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General characteristics of the plant
Japanese quince, also commonly known as chaenomeles, is a deciduous shrub. Its height can reach three meters; in the northern regions, the plants are usually lower. The plant can bear fruit for many years, it is very resistant to various pests and diseases.
For many millennia, henomeles has been cultivated by the inhabitants of China and Japan, where it is one of the most popular plants for its decorative properties. Its green shiny leaves are visible from afar. Usually the leaves of chaenomeles are oval or ovoid. There are thorns on the shoots.
In spring, the bushes of Japanese Japanese quince are completely covered with large flowers of pink or white-pink shades, the diameter of which can reach 5 centimeters. in diameter. With the onset of autumn, abundant yellow fruits appear on the plant, densely sitting on the branches.
Decorative properties of chaenomeles
Among the chaenomeles, an ornamental variety, which is quite popular due to its attractiveness, is distinguished – the Japanese low quince (chaenomeles Maulei, or Chaenomele s maulei). This plant is practically creeping, its height is usually no more than a meter. Chaenomeles Mauleia is distinguished by beautiful arched-shaped branches, which in late spring and early summer are abundantly covered with red-orange flowers. The lemon-yellow, fragrant fruits of this plant, famous for their medicinal qualities, usually ripen in September.
Japanese quince is often used to create hedges, curbs and rocky gardens. Usually chaenomeles bushes are planted both in groups and singly, they look especially beautiful against the background of a lawn or in a rock garden. Chanomeles is especially beneficial when planted on a high trunk in the garden. Usually, plants of the standard chaenomeles can be obtained by grafting its cuttings onto a wild pear.
Quite often, Japanese quince is also grown in tubs – if you correctly calculate the timing of the tub distillation, in the middle of winter the henomeles will bloom, delighting the hostess with bright flowers.
Ripe fruits, usually reaching a diameter of about 4 centimeters, are quite dense, they are covered with a protective waxy coating, thanks to which they are well stored and can exude their delicate aroma for a long time. A sprig of chaenomeles with several fruits is used in Japan as a natural air freshener – for a long time, local gardeners put them in a beautiful vase on the table. Fruits, even in warmth, can retain their delicate aroma for a long time, filling the house with them. And thanks to its beautiful shape and bright lemon color, the fruits of the Japanese quince serve as an excellent decoration for the interior.
Growing and caring for Japanese quince
Today, chaenomeles is grown almost all over the world, the plant has good frost-resistant qualities. Even if the branches are partially frozen, the bush under the snow is usually preserved.
Japanese quince is a light-loving plant, in natural conditions it chooses dry hills. When planting, it is important to leave no less between the bushes – otherwise the chaenomeles may be too thick, or create shade for its neighbors.
In order for the Japanese quince to please with a bountiful harvest every year for 10-15 years, it is important to correctly form the chaenomeles bush. Ideally, one plant should have 4 to 6 annual branches and 3-4 two-, three- and four-year-old branches. There should be no more than 5 or 2 branches on the bush that are more than 3 years old.
The yield of chaenomeles can also be increased by timely adding compost or humus and feeding the plant with fermented mullein. Also suitable for feeding are mixtures with chicken droppings or extracts from soaked weeds with the addition of wood ash.
Fruits should be picked as they ripen in dry weather, usually chaenomeles bears fruit from September to November.
Reproduction of Chaenomeles
This amazing plant propagates by seeds and cuttings – you can ask for layering from familiar gardeners, purchase or just buy at least one mature fruit in the fall. Annual seedlings of Japanese quince are planted in the spring (before the buds begin to bloom on them) or already in the fall (about a month before the onset of cold weather).
Some experts recommend sowing freshly harvested seeds even after the first snow falls – so they can undergo natural stratification in winter and they can be expected to emerge next spring.