-2 m high. Flowers, fruits, leaves have decorative properties. The peak of decorativeness occurs in May, when this plant blooms. The flowers are large, up to 5 cm in diameter, orange with large yellow anthers (there are varieties with flowers of pink, lilac and cyclamen color), located on short legs along the shoots, appear from 3-4 years old. Leaves 3-5 cm long, serrated, dark green, shiny, smooth, leathery. In autumn, the color of the leaves turns yellow. Fruits - apples, ripen by October, they are harvested before the onset of frost. They are yellow-green, orange-yellow, spherical or ovoid, up to 7 cm in length, fragrant, edible.

This valuable ornamental and fruit shrub is propagated by seeds, summer cuttings, which take root by 80%. The seedlings grow pretty quickly. In the first year, their height reaches 25-30 cm, in the second year - 30-40 cm, after which they begin to bush.

Japanese quince is used in single, group and border plantings.

The soil for this plant is acidic, slightly acidic, loam is suitable in terms of its mechanical composition. Another important requirement is the minimum level of groundwater occurrence - 1 m. Quince is winter-hardy, but in severe winters in the Non-Chernozem zone, flower buds, and sometimes branches of Japanese quince, freeze to the level of snow cover. In subsequent years, the bushes quickly recover. With age, the winter hardiness of quince increases. This culture is also a good honey plant.

In autumn or early spring, it is planted along the paths at a distance of about 1 m from each other. Places protected from cold winds are preferred. When caring for quince, the soil is loosened, fertilized, watered, weeds are removed, bushes are formed and cut. The main harvest of quince is located on three-year branches, so we must strive to ensure their best development.

Having studied the theory, we proceeded to landing. In front of her, the bushes were cut by a third, and they took root perfectly. The seedlings turned out to be of very high quality, at the right time the quince bloomed with wonderful orange flowers, gave the first fruits, and since then, from spring to late autumn, it is a real decoration of the garden. Due to the fact that at this time the construction of the Center building was underway, all the land in the garden was imported, and there was no guarantee of the stability of the soil layer, but the plants started well in the first year.

Since the bushes are low, and we have it growing on a limestone wall, the plantings look very beautiful. Soon the quince grew very well, and a year later it had to be planted. Then she was dropped off from the eastern side of the Center building and along the fence.

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Now, every year in the fall, we admire how first green and then yellow large fragrant fruits appear from the ovaries. They seem to stick around the branch, like sea buckthorn berries or felt fruits. And then, of course, we harvest. Each member of the Brahma Kumaris St. Petersburg Center can make whatever they wish from these wonderful fruits.

From Japanese quince, you can make jam according to the usual recipes; you can make preparations: grate it or pass it through a meat grinder and either mix with granulated sugar - for tea, or with salt - for dressing borscht; can be cut into slices, mixed with sugar and stored like that.

Once in the fall, when Irina Khakamada was our guest, she was shown bushes covered with large, then green fruits. She was simply amazed at what she saw. All readers of "Flora Price" magazine can see this wonderful plant and many others in our beloved garden, especially since the quince will soon bloom.

Reference: The regional cultural and educational public organization "St. Petersburg Center Brahma Kumaris" is working to transform moral culture into the basis of life for the sake of reviving universal human values and harmonious relationships between people.