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eclecticcottage

Help me stop hating my quince

eclecticcottage
11 years ago

I have a large and likely old Japanese Quince situated too close to my flower beds. It was here when we bought the Cottage, I would NEVER EVER EVER plant such a thing-at least if I knew what I know now that I have one! I can live with the thorns (ok, spikes) and the fact that after it's spring bloom it's boring. BUT I cannot stand it spreading EVERYWHERE within about 15-20' of it! I am constantly clipping, digging and otherwise removing suckers. At least the mower takes care of some.

Can I put a 2' or so wide (deep) piece of curbing around it on the bed sides to keep it contained? How far away from it should I go? I hate it, but I don't want to kill it-we observed the "early crew" of returning ruby throats nectaring on it, when little else in our landscape (yet anyway) is blooming to provide them with food. If not for them, I probably would have hacked it by now. I even thought about growing a nice flowering, strangling vine into it at one point...but it's close enough to the cottage to keep that in the "evil thoughts" stage (since most of those would also try to do evil things to my house!).

Comments (4)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    I hate it, but I don't want to kill it

    ==>>> thats not my definition of hate .. get back to me.. when you want to be done with it ...

    ken

    ps: i doubt anything short of a 2 foot deep barrier will stop it .. and i would bet a nickel ... i will go under that.. in the long run ...

    pps: i bet my only other nickle.. you can find other things the hummers will appreciate.. which can replace it ...

  • eclecticcottage
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Cuss...darn cussed thing, I was hoping the barrier would help. I know I can find other things the hummers will like...but I was hoping for another solution to trying to kill it...since I am pretty sure it's not going to go quietly into the night...probably because the other two (which were probably volunteers from the one that's left) I DID hack in a non-mowable place have been trying to come back from god only knows what remaining roots since I hacked them to the ground last summer. Couldn't dig them out without some sort of power equipment, they're in stone...I don't even know what dirt they found to grown in.

    Sooo...what strangling vines won't try to pry themselves into my siding but will kill it?? ):) NOT Wisteria. That's worse than the Quince.

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    11 years ago

    I find that my quince roots from branches that touch the ground more than underground suckering. So you could try trimming the lowest branches to see if that helps. However, yours sounds like it's in the wrong place, regardless. I'd find an alternative hummingbird plant and when it's achieved some size, get rid of the quince. I imagine that if you cut it to ground level and then paint the outside (just inside the bark) of the stump's cut surface with strong Roundup or a brush killer, it will kill it back, though it may take a couple of applications. Alternatively, cut it to ground level and every few days remove any foliage that tries to sprout. New branches will be soft/tender enough to break off with your fingers and so can be quickly removed if you keep up with it. Another alternative after cutting to ground level is to mow over it often or take the weed whizzer to any new foliage every couple of weeks. It will take longer to kill it this way, however, since you aren't keeping ALL the foliage removed. No vine or other plant will kill a quince for you.

  • luvahydrangea
    10 years ago

    I've been battling one in the yard of my newly purchased home. I've dug up yews, maple tree saplings, tree of heaven saplings but I swear quince is kicking my but. They have so many runners, and a very large difficult to remove stump. I removed a stump only to find that the runners all lead to newly formed stumps. I wish I had a back hoe to get rid of it or that I could just afford to move. I hate the stuff. Its downright ugly if you ask me.