Content
The Nikolain quince planted on the plot serves as its decoration at any time of the year. The shrub blooms beautifully and profusely, its foliage is decorative in summer and autumn, and the yellow, unusual-looking fruits remain on the branches even after the leaves fall.
The plant belongs to the Rosaceae family
History of selection
Quince has been known to mankind for more than 4000 years. In the wild, the fruit crop grows in the Caucasus, China and Japan. It is these regions that are considered the birthplace of the plant, from where it came to the territory of modern Turkey, and then to Greece. Gradually, quince spread throughout the Mediterranean, central and southern Europe, Africa and Australia.
In nature, there is a low-growing (up to 80 cm) shrub form of the plant, which is called beautiful quince (Chaenomeles speciosa).By crossing it with the Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica), a new species of quince (Chaenomeles superba) was obtained. As a result of breeding work on it, many new hybrids were developed, one of which is the magnificent quince Nikolain. Thanks to the obtained characteristics, the distribution area of the culture expanded to more northern regions, up to Norway and Scotland.
Description of quince Nikolain
Quince Nicoline (Chaenomeles superba Nicoline) is a shrub whose branches form a spreading crown. Their bark is thin, slightly scaly, dark on older shoots, with a reddish or brownish tint. Young branches are greenish-gray, pubescent.
The leaves are oval, ovate, slightly pointed at the apex. The upper part is bright green, the lower part is grayish, with pubescence. The length of the leaf plates is about 7 cm, width – 3 cm.
As you can see in the photo, Nicoline quince looks very elegant during flowering. Its flowers are bright scarlet or orange, lush, large, collected in brushes of four to five pieces. The diameter of each is about 4 cm. The set fruits are a false apple with five nests where the seeds are located. The shape is round, almost spherical, up to 4 cm in diameter. The skin is yellowish, ribbed. The pulp of the fruit is aromatic, tough, its taste is sweetish, astringent.
Seeds of ripened fruits are brown, pointed
The height of the Japanese quince bush Nikolin
The average height of an adult plant is about 1.2 m. At the base of the Nikolain quince bush, the branches spread along the ground and form dense thickets. The crown spreads 1.5 m wide, creating a beautiful cushion-like shape. This allows the plant to be used for hedges.
Characteristics
Quince Nikolain develops quickly, is unpretentious, and can grow in one place for up to fifty years.Tolerant of haircuts, pruning and shaping. The shrub feels good in illuminated areas, but also tolerates shade easily. It is unpretentious to soil and care. In addition to these features, the Nikolain hybrid has other characteristics.
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
The quince will not freeze if it is planted so that in winter it is covered as much as possible with snow. The plant easily tolerates frosts down to -30 ⁰C, but young shoots may die in harsh winters.
Despite the location of the root system in the upper layers of the soil, drought resistance of quince Nikolain is high. It only needs watering during extremely dry summers.
Flowering period, ripening time and yield
Large red flowers on short stalks appear on the shoots even before the leaves bloom in the second or third ten days of April. The buds bloom gradually, so the process drags on for a month.
If Nikolain quince is grown from seeds, the first flowering occurs in the third year of the seedling's life. Yellow, fragrant fruits ripen in October, the average weight of each is about 50 g. The yield from an adult bush is 3-5 kg.
Fruits picked from branches can ripen at home
Resistance to diseases and pests
Like most varieties, the beautiful quince Nikolin is resistant to diseases and pests. The only disadvantage of the hybrid is skin spotting. As pathology develops, the appearance of the fruit deteriorates and is not used for processing. To prevent disease, the crown is sprayed with a solution of boric acid (2 g per 1 liter of water) and zinc sulfate, diluted in the same ratio.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
For some time, quince was used only as an ornamental plant. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, they began to eat it, prepare jams, compotes and preserves.
Having one quince bush, it is easy to propagate it
In addition to this advantage, the Nikolain hybrid has other advantages. Among them:
- high frost resistance;
- drought resistance;
- regular fruiting;
- quick recovery after freezing or pruning;
- ease of care;
- long life expectancy;
- undemanding to soil composition;
- excellent keeping quality and transportability;
- saturation of fruits with vitamins and biologically active substances.
Quince Nikolain does not have many disadvantages:
- the presence of thorns on the shoots;
- astringency of fruit taste;
- their small size.
Features of planting and caring for quince Nikolain
In order for Nikolain quince to develop quickly, look spectacular and serve as a decoration for the site, it is necessary to select and prepare a place, follow the timing and rules of planting. Despite the unpretentiousness of the plant, even with minimal care it responds with rapid development, abundant flowering and regular fruiting.
The shrub can be propagated by cuttings, layering, shoots or seeds
Landing dates
Quince Nicoline can be planted both in spring and autumn. In the first case, this is done before the sap flows, in early April. Spring planting allows seedlings to take root, adapt and prepare for winter.
In the fall, Nikolain quince is assigned to a permanent place two weeks before the onset of frost. This time is not enough for new roots to appear, but callus will have time to form.
Landing site requirements
Quince Nikolain easily tolerates both drought and prolonged floods, so a place on the south side of the site is suitable for it, even if the groundwater is shallow. The shrub grows on any soil, but feels much better on clay, sod-podzolic, sandy soil with a high humus content.
Before planting, you need to prepare the area:
- Clear it of leaves, weeds and plant roots.
- Dig to the depth of a spade bayonet.
- Add ferrous sulfate, ammonium nitrate and colloidal sulfur to the soil.
- Water.
If the planting site is prepared in the fall, it is covered with a thick layer of snow for the winter, and dug up again in the spring or simply loosened.
Soil for quince Nikolain should have a slightly acidic reaction
Landing algorithm
Regardless of whether Nikolain quince is planted in spring or autumn, they adhere to the same scheme:
- Dig a hole 50 cm deep and 90 cm wide.
- A soil mixture consisting of compost, sand and leaf humus mixed in a ratio of 2:1:2 is poured onto the bottom.
- Add 30 g of nitrate and 200 g of superphosphate.
- Mix well.
- Place the seedling in the center of the hole.
- Cover with soil removed earlier.
- Lightly compact the soil.
- A roller of the trunk circle is formed.
- Water generously.
- Mulch the soil with sawdust.
To speed up rooting, all Nikolain quince shoots are shortened by a third of their length. The cut with pruning shears is made 1.5 cm above the bud.
After planting, the neck is buried at soil level.
Aftercare
The plant is undemanding, but minimal care for it results in luxurious flowering and abundant harvest.Caring for Nikolain quince includes several activities: watering, fertilizing, preparing for winter, loosening and pruning.
Watering and fertilizing
If the summer is rainy, you should not water Nicoline quince. During the dry period, the plant only needs one abundant moisture per month. To ensure that the fruits are juicy and aromatic, additional watering is carried out in August, during their formation.
Feeding is carried out three times:
- In spring - nitrogen fertilizers.
- In mid-summer - potassium.
- In autumn - phosphorus.
Trimming
Nicoline quince is trimmed in the spring. For sanitary purposes, remove old, dry and damaged branches. Formative pruning is necessary to give the bush the desired shape and create a beautiful design element for the site. It begins to be carried out when the plant reaches the age of four years. Shoots that thicken the crown, creep along the ground and grow vertically are cut out.
Garden scissors or pruning shears must be sharp
Loosening, mulching
After watering, the soil under the bushes must be loosened to a depth of no more than 10 cm, since the roots of the Nikolain quince are located in the upper layers. Mulching with sawdust, nut shells, and crushed bark helps retain moisture and prevent weeds from appearing.
Preparing for winter
Quince Nikolain has high winter hardiness, so it does not require shelter. In areas with very harsh climates, it is enough to cover the base with snow. Even if the ends of the shoots freeze, after spring pruning and feeding they will quickly recover.
Application in landscape design
Quince Nicoline is often used in landscape design due to its high decorative properties and rapid growth. The plant is used as a tapeworm when planted on the lawn.The combination of a green background and bright orange colors looks very impressive. With adequate pruning and timely removal, the shoots are used as part of a mixborder in tandem with other ornamental shrubs and conifers, and the Nikolain quince hedge looks beautiful at all times of the year.
Harmony in the garden can be achieved through the proximity of quince to water, boulders and alpine slides
Conclusion
Quince Nikolain is an ornamental shrub that can decorate any area, hide flaws and highlight advantages. The fruits do not have a unique taste, but the amount of vitamins and nutrients is another plus in its favor. Growing and caring for quince is not difficult, and it will bear fruit without problems for several decades.
