Chaenomeles Speciosa Evergreen's 'Not Minerva'

[milehigh_7]

I decided to start this thread because I have been crying about not getting any quince flowers this year. Well this one, after I had cut it back decided to throw me a bone and bloom.

Here it is when I got it from Brent 1/17/08. The second picture is after potting in in a way too big pond basket that it is still in. The third is blooming a few months later. I will put more on tomorrow. Very sleepy...

 

[mcpesq817]

Very nice Clyde. I think mine is starting to flower as well. Nice variety - love the flower color.

 

[milehigh_7]

Here it is the next year 3/6/09. It threw out a couple of suckers from the base so I just left them to hopefully develop a little taper. As you can see by the second pic the base is getting a bit bigger.

 

[milehigh_7]

Here it is on 2/8/10. This one is a fairly strong grower. This year I tried pulling off the flower buds to strengthen it. I honestly did not see an advantage to this. Not to mention the flowers help my wife like my "sticks" (her words... she is just a mean as you guys! ). I also cut it back hard this year.

 

[akhater]

very interesting ! I just got my hands on one that looks like your in 2008

I heard they take ages to make the first flower but you just proved that it is wrong

any quick advice on care ?

 

[milehigh_7]

I can't seem to find the rest of my pics or measurements from this year but here is one of the flowers from this year. I will try to find the rest of them when I get home. Note the almost salmon/peach color this year as opposed to the very clear pink the first time. Not sure what is up with that???

 

[bonhe]

Hi Milehigh_7,
Very nice color. Thanks for taking time to document your little quince.
Bonhe

 

[milehigh_7]

Hum... Well I have kept this one alive since 2008 but that does not make me an expert for sure. However, they don't mind heat but they don't care for the direct Summer sun. Shade after 10AM all through Summer. They are not super heavy feeders but mine do get humic acid regularly.

I lost two last year (one of which was my Toyo-Nishiki *cry*) The reason was a sudden temperature spike at the end of the growing season when I had started to bring them out from under the shade cloth. Bad idea that was...

I fertilize everything with high nitrogen mir-acid because our water is sooo alkaline because of the dissolved mineral content.

You have to be vigilant about red spider mites so a frequent strong spray of water under the leaves helps a bunch.

 

[bonhe]

and aphids as well.
I recognized that the temperature can affect to the flower color.
Bonhe

 

[fredtruck]

>>I heard they take ages to make the first flower but you just proved that it is wrong.

It depends on what you start with. If you start with one of Brent's cuttings, it will flower the next year. If you start with suckers and then divide them from the parent, it can take 5 years. Or, I once did a sizable division from an 80 year old parent, and it took 5 years for the first flower. It just depends.

 

[mcpesq817]

Mine flowered the year after I bought them from Brent.

As to flower color, I noticed that some of mine had a different hue this year compared to prior years.