noobgardener
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Location: Southern VA

Pruning what I assume is a crab apple

Hello all.
I have what I am assuming is a crab apple tree in my side yard. It's in a pretty sad state but I'm not sure what to do to fix it. I am in zone 7a and we are about to enter fall so I'm not sure how much (if any) pruning I should be doing. My biggest confusion is that it doesn't seem to have a trunk. It looks like it's just a bunch of branches coming out of the ground. Any advice on what to do to prune this tree and when to do it? If it helps at all it has dark pink flowers in the spring.

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!potatoes!
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Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line

probably a flowering quince, not crabapple. it'll try to be a bush, you may not be able to help that. cut out dead wood as you find it, and prune to shape somewhat, but I don't think you'll convince it it wants to be a tree.

check out the fruit. if it's got a fragrance like flowers and tastes super-sour, it's quince.

noobgardener
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Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:56 am
Location: Southern VA

Quince makes so much more sense. Thanks!

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Some of them look ripe, right? Do they respond to "lift test" for readiness to harvest? (hold fruit and gently but firmly lift upwards (you can twist slightly), the fruit will break away if ready to harvest -- works for apples, pears, cherries and peaches)

Is quince something I should consider growing? Never had them before....

noobgardener
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Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:56 am
Location: Southern VA

I have another one in my backyard but it doesn't flower. They're really pretty when they bloom!

JONA878
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applestar wrote:Some of them look ripe, right? Do they respond to "lift test" for readiness to harvest? (hold fruit and gently but firmly lift upwards (you can twist slightly), the fruit will break away if ready to harvest -- works for apples, pears, cherries and peaches)

Is quince something I should consider growing? Never had them before....

The two great uses for quince is in making any sort of jam...( jelly ) as it is so high in pectin. and it does make a super quince jelly too.

DoubleDogFarm
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I have both flower quince (Chaenomeles) and Quince (Cydonia oblonga)

The flowering quince is attractive but never fruits for me.

My quince tree fruits heavy every year and has a late harvest. I was picking fruit into December last year.

September 23 2013 photos. They are loosing their fuzz and turning yellow. :)
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Membrillo is delicious. Also some of my landscaper clients eat them fresh of the tree. One of the helpers, where my dad lives, told me about his grandfather eating them with baking soda. I'll have to ask him again. I think I misunderstood.

Eric



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