Prune Quince: [Importance, Season, Tools, Considerations and Steps]

The task of pruning quince corresponds to a series of care that it is advisable to have with this species so that the tree is healthy.

As it is a fruit tree, the correct pruning techniques will also have a positive impact on the fruits that it will produce each year.

To make this process work in the best possible way, you have to work with the correct techniques.

And all of them we will give you in the next few lines, so if you are ready to start this study so are we. Let’s go ahead.

Why prune quince?

The idea of ​​pruning quince responds to the need to obtain a greater quantity of fruit in each production cycle.For this to be the case, the energy concentrated in the tree needs to be distributed to the parts that really need it.

During the first days of life of the quince, pruning is necessary to mold the structure that the tree will have in its adulthood. With this process you will be ensuring that its size is appropriate and that it will maintain order in all its branches.

One last aspect that makes timely pruning beneficial has to do with the health of the tree.By removing the parts that do not offer any benefit, we are improving the inner workings of it.

This, in turn, has a value for the flow of air and light inside the cup, which prevents viruses, bacteria or disease-producing fungi from lodging.

When is it better to carry out quince pruning?

Quince pruning must be applied during the annual vegetative rest but taking care that there is no risk of frost in the coming days.

This is usually between late winter and early spring, where it will start its internal sap flow and be able to recover quickly.

If you live in an area where the winters are warm, you can manage the pruning as soon as the productive period ends, in the fall.

What tools should we use when pruning quinces?

The main tools you will need to prune quinces are pruning shears and a handsaw.On very specific occasions, if you are going to apply a renovation pruning for example, you may need an electric saw for the thickest branches.

It is essential that each of them meet two fundamental requirements: they are well sharpened and disinfected. Of the rest, it is a good plan to have certain personal protection elements such as gloves and protective glasses.

What considerations should we take into account when pruning quinces?

Planning is a fundamental process in any gardening work and pruning does not escape this reality . When it comes to pruning quinces, you have to consider the type of tree you are going to face: is it young, adult or old?

It is also essential that you define the type of pruning you want to apply: will it be training, production or renewal?Answering these questions will help you make the whole process flow better and you can execute the work more quickly and safely.

How to prune quinces without damaging the tree?

The quince pruning process will respond to the type you want to apply according to the tree’s own conditions.

Quince training pruning

It is the first pruning you will do to your quince tree and it will continue until the third year. In it, what you are looking for is to create the structure that it will have as it develops to facilitate the order of the branches and the balance of the crown.

In the first year pruning is drastic. You will have to remove all the branches that have been born and leave only the trunk.

The second year you will eliminate the branches that look weak, defining those that will be the main ones. The latter will be pruned by 70%.

For the third year you will eliminate the branches and suckers that have been born and you will prune the main branches again up to 70%.

Quince production pruning

The idea here is to ensure that all the energy of the tree is focused on producing better quality fruit.The main task is to certify that each branch is fulfilling a leading role in production and eliminate those that are not.

Carrying out this process will help the crown to clear up and allow air and light to easily pass through the center, improving photosynthesis and reducing the chances of the tree getting sick.

renovation pruning

It is a pruning that has the mission of «returning to life» a quince that seems to have lost its productive capacities.

This is a pruning that is usually drastic, so you must ensure that the specimen is very healthy. This pruning is for old trees.

The idea is to cut the old branches so that new ones are born and thus the productive process is renewed.

Use these three types of pruning where appropriate and you will always enjoy rich fruit from your quince tree.

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