Full Sun
Easy care
Moderate watering
Frost Hardy
7a
USDA zone
-18°C
Minimum temperature
Expected size
Height | Spread | |
|---|---|---|
8m | Max | 6m |
5m | Min | 4m |
4 years to reach maturity
Fruiting
spring
summer
autumn
winter
Champion quinces are harvested in March and April. Pick the fruit before they drop to the ground.
Quince Overview
Champion quinces produce very large rounded fruits with a good aroma and flavour - making it perfect for jam, jellies and wine. Quinces are often regarded as intolerant of wetter soils; fortunately Champion is far more forgiving and will perform in all but the wettest soils. In fact Champion is possibly the most reliable of all Quince varieties, suffering from very few pests and diseases (though like other Quinces, Quince Blight can in some years be a problem). The tree is self-pollinated, but it produces better yields when cross-pollinated.
Common problems with Quince
Champion quince is possibly the most reliable of all Quince varieties, suffering from very few pests and diseases (though like other Quinces, Quince Blight can in some years be a problem). Monitor for Codling Moth.
Quince Companion Plants
How to propagate Quince
Seed
Sowing time - Winter; Spacing - 4-6cm apart; Sowing depth - double the seed size; Graft cultivar on growing quince when about 1-2cm thick.
Cuttings
Take hardwood cuttings 15 to 30 cm in length in winter or early spring, dip into rooting hormone powder and plant in moistened horticultural sand, 8 to 10 cm into the sand. Because the cuttings take months to root and need to be kept moist, this soilless medium helps prevent rot and encourage drainage. Keep cuttings in a warm area with bright light until spring, when you can plant them out into trenches 15 cm apart. Cuttings should be rooted and well established in year.
Special features of Quince
Hedge plant
Small trees with an untidy tangle of branches that resist formal training, the Quince makes a great hedge screen in any garden. Popular in old days to plait the branches to make beautiful hedges.
Attractive flowers
Flower buds are pink, and lighten when opening to an almost white colour.
Attractive fruits
Other uses of Quince
Edible
Fruits are almost never eaten raw, but stewed, preserved and made into jellies and jams with pink colour developing when cooked.