When and how to prune a young Quince tree

4 years ago

I got a Quince tree from a local nursery, and on closer inspection I realized that the tall branch (see second photo) comes actually from below the grafting (see first photo, the tall branch is the one on the right).

I'm not good with trees, so I don't know what is the best course of action right now.

I wrote to the nursery but I'm still waiting for their response.

I also asked on a FB group, but people mostly said that quince tree are not usually grafted...only that I can clearly see a clean cut, grafting tape and also the taller branch has different, smaller leaves.

If I decide to keep it what would be the order and timing of pruning this sprouting and planting the tree (I'm in Zone 9b, and last year we maybe had only 3-4 days of light frost)?

Also, please advise if you have any other suggestions for caring for it!!!

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Comments (5)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Since you say it’s a local nursery I’d just take it back to them. Your FB chums are wrong. Named quince cultivars are usually grafted, just like apples and pears.
unitysphere thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years ago
considering the size of the pot.. and the size of the tree .. i think i would worry about pruning it in 3 to 5 years ...

right now ... every leaf is an energy making machine.. to grow a root mass. .. to grow the tree ... and if you cut half of them off .... then its just going to take longer to grow the root mass ...

get it planted.... water it properly ... yikes on that soil ... i like this primer for planting:

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

do not amend the planting hole ...

do you know how to water a tree?? .... do you know if you soil drains??... dig a hole and perk it ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffsb&q=garden+perk+test&iax=videos&ia=videos

how the soil drains will dictate how to plant it properly.. and will also aid you in figuring out how to water it properly ....

tree time is counted in decades ... and getting it to live and grow a mature root mass is far more important than starting to prune it ...

do you have a cultivar name????? .. seems odd someone would go to all the trouble of grafting an un named plant ... what would the point be ...

ken

ps: i suspect it might show you which part is which.. if you give it a season or two to grow out ... something might be obviously different over time.. like leaf structure.. flower.. etc ....
unitysphere thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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unitysphere
Original Author
4 years ago
The nursery answered today and said to cut the long shoot before of after planting...

The cultivar name is Smyrna.
User
4 years ago
Yes,

Cut the long shoot off.

Otherwise it will grow with greater vigor than the graft will.
socalnolympia
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
It depends. Quince trees from a nursery are usually grafted, but it's not uncommon for quince trees not to be grafted too, since quince is usually a low growing tree and don't get too big on their own. (indeed quince is sometimes used as a rootstock for certain pear varieties)

If you are sure that your tree is grafted, and you see a branch coming out from below the graft line, you should cut that off immediately. It will divert most of the energy away from the part that you do want to grow. The rootstock varieties usually will not produce very good tasting fruits anyway. If the leaves look completely different, then it is definitely grafted.