Quince Tree Calendar

January — Winter rest and checks

What to do

• Check the stored fruit: remove any that start to rot or soften.
• On frost-free days, look over the tree for dead and damaged branches.
• If the tree needs pruning, winter is the right time — while it is dormant.
• Plan where and what you will plant or move.

Why

Quince asks little of you, but rotting fruit in storage and diseased wood left on the tree spread problems. Winter is the time for checking and planning.

Common mistakes

• Leaving rotting fruit among sound fruit.
• Pruning in hard frost.

Tip: Note which branches were damaged and why — next year you will know what to watch for.

February — Light pruning

What to do

• If needed, prune lightly: remove dead, damaged, and diseased wood and thin congested, inward-facing, or overly vigorous shoots.
• Do not cut off the tips of the branches — that is where the fruit forms.
• Disinfect your tools, especially after diseased wood.
• Collect and remove the cuttings; do not leave them under the tree.

Why

A well-shaped quince needs very little pruning. A light, airy crown dries out faster and is less prone to fungal disease.

Common mistakes

• Hard pruning — it removes the fruiting tips.
• Cutting diseased wood and then healthy wood with the same blade.

March — Last planting window and mulching

What to do

• If you are planting a new tree, do it while it is still dormant and the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
• Choose a warm, sunny, sheltered spot — the flowers are frost-tender and the fruit needs sun to ripen.
• Leave room: the tree can reach about 3–4.5 m (10–15 ft).
• Mulch with compost or well-rotted manure around the tree, keeping it off the trunk.
• Water young trees in dry spells during the first couple of years.

Why

A tree planted while dormant roots in before growth starts. Mulch holds moisture and feeds the soil, and regularly mulched trees usually need no extra feeding.

Common mistakes

• Planting in a windy, cold spot.
• Mulch piled against the trunk.

April — Buds and frost

What to do

• Watch the forecast. The flowers are frost-tender — if frost threatens, cover young trees where you can.
• Check branches for signs of fire blight before growth starts and remove affected parts in dry weather.
• Water young trees if it is dry.
• Do not overdo nitrogen: it pushes lush, soft growth.

Why

One frosty night at bud-break can wipe out the crop. Fire blight overwinters in cankers on branches and spreads at bloom.

Common mistakes

• Ignoring the frost forecast.
• Too much nitrogen.

May — Bloom and fruit set

What to do

• If frost threatens, protect the blossom.
• Do not spray during bloom without need: it draws pollinators.
• In warm, humid weather at bloom, watch for fire blight — it infects the blossoms.
• Watch for aphids on young shoot tips.
• In cool, wet weather start looking at the leaves for spots.

Why

Bloom decides how much fruit there will be. Fire blight spreads through the flowers by rain, insects, and wind, and cool, wet weather favours leaf spot.

Common mistakes

• Spraying during bloom.
• Underestimating cool, wet weather.

June — Young fruit and leaves

What to do

• Watch the leaves: reddish-purple spots with a paler centre are a sign of leaf spot. Early leaf drop is a warning sign.
• Water young and potted trees in dry spells — evenly, at the base.
• Avoid wetting the leaves; do not water overhead.
• Check shoot tips: wilted, blackened shoots bent like a crook are a sign of fire blight — cut them out in dry weather.
• Check for aphids on the tips.

Why

The leaves feed the fruit. A heavily diseased tree that drops its leaves crops worse and ripens poorly.

Common mistakes

• Watering the leaves.
• Finding fire blight too late.

July — Summer

What to do

• Water evenly in dry weather, especially young and potted trees.
• Keep watching for fire blight on shoots and for leaf spot.
• Remove and destroy diseased shoots if there are any; disinfect your tool.
• Collect fallen fruit — rotting fruit is a source of infection.

Why

Lack of water and leaf disease weaken the tree in summer, while the fruit is growing.

Common mistakes

• Leaving fallen fruit under the tree.
• Uneven watering.

August — Fruit growth

What to do

• Keep watching leaves and shoots.
• Collect fallen and damaged fruit.
• Water in dry spells, evenly.
• Look over the fruit: remove shrivelled, rotting, or damaged fruit right away — it is a source of brown rot.

Why

The fruit is still gaining size and aroma. Damaged fruit is an entry point for brown rot.

Common mistakes

• Leaving damaged fruit on the tree.
• Fallen fruit left under the tree.

September — Getting ready to harvest

What to do

• Watch the colour: the fruit goes from green to light yellow, and then to golden.
• Prepare a cool, dark, airy place for storage and wooden or cardboard trays.
• Start collecting fallen leaves if they are diseased.
• Do not rush — the fruit is ready when golden and very aromatic.

Why

Fruit left longer on the tree develops better flavour. But it should be picked before the first frost.

Common mistakes

• Picking green fruit too early.
• No storage place ready.

October — Harvest

This month

What to do

• Pick when the fruit is golden and very aromatic — usually October or early November.
• Pick before the first frost.
• Keep only sound, undamaged fruit for storage; use damaged fruit right away.
• Place the fruit in a cool, dark place, in trays, not touching.

Why

Late picking gives richer aroma, but frost can damage the fruit. Damaged fruit rots first and infects its neighbours.

Common mistakes

• Picking after frost.
• Storing damaged fruit.

Tip: Do not wrap them in paper or foil — they need air.

November — Mellowing and sanitation

What to do

• Leave the fruit in a cool, dark place for at least six to eight weeks before using it — it mellows and the aroma develops.
• Check it regularly and remove any that start to rot.
• Rake up and destroy fallen leaves — the leaf spot fungus overwinters in them. Do not compost them if they are heavily diseased.
• If you are planting, November is the start of the right period — while the tree is dormant.
• Put a layer of mulch around the tree.

Why

Leaf spot overwinters in diseased leaves and shoots; a clean garden in autumn lowers the pressure next spring.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the leaves under the tree.
• Forgotten rotting fruit in storage.

December — Review and planning

What to do

• Check the stored fruit and remove any that are rotting.
• Go over your season notes: when it bloomed, whether there was frost, when spots appeared, how much fruit you got.
• Decide whether the tree needs pruning, and whether you want new trees.
• Use the fruit: jelly, jam, stewed or baked quince.

Why

Your own notes are the most accurate calendar — they show what really happens in your garden and climate.