Cortorted Japanese Quince

[halfclueless]

Here is my flowering quince on its 3rd and probably last bloom of he spring.

 

[fredtruck]

Can you tell us a little about your quince? How old is it, how long have you had it, soil, feeding? Thanks.

 

[JudyB]

Pretty tree. Does it normally have 3 bloom periods?

 

[dick benbow]

Very nice complimentary colored pot.....

My contorted is just now starting to bloom. I just potted it up from the ground after strengthening for two years there,

thanks for posting

 

[halfclueless]

I had this tree for 3 years in a 5 gallon nursery pot. I got tired seeing it in one this year so i repotted it in one of the extra pots i had around. Feeding: thats a good question. They eat like well a teenager. I did notice they love acidic mixture, feeding program is about every 2-3 weeks of an organic fertilizer. I use a similar mix that Boon uses but with tea bags. Around August - September I switch to a 0-10-10 mixtures for heavy winter/spring blooms. Yes, I do get 3 blooms every year. I trick i found was to keep them cool as long as possible (but get only white flowers not the pinkish color) and once they are done blooming pick off the flower head. This bonsai has its first blooms around Christmas time and has kept blooming until now. I hope that helps.

Best,

Tom

 

[halfclueless]

Soil mixture. I get it from Mt Fuji Nursery in Upland California. Lindsay the owner uses 50% black lava scoria and 50% cactus mix potting soil. I amend it with 10% humus compost. Just helps retain that moister better in 100+ temp for 20+ days here in Los Angeles during the summer peak. They get full sun right until June 20ish then its 50% shade for the rest of the hot summer then full sun again during the late fall until first flower buds appear.

Tom

 

[JudyB]

Have you ever wanted more movement in the lower branching? I think that would take this tree up to the next level if you cut it selectively and wired for movement, not that it's not lovely as is...

 

[halfclueless]

Of course I do Judy. The largest branch 3/4" and at this point its brittle and its only by cutting back I would get movement on those main branches.

Tom

 

[JudyB]

I think it would be worth the effort, and time to cut it and do it. Maybe you could just do a couple branches at a time if you don't want to loose the overall image for so long.
I do like the pot pairing too btw.

 

[Poink88]

IF you decide to take this back...I hope you save all that wonderfully contorted branches and plant them. Several have the potential of becoming better bonsai than the mother plant IMHO.

 

[dick benbow]

My best efforts to take quince cuttings come from the year's new growth once it's "hardened" off.

 

[Poink88]

My best efforts to take quince cuttings come from the year's new growth once it's "hardened" off.

Dick,

How well do older branches air layer?

BTW, a forum member gave me a lead via PM for a local store selling Quince branch cuttings and they are 1/2" diameter by about 3 feet long each when I saw them. Surely those are older branches.

 

[dick benbow]

I can only feel right about sharing what i know to be true from MY experience. The only tree I ever air layered was a chinese quince. Piece of cake. I found that the bigger diameter cutting attempts
failed. I can honestly add i was using a powder form of root stimulator. I have a friend in the commercial end and he uses exclusively a liquid and has better luck with bigger pieces. I just found this out this winter so will try his method and see what I can get to work with bigger pieces.

 

[JudyB]

Yeah, but how much different are Chinese quince from Japanese quince to get rootage on?

 

[Poink88]

I know Japanese Quince (small cuttings) take easily. Most I tried took w/o any special treatment...just cut and stuck in soil, no rooting hormone. I haven't tried bigger cuttings however.

No experience with Chinese quince propagation yet.

 

[halfclueless]

My second contorted quince I repotted this year.

 

[JudyB]

Both are very nice trees, and you have a good eye for pairing with containers.

Not to be negative, but to me they feel more like shrubs in pots however than bonsai trees. But they are very attractive, and look healthy and well cared for.

 

[dick benbow]

LOL,Judy...I like your honesty. And yes another nice pot...

I think the shrub like appearance is because it's a bit tall and gangly. I'd like to see it's directionality better defined.

My contorted because it's a little more north here in Seattle, has just one bloom open and rest showing white
color.

It's been awhile since i did an accurate count of my chojubai. Have two orange, 3 white and 9 red. Oranges in full bloom, whites just opening and some of the reds beginning to show color.

vast majority of all my quinces are kabudachi style (clumped) but I do have a few singular trunks, especially my chinese quince. My old timer chinese looks like it may have quite the blooms this year.

 

[Poink88]

Not to be negative, but to me they feel more like shrubs in pots however than bonsai trees.

LOL,Judy...I like your honesty.

We need more of that here so we (or our bonsai) progress faster. It is not easy for both parties (sender and receiver) but if it is accepted as a well meaning advise/comment/critique, it will become easier and may proliferate. Believe me, it will help us more than the polite/politically correct/censored version (i.e. good job, nice tree, or stay silent).

 

[Poink88]

I agree with Judy. Both plants are nice and have potential...just need to be brought out. As I said, I think there are several branches too that may be good candidates for propagation and can be good bonsai on their own.