Quinces - Fact Sheets - Gardening Australia - GARDENING AUSTRALIA
In Jane's grandmother's time the quince tree Cydonia oblonga was among our popular trees. And thankfully they have returned to fashion. Trendy chefs, restaurateurs and really good cooks love using quinces.
It's a deciduous tree and a tough one. It will grow virtually anywhere throughout the country, as long as its in a sunny spot with well drained soil.
The tree grows to about 7 metres high, and is approximately 2 metres wide, but it should be pruned to keep a more compact shape. The fruit is beautiful - in a bad year they can be small - but in a good rainfall year, they are quite large. The fruit starts as a green colour and changes in autumn to a lovely yellow as it ripens. This is the perfect time to harvest. The bloom on the skin is also perfectly natural.
As for pests and diseases, the quince can be prone to fruit fly in susceptible districts. Sometimes the leaves become skeletonised, and this is caused by the pear and cherry slug - which looks like a little leech. Pear and cherry slug can be treated by spraying with Pyrethrum when the slugs start to appear - usually just before Christmas. In Tasmania and Victoria there is only one infestation a year, but in warmer climates, there can be two or three so repeat spraying may be necessary.
Quinces can survive harsh conditions and produce good quantities of fruit. But like any fruiting tree, if you give it an all-purpose fertiliser it will produce even better.
This tree is tough and hardy and even better its fruit makes fantastic quince jelly.
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