Amazing Chaenomeles: Growing And Caring

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

As soon as they do not call henomeles - quince, quince, Chinese lemon. The closest thing to the truth is Japanese quince. Chaenomeles has long been used by gardeners only for decorative purposes - it is very beautiful during the flowering period. But as it turned out in the middle of the twentieth century, it has a high value as a fruit crop. Let's take a closer look at this amazing exotic

So quince or is it a lemon?

Quince chaenomeles is called for the external similarity of the fruits of these plants. And Japanese - because in the wild, henomeles "lives" in Japan and China.

Chaenomeles is like a miniature copy of a quince about the size of a walnut. The fruit has a very similar shape, firm flesh and almost the same aroma. However, there are some differences. Chaenomeles tastes quite sour. Therefore, it has earned another name - lemon. In addition, it has a characteristic lemon skin tone. If you add a slice to tea, you get a pleasant sourness, a delicate quince aroma, and a light pineapple aftertaste.

Japanese quince and low quince in our gardens

If common quince (quince) is grown as a small tree, then chaenomeles is a shrub. Its main decorative value manifests itself in spring, when the twigs are covered with a whole scattering of bright red and orange flowers. There are varieties with white petals. And in late autumn, the twigs adorn the miniature fruits of a rich yellow, like the skin of a lemon, color.

Chaenomeles has a very interesting history. Until the middle of the twentieth century, it was mainly used for hedging. So far, by mistake, the seeds of the plant have not ended up in fruit nurseries of Latvia instead of the common quince. It was then that they drew attention to the exotic as a fruit crop.

Here it turned out that chaenomeles has a high nutritional value. First of all, its fruits are rich in high quality pectins. Thanks to this, excellent jelly and jam are obtained from the fruits.

In addition, the benefits of the plant include:

• high productivity;

• early maturity;

• good winter hardiness;

• undemanding to soils;

• henomeles is not capricious in leaving;

• it is almost not attacked by pests and diseases;

• the fruits have excellent keeping quality and they perfectly tolerate transportation.

But before you start growing chaenomeles in your garden, keep in mind that you need to choose the right species. The fact is that Japanese quince is more thermophilic. It reaches a height of up to three meters. And more suitable for breeding in the southern regions. And a species such as low quince is better adapted to harsh winters. Above a meter, it, as a rule, will not grow, and therefore it hibernates well under a snow cover. Suitable even for the gardens of Siberia.

Chaenomeles care

Chaenomeles will bear fruit even if left untreated. However, what kind of gardener would refuse to improve something in his garden: increase the yield, increase the size of the fruits? And it can be done.

To make the fruits larger, do not be lazy to thin out the buds in the spring. Let the bush be less decorative, but it will please the size of the grown "lemon".

It is advisable to carry out pruning. Remove those branches that are more than four years old. Also, do not leave absolutely vertical shoots and those that bent low to the ground.

Harvested in late autumn. However, in rainy years, there is a danger that the fruits will not ripen in time. But this does not matter, because chaenomeles can be harvested unripe and ripened. But if you overexpose the harvest on the branches and wait for frost, then the fruits will freeze and turn black.

Chaenomeles can be stored raw. Although lying down, the fruits become softer and then shriveled. Therefore, use part of the harvest to make jam. Can be stored by rubbing the fruit pulp with sugar in a one-to-one ratio.