Help with cuttings on Japanese Flowering Quince

[Jphipps]

I recently purchased what I believe is a standard Japanese Flowering Quince as well as a Toyo Nishiki variety. I would like to prune both of these to get the trees working towards looking like actual trees. I have a few questions. First is timing. I'm in 9a (Pensacola) and both plants are currently pushing out flowers. When is the right time? Also, I want to take as many cuttings as I can. What media have people had success using? Last, I'd love any input from a design standpoint. It's always great getting different perspectives. The one tree may be too difficult to tell what's going on from a design standpoint. Branches everywhere! Thanks!

 

[Saizan]

I cannot help you about the timming, but you can gent one hundred of cuttings from this specimens

 

[MichaelS]

It might be a bit late there for hardwood cuttings but if you're going to prune any way, cut them into about 6 inch pieces with a bud above and below the bottom and top cuts and insert them for 3/4 of their length in your medium (or the ground). If you plan on repotting, root cuttings are almost fool proof. Cut the roots into 4 inch lengths and lay them horizontally under about 1 inch of potting mix.
You can do both of these now. In summer, you can take semi-hardwood cuttings and place under mist or under glass and they will strike well. Hormones will help in all cases but not essential.

 

[Cadillactaste]

On the second photo is there growths on the branches?

 

[Jphipps]

Cadillactaste, there are buds everywhere but also old dried up fruit still attached. I popped those off after I took the picture.

 

[Jphipps]

Root cuttings. I had no idea. I will definitely try that out. Thank you MichaelS.

 

[Eric Group]

All good advice given so far I think.. As far as a medium for cuttings, I prefer perlite- as Saizan said, these are super easy to root!

Root Cuttings are... Too easy. I literally took a large one I was pruning down to put in a smaller pot, sawed the bottom half of the root ball off... I took that chunk of a root bal, and dropped it in my discard pile... It proceeded to pop about 6 new trees off the root ball!