tbh we're not 100% sure they are quinces - there was no fruit last year, so
i'm guessing :-) they look like quinces, though.

however, there are several, & they have water shoots at their bases, & even
worse, clumps of suckers coming up out of the ground.

i have read that one should not cut water shoots or suckers, but rather,
tear them off, otherwise they just grow back (is this true?). but these are
a bit too sturdy for tearing (i've tried).

what to do?? any help appreciated! they're right near the veggie garden &
are clearly trying to take over!!

thanks :-)
kylie

In article ,
"0tterbot" wrote:

tbh we're not 100% sure they are quinces - there was no fruit last year, so
i'm guessing :-) they look like quinces, though.

however, there are several, & they have water shoots at their bases, & even
worse, clumps of suckers coming up out of the ground.

Depends what you mean by "quinces"!

The edible quince is Cydonia oblonga, and if left unpruned looks like a
shrubby kind of tree, like this:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im..._oblonga_1.jpg
I prune mine, so it has an open vase shape. While I have seen it shoot from
low down on the trunk, I haven't seen it sucker.

OTOH the Flowering quince is Chaenomeles japonica. It is a bush with a
suckering habit -- that is, it shoots from the base. Over time, they can
become quite large thickets. Here is a small one:
http://www.unperformedgarden.com/Arb...haenomeles.htm
And a big group:
http://www.huntingtonbotanical.org/W.../Image124.html

Just to make it more confusing, you can eat the fruit of the flowering quince
(or "japonica", as it's sometimes called). It makes a nice jelly.

So if yours are Japonicas, they are behaving naturally :-)

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

"0tterbot" wrote in message
tbh we're not 100% sure they are quinces - there was no fruit last year,
so i'm guessing :-) they look like quinces, though.

however, there are several, & they have water shoots at their bases, &
even worse, clumps of suckers coming up out of the ground.

i have read that one should not cut water shoots or suckers, but rather,
tear them off, otherwise they just grow back (is this true?). but these
are a bit too sturdy for tearing (i've tried).

I've read the same thing and done the same thing but I'm never sure if it
works or not. If they are too big, I now cut them off and that seems to
make no difference either.

"Chookie" wrote in message
news:ehrebeniuk-5974A7.14181816092007@news...
In article ,
"0tterbot" wrote:

tbh we're not 100% sure they are quinces - there was no fruit last year,
so
i'm guessing :-) they look like quinces, though.

however, there are several, & they have water shoots at their bases, &
even
worse, clumps of suckers coming up out of the ground.

Depends what you mean by "quinces"!

The edible quince is Cydonia oblonga, and if left unpruned looks like a
shrubby kind of tree, like this:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im..._oblonga_1.jpg
I prune mine, so it has an open vase shape. While I have seen it shoot
from
low down on the trunk, I haven't seen it sucker.

OTOH the Flowering quince is Chaenomeles japonica. It is a bush with a
suckering habit -- that is, it shoots from the base. Over time, they can
become quite large thickets. Here is a small one:
http://www.unperformedgarden.com/Arb...haenomeles.htm
And a big group:
http://www.huntingtonbotanical.org/W.../Image124.html

Just to make it more confusing, you can eat the fruit of the flowering
quince
(or "japonica", as it's sometimes called). It makes a nice jelly.

So if yours are Japonicas, they are behaving naturally :-)

why thank you ;-)

in fact, since they are smallish, fruity-looking trees, my guess is they're
either real quinces or something else entirely!

(having said that, tree i.d. is Not My Thing ;-)
thanks for the info!
kylie

"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message
...
"0tterbot" wrote in message
tbh we're not 100% sure they are quinces - there was no fruit last year,
so i'm guessing :-) they look like quinces, though.

however, there are several, & they have water shoots at their bases, &
even worse, clumps of suckers coming up out of the ground.

i have read that one should not cut water shoots or suckers, but rather,
tear them off, otherwise they just grow back (is this true?). but these
are a bit too sturdy for tearing (i've tried).

I've read the same thing and done the same thing but I'm never sure if it
works or not. If they are too big, I now cut them off and that seems to
make no difference either.

well that is reassuring, since i have no idea what plan b might be!!

do you snip them off with secateurs, or saw them off in a clump? (i'm
thinking of sawing, as it would seem to be a better option with so many
shoots, & then i could rub off any new shoots.)

we have a continual problem with water shoots & some of the trees. i'd bet
anything the previous people were careless whipper-snippers. how it makes me
snort with rage!!

i was going to ask dh to dig out all the suckers, & we can have a look at
where they seem to have come from. again, i just can't think what else to do
in the absence of brilliant ideas forthcoming from this group ;-) and plus,
he seems to enjoy doing manly things that don't do much for me personally.
g
thank you.
kylie

"0tterbot" wrote in message
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message
"0tterbot" wrote in message
tbh we're not 100% sure they are quinces - there was no fruit last year,
so i'm guessing :-) they look like quinces, though.

however, there are several, & they have water shoots at their bases, &
even worse, clumps of suckers coming up out of the ground.

i have read that one should not cut water shoots or suckers, but rather,
tear them off, otherwise they just grow back (is this true?). but these
are a bit too sturdy for tearing (i've tried).

I've read the same thing and done the same thing but I'm never sure if it
works or not. If they are too big, I now cut them off and that seems to
make no difference either.

well that is reassuring, since i have no idea what plan b might be!!

do you snip them off with secateurs, or saw them off in a clump? (i'm
thinking of sawing, as it would seem to be a better option with so many
shoots, & then i could rub off any new shoots.)

I do whatever is required. I rub off the new ones if I can, if thye are too
bug to breal/tear off, then I either secateur/parrot beak lopper or saw them
off depending on size.

we have a continual problem with water shoots & some of the trees. i'd bet
anything the previous people were careless whipper-snippers. how it makes
me snort with rage!!

Fair chance, but then some trees just seem to be natural suckerers too.

i was going to ask dh to dig out all the suckers, & we can have a look at
where they seem to have come from.

That is something I wouldn't do as I think you'd probably make the problem
worse. The damage done to the roots in digging them up would in all
likelihood just bring more suckers.

again, i just can't think what else to do
in the absence of brilliant ideas forthcoming from this group ;-) and
plus, he seems to enjoy doing manly things that don't do much for me
personally.

Just keep cutting or dig out the whole thing and start again (although I
don't think I'd bother doing that in a country garden - any growth is better
than none.) Try leaving it till midsummer when it will be the equivalnet
(hopefully) to summer pruing.