(Japanese Quince) Help Choosing a Tree & Future Styling Advice

[szxnx]

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to pick up a pre-bonsai and need some guidance on which one to choose, what style might suit it best, and how to develop it over the next few years. I’ve narrowed it down to three trees (pictures attached)

A few things I’m considering:


• Best style? Informal upright, semi-cascade, windswept, or something else? I’d love suggestions based on the natural movement and structure of each tree.

• What should my first steps be in shaping and training? Are there key structural changes I should make right away, or should I let it grow and develop first?

Additionally. i am pretty confident that it is a japanese quince (i have a large chinese quince bush at home to compare), but would love if anybody knows the cultivar ID from these photos.

Thanks!

 

[Shibui]

i am pretty confident that it is a japanese quince (i have a large chinese quince bush at home to compare), but would love if anybody knows the cultivar ID from these photos.

From the photos I'm also pretty confident these trees are Chaenomeles AKA Japanese quince. Always very difficult to go further to cultivar level as there's often several cultivars that have similar flowers.

Best style? Informal upright, semi-cascade, windswept, or something else? I’d love suggestions based on the natural movement and structure of each tree.

We can normally change the planting angle and make an upright tree into a cascade but Japanese quince do not seem to like growing below vertical so I would not encourage trying semi cascade. Japanese quince normally grow as a shrubby clump with many stems which means they sucker regularly from the roots and base of the trunk. To maintain a single trunk tree you will need to be vigilant and remove said suckers as they emerge. I get sick of chopping new shoots off so usually style these as clump style bonsai.
There's very little natural movement and structure of these 3 trees. What is there is temporary. As they grow and develop they could look very different so you can do virtually anything with this sort of very immature trunks and branches.

What should my first steps be in shaping and training? Are there key structural changes I should make right away, or should I let it grow and develop first?

That depends what you want to achieve and how long you are prepared to spend getting there.
You won't get a thick trunk from Japanese quince so ground growing or grow pots are not going to be much use but letting it (them) develop in nursery pots for a few years is almost always a good start to bonsai.

 

[szxnx]

From the photos I'm also pretty confident these trees are Chaenomeles AKA Japanese quince. Always very difficult to go further to cultivar level as there's often several cultivars that have similar flowers.


We can normally change the planting angle and make an upright tree into a cascade but Japanese quince do not seem to like growing below vertical so I would not encourage trying semi cascade. Japanese quince normally grow as a shrubby clump with many stems which means they sucker regularly from the roots and base of the trunk. To maintain a single trunk tree you will need to be vigilant and remove said suckers as they emerge. I get sick of chopping new shoots off so usually style these as clump style bonsai.
There's very little natural movement and structure of these 3 trees. What is there is temporary. As they grow and develop they could look very different so you can do virtually anything with this sort of very immature trunks and branches.


That depends what you want to achieve and how long you are prepared to spend getting there.
You won't get a thick trunk from Japanese quince so ground growing or grow pots are not going to be much use but letting it (them) develop in nursery pots for a few years is almost always a good start to bonsai.

Thank you for your insight Shibui, i appreciate the direction you gave me with the nature of this tree.

I think i will take your advice on growing it in a nursery pot for now, although i do have a beautiful blue glaze pot to put it in for the future.

i've heard there's some difficulty to get these trees to ramificate well, but i also seem interested in the clump style.

 

[River's Edge]

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to pick up a pre-bonsai and need some guidance on which one to choose, what style might suit it best, and how to develop it over the next few years. I’ve narrowed it down to three trees (pictures attached)

A few things I’m considering:


• Best style? Informal upright, semi-cascade, windswept, or something else? I’d love suggestions based on the natural movement and structure of each tree.

• What should my first steps be in shaping and training? Are there key structural changes I should make right away, or should I let it grow and develop first?

Additionally. i am pretty confident that it is a japanese quince (i have a large chinese quince bush at home to compare), but would love if anybody knows the cultivar ID from these photos.

Thanks!

I would suggest they look like Toyo nishiki cuttings from my experience, They are less suited to clump style, do tend to develop trunk thickness very slowly as suggested. The type of Japanese quince that are more suited to club style are also called Chojubai. With some dwarf cultivars available. But their natural structure is quite different as show in photos attached below. First photo is a toy Nishiki Japanese Quince larger leaves and flowers, second photo is a Chojubai, smaller leaves and structure in a clump form.

 

[szxnx]

I would suggest they look like Toyo nishiki cuttings from my experience, They are less suited to clump style, do tend to develop trunk thickness very slowly as suggested. The type of Japanese quince that are more suited to club style are also called Chojubai. With some dwarf cultivars available. But their natural structure is quite different as show in photos attached below. First photo is a toy Nishiki Japanese Quince larger leaves and flowers, second photo is a Chojubai, smaller leaves and structure in a clump form.

Interesting. Thank you for the comment frank!

 

[IlseDL]

I would suggest they look like Toyo nishiki cuttings from my experience, They are less suited to clump style, do tend to develop trunk thickness very slowly as suggested. The type of Japanese quince that are more suited to club style are also called Chojubai. With some dwarf cultivars available. But their natural structure is quite different as show in photos attached below. First photo is a toy Nishiki Japanese Quince larger leaves and flowers, second photo is a Chojubai, smaller leaves and structure in a clump form.

Beginner here..
So I have 2 trees like your 1st picture (Chaenomeles preciosa and Chaenomeles x superba), and was hoping to try and make these clump style. But as I understand from your comment that is nearly impossible? I do have these for 5 years now and they bloom but that is about it, they don’t grow at all..
Apart from these I only have decidious european trees, so my knowledge of flowering quince is .. tiny. But I’m trying to learn here.
Thanks for your clear explanation, highly appreciated

 

[River's Edge]

Beginner here..
So I have 2 trees like your 1st picture (Chaenomeles preciosa and Chaenomeles x superba), and was hoping to try and make these clump style. But as I understand from your comment that is nearly impossible? I do have these for 5 years now and they bloom but that is about it, they don’t grow at all..
Apart from these I only have decidious european trees, so my knowledge of flowering quince is .. tiny. But I’m trying to learn here.
Thanks for your clear explanation, highly appreciated

Not impossible, but way less of a natural tendency to do so! Try additional levels of fertilizer, deeper pots and keep any suckers that develop. Stop pruning the main trunks and branches for several years. Allow them yo grow out and develop in deeper pots with additional care less working on the tree. Often we maintain trees fairly well without developing them into vigorous specimens before beginning to develop. The material is too young, the root balls not well established. Stronger plants respond better to development techniques.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Quinces respond best to clip and grow techniques. No shoot more than 1-3 buds distance between clips long. For larger species, best 1-2 clips. Wiring is possible for miniatures, not so practical for larger quinces.

While some cultivars do not like to bud from their nebari, it is possible for you to still create a clump shape out of young plants due to quince cuttings rooting easily.

Procedure - Take cuttings from the quince about 2.5” -3” long,

Clip clearly just below a bud, dip in rooting hormone.

Next prepare a hole as close to the base of the trunk as possible…the size of the cutting’s diameter

Finally stick the cutting in the hole and push media towards the sides of the cutting.

Keep moist. Repeat sticking cuttings at odd intervals around base of the trunk

Over time the cuttings will fuse with the initial plants base creating a clump.

This can be done from Jan-Sept, depending upon location.

Cheers
DSD sends