Featured Plant : QUINCE!
Spring Flower Bud
Light pink spring buds
Fragrant bloom
Soft green summer foliage
Fast growth rate
Open, arching habit
Compact size (about 20′ H)
Fall fruit harvest
Sweet, citrus flavor (when cooked)
Winter branch structure
Quince Jam Recipe
Homemade Quince Jam
* 6 cups (packed) of quince, rinsed, grated (discard cores, leave peel on)
* 4 1/4 cups water
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1 Tbsp lemon zest
* 4 cups sugar (don’t skimp on the sugar, or your jam won’t set correctly)
Wash, core, and grate quince in a food processor or with a cheese grater. Put the water in a large, wide, thick-bottomed saucepan (6-8 quarts) and bring to a boil. Add the grated quince, lemon juice and lemon zest. Reduce heat and simmer until the quince is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and bring to a boil again. Stir to dissolve all of the sugar. Lower the heat to medium high. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until quince jam turns pink and thickens to desired consistency, about an hour. Ladle into hot, sterilized canning jars and seal. Allow to cool to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Makes about 5 half-pints.
To preserve for long-term storage, sterilize jars and lids according to manufacturer’s directions. Place in a boiling-water bath canner for about 12 minutes.
Quince Tree
Plant Quince in a full sun, well drained location. Fall-Spring is the best time to plant any fruit tree as it gives the tree a chance to get its roots established before suffering through the heat of summer. Add a 2 in. layer of compost mulch around the drip line of the tree to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and feed the soil. Continue mulching each year. During the summer, water new plants deeply once a week. Make sure water penetrates the soil to 6 in. by digging down after watering. Once established, Quince will require less supplemental water.
Quince are trained to the shape of a tree or shrub early on, usually before purchasing and transplanting into the yard. Both trees and shrubs should be pruned yearly in the winter, when the plant is dormant. Keep in mind that fruit will form on the growth from the previous season, so shearing the entire plant will result in few, if any fruit. For Quince trees, prune the leaders of the main branches back by half of the previous season’s growth to an outward facing bud. For Quince shrubs, prune out oldest shoots all the way to the base to encourage new vigorous growth. Keep between 5-7 main shoots depending on the age and size of the tree. Always prune out any dead, damaged, or diseased branches. Look for branches that are crossing, rubbing, or crowding each other and prune one out. Thinning the tree each year provides proper air circulation and allows ample sunlight to penetrate the branches to ripen fruit.
Avoid pest issues by keeping the Quince well-mulched and well-watered. At the first sign of aphids, spray off with a strong jet of water and use soap spray at a last resort. Fire blight can also become an issue with Quince trees. This is a disease which turns the leaves black. At the first sign of fire blight, prune affected branches to 6 in. below the evidence of disease. Always sterilize pruners in an alcohol solution to avoid spreading the disease around the tree.
