How to grow Quince in New Zealand
Quince is a hardy, long-lived tree with pale pink spring blossom, soft grey-green leaves and big golden fruit in autumn. The fruit is hard and astringent raw but turns fragrant and rosy when cooked into jelly, paste or poached fruit. It is self fertile, easy going and well suited to New Zealand's cooler districts.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Quince in New Zealand
At a glance
When to plant by region
| Region | When to plant | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| Northland | June to August | |
| Auckland | June to August | |
| Waikato & Bay of Plenty | June to August | |
| Central North Island | June to August | |
| Wellington & Lower North Island | June to August | |
| Nelson & Marlborough | June to August | |
| Canterbury | June to August | |
| Otago & Southland | June to August | |
| Central Otago | June to August |
Not to be confused with: Japanese flowering quince (Chaenomeles), a thorny ornamental shrub whose small fruit is edible but hardly worth eating, and pear, which is a close relative.
Where to plant
Quinces flower in late spring and the blossom is easily damaged by late frosts, so choose a warm, sunny, sheltered spot away from frost hollows. They need sun to ripen the fruit. They grow in a wide range of soils but do best in deep, fertile soil that holds moisture. Leave room for a broad, spreading tree.
Quince wants some winter chill, so it is most at home in the cooler southern and inland districts, though it also grows in the north.
- Canterbury, Otago, Central Otago, Nelson and Marlborough: ideal quince country, with cold winters and warm, dry autumns to ripen the fruit.
- Waikato, the central North Island and Wellington: grows well. Plant out of the wind and away from frost pockets.
- Northland and Auckland: the tree grows, but humid summers bring more leaf blight and fire blight. Give it an open, airy spot.
Choosing a variety
- Smyrna, a selection from Turkey, has very large, golden, aromatic fruit with mild, tender flesh, and keeps well.
- Van Deman has large, bright yellow-orange fruit with a spicy flavour, ripens early, crops heavily and is hardier than most.
- Grafted trees on Quince A (semi-dwarfing) or Quince C (dwarfing) rootstock stay smaller and suit small gardens and pots. Ungrafted trees grow large.
- Buy a two-year-old tree with its first branches already formed.
How to plant
- Plant in winter while the tree is dormant. Soak a bare-root tree in a bucket of water for half an hour first.
- Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots. On light or shallow soil, mix a bucket of compost or well-rotted manure into the backfill.
- Set the tree at the depth it grew in the nursery, backfill and firm gently.
- Put in a sturdy stake to support the tree while it establishes, and water in well.
- Mulch around the base each spring, leaving a small gap around the trunk.
Watering and feeding
Water young trees regularly through dry spells for their first couple of years. Established trees in good soil rarely need watering, except on free-draining soil or in long dry spells while the fruit is swelling. Trees in pots need steady watering all season.
A yearly mulch of compost or manure is usually all the feeding a quince in the ground needs. Avoid heavy nitrogen feeding: soft, sappy new growth is the most open to fire blight.
Pruning and care through the year
- Train a young tree to an open, goblet shape, the same way as an apple. Once it has a good framework it needs only light pruning.
- Quinces fruit mostly at the tips of last year's shoots, so do not shorten every branch, or you cut off the crop.
- Prune lightly in winter while dormant, removing dead, damaged, diseased and crowded wood.
- Cut out any shoot that blackens and wilts like a shepherd's crook, a sign of fire blight, well below the damage, and clean your secateurs between cuts.
Harvesting
In New Zealand, quinces ripen in March and April. Pick when the fruit has turned from pale to deep golden yellow and smells strongly fragrant, and before the first frost. Handle them gently, as they bruise easily.
Store only undamaged fruit in a cool, dark place, in trays with the fruit not touching. They keep for two to three months. Quinces are not eaten raw: cook them into jelly, paste (membrillo), jam, or slow-poach them until the flesh turns rosy.
Growing in pots
A quince on a dwarfing rootstock such as Quince C can grow in a large pot, at least 45 to 60 cm wide, in a warm, sunny, sheltered spot. Water steadily through the growing season and feed fortnightly with a liquid fertiliser high in potassium.
Companion planting
Quince shares pests and diseases with its relatives, apples and pears, so it fits in a mixed home orchard but benefits from good air flow between trees.
Good companions
- Comfrey Its leaves make a useful mulch or liquid feed around fruit trees.
- Fruit trees (fruit trees in general. for example lemon tree, apple, peach and mandarin)
Pests and diseases
Quince is robust and usually healthy. Fire blight and quince leaf blight are the diseases to watch, and codling moth and birds take some fruit.
Pests to watch for
- Codling moth A small hole in the fruit with brown frass, and a tunnel to the core with a pinkish caterpillar.
- Birds Pecked ripening fruit, which then rots.
- Aphids Curled new leaves with small insects underneath in spring.
Diseases to watch for
- Fire blight Blossom and shoot tips wilt and turn black as if scorched, bending into a shepherd's crook. Cut out well below the damage.
- Leaf spot Quince leaf blight: small red-brown spots on the leaves in wet seasons, then early leaf fall and spotted, misshapen fruit. Rake up and remove fallen leaves.
- Brown rot Fruit turns soft and brown with grey spore pads, especially where skin is damaged.
- Leaf blight
Common questions
Can you eat quince raw?
Not really. The fruit is hard and astringent when raw. Cooking transforms it: quince jelly, paste, jam and slow-poached quinces are the usual uses.
Do I need two quince trees?
No. Quince is self fertile, so a single tree will crop well on its own.
When are quinces ripe in New Zealand?
Usually in March and April, when the fruit has turned a deep golden yellow and smells strongly fragrant. Pick before the first frost and handle gently, as they bruise easily.
How long does a quince tree take to fruit?
Usually about five or six years after planting. Grafted trees on dwarfing rootstock may start a little sooner.
Why are my quince leaves covered in brown spots?
That is most likely quince leaf blight, a fungus that thrives in wet seasons and can make leaves fall early. Rake up and dispose of fallen leaves, and keep the tree open so the leaves dry quickly after rain.
When should I prune a quince?
Lightly, in winter while the tree is dormant. Quinces fruit at the tips of last year's shoots, so thin out crowded branches rather than shortening every shoot.
Sources we checked: Waimea Nurseries: Quince Smyrna and Van Deman; RHS: How to grow quinces.