I got this plant at a swap...and its in a little pot with a red bloom or something on it. what do I do with it? what is it? a tree? a shrub? from the plant files it looks like a pretty thing. should I put it big pot or do it need to be in the ground?
Thanks in advance
Sylvia
Hi Sedrick. Did it match up with Red Flowering Quince in Plantfiles? If that's
what it is, I can tell you a bit about the one I have. Its a shrub - and it suckers into
a pretty wide bush. Its about 5-6' tall and blooms in early spring. Very very pretty.
But it is a space hog.
Tam
:-) Lots of room... umm might need that whole area you have on the side of the house!
Yes Tammy its that one. Mitch, I am going to keep it in a pot for a while. :)
Sylvia
I dug out a sucker before we remodelled the house. Kept it in the pot for
several years before finding it a home. It'll wait for you to find just the right
spot Sylvia :-)
Tam
Thanks Tammy...its in a pot. Will it bloom in this pot?
Sylvia
I don't recall seeing mine bloom while it was in the pot but I didn't
pay it a lot of attention so I just may have missed it.
Tam
We have had several of these in the past - one that was quite large when we moved into the house. We kept it trimmed to a manageable size and it didn't seem to hurt it as far as blooming is concerned.
As long as you cut it back right after it flowers it will bloom in the early spring..don't cut back late or you will lose the bloom. Like Forsythia and other early blooming shrubs, you can cut the branches in late winter and have them bloom inside for you.
My parents have had one in their yard (Zone 7 - LI, NY) since 1957!!! I can't recall them ever pruning it. If they did, it was certainly just a light shaping. It's probably about 5' high by 5-6' across.
It's absolutely lovely in the spring with its salmony-red blossoms - great contrast to all the yellows/pinks/whites of spring. The flowering branches are often shown in oriental paintings, & are terrific if you're interested Ikebana flower arranging.
(Edited to correct spelling.)
This message was edited Oct 22, 2005 10:45 AM
Oh my Breezy! Ikebani flower arranging???? you give me too much credit. lol pray tell what is that anyway?
lol
Sylvia
It's a specific Japanese method of arranging plant materials in a harmonic manner. Here are a couple of websites that give some info on it.
http://www.japan-zone.com/culture/ikebana.shtml
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/japan/Flowers/Japanese_Flowers_Bonsai.html
http://www.japan-arts.com/ikebana.html
oh my, how cool! looks simple but I bet its not. would be my kind of arrangement...as you dont seem to need too much material. ...but the proper recepticle. :)
Sylvia
Oh - & another thing Flowering Quince is frequently used for is Bonsai.
I forgot to tell you guys my little Quince bush bloomed! It had the prettist orange blossoms.... and strangely it bloomed from the bottom. Do you guys think I should give it a little cutting now....since it has bloomed?
Sylvia
No - at this point I'd let it be.
Congratulations! We get blooms at the bottem of our shrubs here in PA
after a very cold winter. Happens when the snow protects only the bottem part
of the shrub so top buds die. I suspect that is not your explanation. LOL
Tam
edited to correct brain-freeze mistype
This message was edited Nov 27, 2005 7:04 PM
I am leaving it alone Breezy. yeah I will report back in the spring...darn I wish I had taken a pic.. :(
Sylvia
I think Chaenomeles (flowering quince) have the most gorgeous color. I've heard some people get irritated by the suckering growth spread.
Yes they do sucker and have thorns. you can just clip them back right to the gorund every year to make kind of a vase shape.
The suckering isn't too bad, & is easy to control. My parents never really pruned theirs at all & it grew into a large & lovely airy round shape on its own. It's really a very adaptable easy-to-work-with shrub.
Duh! whats exactly is suckering?
Sylvia
Bascially, that's when a shrub/tree sends out sprouts/branches from down around the lower trunk &/or root system. These sprouts are called "suckers".
In the case of grafted plants & fruit trees, it's extremely undesirable & these should be pruned off asap, but with many ornamentals it's just a matter of personal taste.
It's also a way for plants to take up more territory, a way to be competetive in nature. Some plants / trees send up suckers several feet away from the main plant! (Those are usually undesirable, weedy plants). But, if a friend has a suckering plant that you like, re-planting a sucker can be a great way to get a plant for your own yard.
THANKS...KINDA THOUGHT THAT...SUCKERING IS WHAT GOT ME. lol
Sylvia@work
I grew my Flowering Quince from a sucker! That's how I get all my lilacs, and viburnum, too.
I got my lilacs from suckers too.
My quinces are really funny about blooming, mostly coming from the bottom, but if I prune in time they bloom all the way up. Sometimes.
I have a theory, but I don't know if it's true (I just made it up). On my street there are some red species quinces. Some are even growing at the edge of the river- really tough conditions, and I'm 99% sure that they never get pruned. These bloom regularly, and never seem to lose buds due to a freeze. They are in windy, exposed sites.
I think the hybrids, peach colored Cameo, Toyo-Nishiki, Texas Scarlet, etc. maybe are less hardy and therefore die back easier in winter. They seem to need a good pruning more than the tough species quinces. Don't know for sure, it just seems like it.
Its not the snow? I always figured the snow protected the lower buds from extreme cold.
Mine bloom the whole way up but I've had other bushes that only bloom where they were
protected by snow cover.
It might be the snow. That is the exact level where the blooms come up to. Or it could be the dead leaves from the Maple tree that keep it protected. Maybe I should go out and bury my quince right now. I think you are on to something.
Do you guys think my little quince will make it in this pot? .......and if I keep it pruned the root ball will probaly get too big for the pot. Buts thats ok I can always get a bigger pot. :)
IVY1 ...How far are you from Stamford? ...my old hometown. When my boss and I see picture of the new England States, we just sigh and remember the four seasons and how lovely it was.:)
Sylvia
Sedrick- I have a quince left in the pot, and I'll be surprised if it doesn't make it. They are pretty tough.
We are pretty far from Stamford by Connecticut standards- but not by Texas standards! We are about as far east of Stamford as you can get along the southern coast. It's funny, because I was born in Texas and grew up in Okla. and I long for the prairie. Wide open spaces and all.
Sylvia! I didn't realize it was you on this thread. (Kinda getting to know everyone
and finally realized you were the red-quince lady!)
Anyway - I agree with Ivy. I had mine in a pot sitting out for at least 2 yrs maybe 3.
It was just fine when I finally planted it. And its really thrived since I have planted it.
