All fruit trees certified virus free with a Limited 3 Year Fruit Tree Warranty. Click here for our FREE FRUIT TREE OFFER. All basic pruning requirements completed before delivery.
Quince Portugal Options Explained
Quince A 2 Year Half Standard Grows to 3.5m: 12-15L pot, 2-3 years old, 150-180cm tall at delivery, all basic pruning completed.
Quince C/Eline Grows to 2.5m: 12-15L pot, 2-3 years old, 150-180cm tall at delivery, all basic pruning completed..
Quince Portugal
An early ripening variety of Quince, Portugal (Cydonia oblonga 'Portugal') produces high quality Quinces for cooking and preserving, being particularly good for marmalade. The Quinces turn pink when cooked.
Time of picking: Late September
Fertility: This Quince variety is not self-fertile, so you will need another Quince to guarantee fruit unless you have another Quince tree within a few miles of you. A housing estate or reasonable sized community is likely to have this.
We will include a message card included at no additional cost if required.
Quick Fruit Tree Links
Take a look at our TOP SELLING FRUIT TREES, Wet ground issues then choose a PEAR TREE first, followed by APPLE TREES. For more information on pollination please look at POLLINATION EXPLAINED or choosing the CORRECT POLLINATION PARTNER
Fruit Tree Life Expectancy
Most fruit trees will give you AT LEAST 40 years of fruit. Pears can go to 70. Records of 200 year old trees exist but this is the exception, not the rule.
Do I Need To Stake My Bare Root Fruit Tree?
9 out of 10 times the answer will be no, especially if under 200cm tall. However our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Climate Change
Climate Change has increased aesthetic foliage issues such as Powdery Mildew, Shothole, Rust, frost damage etc These are not terminal issues and will usually last a season or less. All trees are inspected before being sent out to ensure they are fundamentally healthy and will bounce back.
Planting In The Corner Of A Garden
Air and light is reduced in this location which could promote fungus and bacterial issues. If the corner is of the house and a fence then you also have leeching issues to contend with from cement and wood preservatives. Also when it rains, that area would experience higher water levels so we advise against it unless the plant is very hardy.
Fruit Tree Heights
Taller does not mean more value for money. A 1 year old fruit tree can easily be substantially higher than a 2 year old, this is because they are hard pruned at 1 year old to create the desired shape. Some trees have over 100cm of height removed. They can then have another pruning at 2 years old to increase fruit growing real estate. Most fruit trees will benefit from having a third to half of the seasons new growth cut back in the Autumn to prevent long whippy branches which break easily. Age and pruning completed determine real value.
Quince Tree Rootstock Explained
Quince A (Half Standard): This means that the stem or main trunk of the tree will be clear of branches for 1 metre or more. Ideal for most gardens as this enables the owner to gain easier access underneath the canopy for mowing and possibly companion planting. Ultimate height of the Quince tree will be around 350cm but can be pruned to any height you prefer.
General Quince Tree Information
Quince is an ancient ornamental and fragrant fruit known to the Greeks and Romans who dedicated them to the Gods Venus and Aphrodite. Seen as a symbol of love, happiness and fertility often used in marriage ceremonies. We wondered if they were thrown instead of rice and depending on where they hit you, could call your fertility into question, certainly make your happiness disappear.
The blooms appear quite early so if you suffer from particularly harsh frosts e.g. at the bottom of a valley, live in a cold storage warehouse or some tea towel/peg selling gypsy put a weather curse on you then you will need to take ant- frost measures e.g. horticultural fleece, move to a greenhouse or conservatory.
They were/are also used to combat fatigue, debility and as a laxative so if you are falling asleep on the toilet and unable to keep yourself upright then you could reach for a Quince. For legal reasons, this odd looking fruit is not advice as a replacement for qualified medical advice (you just know someone will challenge us on it) If you do decide to cause legal issues with our fruit write up, may we suggest you go suck on a Quince.
The perfect spot for a Quince will be a sunny but sheltered spot and give best results after a long hot summer.
Quince trees are good for the less than green fingered amongst us because it does not suffer from many of the diseases and issues found with other fruit trees. Champion Quince and Vranja are the two most popular in the UK (we are not sure why, maybe they appeared in a TV reality show?)
Watering requirements are a little higher than your average fruit tree, they prefer to have moist soil (not waterlogged) especially in the summer. Best to water in the morning or evening to reduce evaporation. Apply an organic 2-4 inch thick mulch mid-spring and a high potash fertiliser in late Winter. If you have particularly sandy soils then then a high nitrogen feed will benefit every 3 or 4 years.
Expect a final height of around 3.5 metres although some may grow a little taller depending on local conditions and weather.
Quince Fruit
As the Quince is high in pectin it is a valuable fruit for setting jams and jellies. Quince has a subtle flavour and is a great addition to other fruits such as apples. Leave the fruits on the tree as long as possible before picking. It has a very strong fragrance once picked so do not store next to other produce. The tough Quince skin maybe a pain to remove but this also slows the rotting process down making the fruits last well into the new year.
Quince Tree Pruning
Formative and maintenance pruning is all you really need to do with Quince trees. For those that have not spent a life time in the nursery trade or come from a 5 generation deep family of foresters then we shall explain. Formative pruning is where you prune the tree to the desired shape in the first 2-5 years and this is usually done in the winter. Maintenance pruning is just removing dead, diseased, broken or crossing over branches. Crossing over branches will rub each other in the wind and possibly allow nasties (we don't mean Nick Griffin, given the choice we prefer tree fungus) to get in. Maintenance pruning can be done any time of year.
