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Quince bush is lush but so few flowers

13 years ago

Can anyone suggest how to help my very old, very full, very beautiful Quince bush produce more flowers? We round off the top with electric sheers every summer (so we can see out of the window!) but don't do any other pruning. Is this a mistake? It really is a beautiful bush, but it only makes two or three reddish pink flowers in a season. Is there anything I can do to encourage more flowering?

Also, there's a lovely old snowberry bush next to it that also produces very few white berries. Could it be their age? -- they both must be 30-40 years old.

thanks!

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
flowering shrubs are renovated by removing 1/3 of the largest branches.. as close to the ground as possible.. and that is done right after bloom is done.. or about right now ...

check out the link ....

they are not sheared ... and i speculate that you somehow did it too late.. and shaved off all the buds ....

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
barbaranh
Original Author
13 years ago
Ken adrian, thank you for this information and link. Now I know -- no more shears. No wonder, too, that the snowberry looks full at the top and sparse at the bottom. Live and learn.

Thanks again.
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It blooms on last year's wood, so if you are pruning in fall you may be pruning off your potential flowers. Also, they might flower better in poor soil - thinking their survival is threatened, they will be eager to reproduce! By the way, I am currently waging a war for control of my front yard with an ancient specimen of this plant. It suckers like crazy and every particle of root will sprout. I personally wouldn't have it in the ground under any circumstances - for me this plant is potted forever, with the pot on concrete so it can't wedge one miniscule root into the soil.
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Thanks a bunch!! They are in a spot that gets sun just about all day so I think they get plenty of sun. They are a pretty shaped plant just not real full plus the blooms stay towards the middle of the plant. Gorgeous when it blooms though and its blooming some right now. Thanks again. Judy
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
bingo.. now go do the right thing ...

and have a great day ...

btw.. by taking the oldest largest branches.. those are the ones over the windows sill .. so problem solved

ken
jayco
13 years ago
Ken is right about how to prune; but my quince flowers quite low down, on the old wood. In fact the top is usually new growth and does not flower. Is it getting enough sun?
barbaranh
Original Author
13 years ago
jayco,

oh yes, it gets plenty of sun all afternoon. Mine too gets its few flowers only on the bottom, and mostly toward the inside of the bush (where you can't see them). In the end I don't really mind not having flowers -- I love the foliage and shape. Maybe with the pruning it'll make a few more though.

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