J. Quince- to clump or not?

[ABCarve]

I now have two J. Quince in a pot. The first one is about six years, the second was just collected from my garden. They are very rhizomatous and sucker profusely. I don’t mind the look… thinking of chojubai. The tree was covered with flower buds each spring however very few ever blossomed and the rest would simply fall off. I was told to keep the suckers cut off…….and that seemed to work as can be seen with the results.

Question is why? The ones in the garden spread and flower quite well. Chojubai the same.

The second I’ve kept many of the suckers to resemble a forest. Am I wasting my time?

 

[Maiden69]

Some people cut the suckers in an attempt to make a single trunk tree from them, I tried and even on the grow bed they take forever to thicken as a single trunk. To me, I think it is a waste of time to pursue the single trunk unless you are ok with a skinny tree for a long time. I think you can achieve a much better look as a clump in a shorter amount of time.

 

[ABCarve]

Some people cut the suckers in an attempt to make a single trunk tree from them, I tried and even on the grow bed they take forever to thicken as a single trunk. To me, I think it is a waste of time to pursue the single trunk unless you are ok with a skinny tree for a long time. I think you can achieve a much better look as a clump in a shorter amount of time.

I’m not worried about a fat trunk, I’m concerned about the number of flower buds that actually bloom.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I've always heard suckers steal energy from a plant. Even before bonsai. The landscape nursery would stress this.

This the case if you allow root stock to sucker the grafted top will weaken...and you can lose the upper section. There was a tree locally they pointed this out to me with.

My take...in the ground...the roots are more expanse and offers more energy to the top. In a pot.. roots are constrained. Which is how we also reduce foliage over time.

*Just my gerbil spinning on its wheel. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Maiden69]

I’m not worried about a fat trunk, I’m concerned about the number of flower buds that actually bloom.

Ok, I misinterpreted your question. I never had any issues with my J.Speciosa dropping flower buds without opening, but they are still growing on Rootpouches. I guess once you place them in a bonsai pot the resources are limited and this is why you are experiencing bud dropping. Maybe, and this is counterintuitive to bonsai cultivation, you could fertilize them longer (or heavier) to chuck them full of energy for the flowering season. My J.Speciosa and chojubai and in flower at random times most of the year, and I fertilize them from early spring till fall.

I think now you will be able to know if it is the case of limited resources now that your clump is out of the ground and into a pot. If that is the case you should experience the same bud dropping next year.

 

[ABCarve]

I've always heard suckers steal energy from a plant. Even before bonsai. The landscape nursery would stress this.

This the case if you allow root stock to sucker the grafted top will weaken...and you can lose the upper section. There was a tree locally they pointed this out to me with.

My take...in the ground...the roots are more expanse and offers more energy to the top. In a pot.. roots are constrained. Which is how we also reduce foliage over time.

*Just my gerbil spinning on its wheel. Take it with a grain of salt.

Mine aren’t grafted. And your thoughts on chojubai?

 

[Cadillactaste]

Mine aren’t grafted. And your thoughts on chojubai?

I think the same applies...for all suckers. That was where I was going.

Now many do allow suckers to create clumps with flowering quince. I would imagine when those suckers...develop additional roots...then it will be able to support the blooms. Until then...energy is stolen...and can't sustain blooms early on. Thus the statement...they steal energy applies.

 

[Maiden69]

I think Japanese quinces are an exemption to the suckers rule, unless you want to make a single trunk tree. This is how Chojubai are created. Once you have the size of tree you want, then you eliminate all future suckers, but in the mean time you need them to create a clump J.quince. There is no way to create one with a single trunk.

Here is pic from Jonas, at Kazuo Onuma's garden. He basically start with a tree in a round pot growing on lava, then remove the pot and let the lava erode slowly allowing suckers that will become the new trunks and branches of the future tree.

 

[ABCarve]

I’m wondering if it’s just not allowing a single or even multiple trunks to dominate the plant. The flowering one pictured is just about a solid root mass from all the chopped suckers. I wonder if chopping the single dominant trunk and allow new suckers to develop equally would work?

 

[Colorado]

Have you tried pruning the suckers to control their energy, but not actually removing them completely?

 

[ABCarve]

Have you tried pruning the suckers to control their energy, but not actually removing them completely?

I think that may be my next move.

 

[rustygarden]

I now have two J. Quince in a pot. The first one is about six years, the second was just collected from my garden. They are very rhizomatous and sucker profusely. I don’t mind the look… thinking of chojubai. The tree was covered with flower buds each spring however very few ever blossomed and the rest would simply fall off. I was told to keep the suckers cut off…….and that seemed to work as can be seen with the results.

Question is why? The ones in the garden spread and flower quite well. Chojubai the same.

The second I’ve kept many of the suckers to resemble a forest. Am I wasting my t

I think that may be my next move.

The pot your clump is in is awesome .

 

[rustygarden]

I now have two J. Quince in a pot. The first one is about six years, the second was just collected from my garden. They are very rhizomatous and sucker profusely. I don’t mind the look… thinking of chojubai. The tree was covered with flower buds each spring however very few ever blossomed and the rest would simply fall off. I was told to keep the suckers cut off…….and that seemed to work as can be seen with the results.

Question is why? The ones in the garden spread and flower quite well. Chojubai the same.

The second I’ve kept many of the suckers to resemble a forest. Am I wasting my time?View attachment 478920View attachment 478921

The pot your clump is in is awesome .

 

[Carol 83]

I was told to keep the suckers cut off…….and that seemed to work as can be seen with the results.

Quite the flower show.