Flowering quince is a deciduous shrub that produces vibrant and colorful blooms in early spring. To keep the shrub healthy and maintain its shape, pruning is necessary. Pruning ensures that the plant continues to produce new shoots and flowers throughout its lifespan.
In this blog post, we will guide you on how to prune your flowering quince properly so it can thrive for years to come.
When to prune
The best time to prune a flowering quince is after blooming season when all the flowers have fallen off. This typically happens around late spring or early summer.
Pruning during this time allows ample time for new growth before winter sets in because pruning stimulates dormant buds present on the branches of the Quince tree, which eventually results in more flowering shoots next year.
Tools required
To prune your flowering quince tree, you need some specific tools:
1. Pruners – They are used for cutting twigs up to ½ inch thick.
2. Loppers – They are used for thicker branches with diameters ranging from ½ inch up to 2 inches.
3. Saw – It’s useful if you have larger branches over two inches thick
4. Gloves- For protection against possible thorns
Steps involved in pruning
Step 1: Remove dead wood
Start by removing any dead wood or damaged limbs first with your pruners, saws or loppers as needed until you see live wood beneath bark tissue without splitting it away from other parts of trees! Doing so prevents further spread of disease into healthy sections of plants while also improving airflow within them too!
Step 2: Shorten older stems
Next, move onto older stems that no longer produce vigorous growth; cut back their length by at least a third using loppers. Doing so encourages rejuvenation from dormant buds lower down these same branches whose renewed development leads not only healthier but denser foliage overall as well!
Step 3: Thin out growth
Lastly, step back and examine the overall shape of your flowering quince tree. If it appears too dense or crowded with branches crossing one another, use pruning shears to thin out some growth from selected areas periodically until achieving desired appearance while still maintaining integrity remaining plant structure.
Tips
1. Always wear gloves to protect yourself from any possible thorns.
2. Sterilize your tools before and after using them on each cut to prevent spreading diseases.
3. Be cautious when making cuts close to a bud as you don’t want to damage it and affect future growth.
In conclusion, pruning is necessary for the healthy development of flowering quince trees. By following these simple steps discussed above and being careful with your tools during this process – you can successfully prune your flowers without damaging their form or health in any way!
