The Vranja quince variety mentioned earlier comes from what used to be called Yugoslavia, where they have bitter winters (winter Olympics held at Sarajevo, remember). Keepers Nursery in Kent sells several Iranian varieties of quince, and they have bitter winters there too (although I admit the main quince growing area is on hills above the Caspian which isn't so bitter as other places). So it isn't the coldness of the winter that counts, you need a bit of summer warmth.

Indeed in some ways I think a colder winter might help. I find quince trees are often labelled "flowers June" but mine (in a not especially mild part of the SE, as far inland as you can be in the SE and up a hill) have always finished flowering before June, sometimes they flower as early as April (that happened this year). But I always get more fruit when they flower later, and there is less risk of a sharp frost during flowering. So, for the sake of the garden, I pray for a cold march. I think your water retentive soil might be good. In 2006 I had a good fruit set, and they were getting a good size, but then they nearly all split when we had a long dry spell, even though I'd had the hose on it from time to time. I had clay at my previous house, and that never happened, even though I was there through several dry summers.

I had Vranja at my previous house and I have Meeches Prolific now. Both took several years to first fruit, but the Meeches has been more reliable in fruiting regularly. I found the Vranja inclined to shed all the small developing fruit in July and give me nothing most years. Though a couple of years it gave me bucket loads and I had to give most away.

On 21/8/08 11:19, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
On 20/8/08 20:53, in article , "K"
wrote:

I'd like to grow a quince (Cydonia) but not sure whether it'd fruit for
me. I'm in Yorkshire, 400ft above sea level, on clay in a slight frost
pocket.

Any ideas?

Not from experience but:
Cultivation
Quinces grow and fruit readily in Southern England and succeeds as far north
as Yorkshire with a sunny sheltered site. Almost any soil is suitable (a
deep moist fertile loam is ideal), but shelter and sun are important; very
alkaline soils usually cause chlorosis. Trees do tolerate quite deep shade
but are unlikely to crop there.
http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/ansample.html

Thanks, but I'd already seen that site, hence my concern!

Sorry not to help more but from the replies of others it sounds as if it's
worth a try for you.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Charlie Pridham writes

They are very unforgiving of dry roots,

I can cope with that. Water is no problem in my garden ;-)

I had a lovely one that grew and
fruited well in a northly aspect, but it was on a raised bed and when I
realised that the down pipes from the house gutters entered the pipe on
one side but no water came ot the other I decided to clear the pipe of
soil and roots, the down pipes now work but the tree has been a mess ever
since! loses leaves seldom fruits and is due to come out - shame
If they like you they are a very pretty small tree and a good polinator
for any other pears you may have, I would say give it ago :~)

Trouble is, it could be 5 years before it fruits, and that's a long time
if I have to give up after that. I've only got a small garden! But I
realise that the same local geography that makes it a frost hollow also
means the garden is relatively sheltered, so once the season gets going,
it's relatively warm. But there's quite a few trees around so it's not
exactly a sun trap.

--
Kay

Sacha writes
On 21/8/08 11:19, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
On 20/8/08 20:53, in article , "K"
wrote:

I'd like to grow a quince (Cydonia) but not sure whether it'd fruit for
me. I'm in Yorkshire, 400ft above sea level, on clay in a slight frost
pocket.

Any ideas?

Not from experience but:
Cultivation
Quinces grow and fruit readily in Southern England and succeeds as far north
as Yorkshire with a sunny sheltered site. Almost any soil is suitable (a
deep moist fertile loam is ideal), but shelter and sun are important; very
alkaline soils usually cause chlorosis. Trees do tolerate quite deep shade
but are unlikely to crop there.
http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/ansample.html

Thanks, but I'd already seen that site, hence my concern!

Sorry not to help more but from the replies of others it sounds as if it's
worth a try for you.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be a curmudgeon
--
Kay

"K" wrote in message
...

Sorry, I didn't mean to be a curmudgeon
--
Kay

Not at all, I've been interested because I've thought about growing one but
our garden is much smaller than yours. Instead I grew a medlar, this year
there will be more and better fruits than the last two years but still only
about seven or eight - and we're running out of time faster than you :-)

Mary

On 21/8/08 15:36, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
On 21/8/08 11:19, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
On 20/8/08 20:53, in article , "K"
wrote:

I'd like to grow a quince (Cydonia) but not sure whether it'd fruit for
me. I'm in Yorkshire, 400ft above sea level, on clay in a slight frost
pocket.

Any ideas?

Not from experience but:
Cultivation
Quinces grow and fruit readily in Southern England and succeeds as far
north
as Yorkshire with a sunny sheltered site. Almost any soil is suitable (a
deep moist fertile loam is ideal), but shelter and sun are important; very
alkaline soils usually cause chlorosis. Trees do tolerate quite deep shade
but are unlikely to crop there.
http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/ansample.html

Thanks, but I'd already seen that site, hence my concern!

Sorry not to help more but from the replies of others it sounds as if it's
worth a try for you.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be a curmudgeon

?? I didn't think you were, truly. The written word is fraught with the
potential for misunderstanding....... ;-) If I'd paused for thought I'd
have realised you'd have done your research.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 21/8/08 19:52, in article ,
"Mary Fisher" wrote:


"K" wrote in message
...

Sorry, I didn't mean to be a curmudgeon
--
Kay

Not at all, I've been interested because I've thought about growing one but
our garden is much smaller than yours. Instead I grew a medlar, this year
there will be more and better fruits than the last two years but still only
about seven or eight - and we're running out of time faster than you :-)

Mary



Get to the fruits before the birds do! We have a medlar here which fruits
well after 3 or 4 years but actually harvesting the fruits is another
matter. I haven't tasted one yet!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

The message
from K contains these words:

Trouble is, it could be 5 years before it fruits, and that's a long time
if I have to give up after that. I've only got a small garden! But I
realise that the same local geography that makes it a frost hollow also
means the garden is relatively sheltered, so once the season gets going,
it's relatively warm. But there's quite a few trees around so it's not
exactly a sun trap.

OTOH, a friend's quince (Cydonia) fruited the year after she put it in,
and a couple of years on, it yields a couple of sacks of fruit.

Mind you, it isn't far from the septic tank soakaway...

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Mary Fisher writes

"K" wrote in message
...

Sorry, I didn't mean to be a curmudgeon
--
Kay

Not at all, I've been interested because I've thought about growing one but
our garden is much smaller than yours. Instead I grew a medlar, this year
there will be more and better fruits than the last two years but still only
about seven or eight - and we're running out of time faster than you :-)

email me if you'd like some fruits - doubt whether we'll use all ours.
We planted our medlar about 15 years ago.
--
Kay

Sacha writes
On 21/8/08 19:52, in article ,
"Mary Fisher" wrote:


"K" wrote in message
...

Sorry, I didn't mean to be a curmudgeon
--
Kay

Not at all, I've been interested because I've thought about growing one but
our garden is much smaller than yours. Instead I grew a medlar, this year
there will be more and better fruits than the last two years but still only
about seven or eight - and we're running out of time faster than you :-)

Get to the fruits before the birds do! We have a medlar here which fruits
well after 3 or 4 years but actually harvesting the fruits is another
matter. I haven't tasted one yet!

Our birds don't touch ours! They sit on top of the pergola taking bites
out of nearby apples, but the medlars are fine.

--
Kay

On 21/8/08 21:18, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
On 21/8/08 19:52, in article ,
"Mary Fisher" wrote:


"K" wrote in message
...

Sorry, I didn't mean to be a curmudgeon
--
Kay

Not at all, I've been interested because I've thought about growing one but
our garden is much smaller than yours. Instead I grew a medlar, this year
there will be more and better fruits than the last two years but still only
about seven or eight - and we're running out of time faster than you :-)

Get to the fruits before the birds do! We have a medlar here which fruits
well after 3 or 4 years but actually harvesting the fruits is another
matter. I haven't tasted one yet!

Our birds don't touch ours! They sit on top of the pergola taking bites
out of nearby apples, but the medlars are fine.

Sniff. I think we have a higher class of avian thieves 'ereabahts. ;-)
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

"K" wrote in message
...
Sacha writes
On 21/8/08 19:52, in article
,
"Mary Fisher" wrote:


"K" wrote in message
...

Sorry, I didn't mean to be a curmudgeon
--
Kay

Not at all, I've been interested because I've thought about growing one
but
our garden is much smaller than yours. Instead I grew a medlar, this
year
there will be more and better fruits than the last two years but still
only
about seven or eight - and we're running out of time faster than you :-)

Get to the fruits before the birds do! We have a medlar here which fruits
well after 3 or 4 years but actually harvesting the fruits is another
matter. I haven't tasted one yet!

Our birds don't touch ours! They sit on top of the pergola taking bites
out of nearby apples, but the medlars are fine.

They've never shown any interest in ours either.

Mary

--
Kay