Chaenomeles Japanese Flowering Quince flower/fruit and grow okay in SoCal?

[エドガー]

I really wanna try out some Chaenomeles quinces. But, unsure if they do okay (flower and fruit) in my climate and low/mild chill-hours and dormancy.

I am in South OC, SoCal (southern California), about 10 miles east of the coast and on a hill with many surrounding canyons (microclimate). Winter nighttime temps is usually around 45º lows (occasionally 38º to 44º at night, like this coming week), and winter daytime temps is usually around 50ºs and sometimes low 60ºs. Usually, accumalitve chill hours per winter is 300-350 hours (400 if lucky).
Is this sufficient chill/dormancy to keep them flowering?

Anyone in SoCal that has success growing them?


And, a little off-topic, but I assume Ilex Serrata Japanese Winterberry is out of the question for flowering in SoCal 10b, correct?

 

[rodeolthr]

San Gabriel Nursery has/had them every year when I've stopped in there. They are typically without leaf and in full bloom. They used to grow most of their own stock, but I'm not sure what the situation is now that the lot with the greenhouses is being turned into townhomes/apartments. If you haven't been there, they have quite an extensive selection of bonsai and pre-bonsai as well as pots and other specialized items. The nursery itself is quite eclectic and seems to have whatever you might be looking for in the world of gardening.

 

[bonhe]

You might want to take a look my post https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/j...uttings-in-training.17767/page-24#post-710099

Winter berry is growing well in my area. I just dug a big Japanese winter berry last week from LA area.
Good luck
Thụ Thoiaj

 

[エドガー]

Thanks guys... I guess I'll be buying a couple new plants soon

 

[エドガー]

You might want to take a look my post https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/j...uttings-in-training.17767/page-24#post-710099

Winter berry is growing well in my area. I just dug a big Japanese winter berry last week from LA area.
Good luck
Thụ Thoiaj

Nice! I'll peep that thread!

Please post pics of your winterberry when you have a chance!

 

[エドガー]

You might want to take a look my post https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/j...uttings-in-training.17767/page-24#post-710099

Wow... I looked at all your pics and every single page! I am super duper impressed and attracted to your Toyo-Nishiki Nichi-Getsu-Sei ...it's sooo beautiful!!
Your thread made me want a Quince even more!!

...honestly, I was a bit hesitant to buy a Quince... because they sucker a lot, are lanky and leggy, very slow to grow a thick trunk ...and also I didn't know if they grow well in SoCal... but, now after seeing your thread, I really want some Quinces badly now!!


You seem very knowledgable with Quinces... I have a few questions please:
Do Contorted cultivars grow okay in SoCal?
Does Iwai Nishiki (double red) grow okay in SoCal?
I've read you said Toyo Nishiki are okay in SoCal... that's awesome!
And, Chojubai are difficult in SoCal ...I can understand that.

 

[bonhe]

Nice! I'll peep that thread!

Please post pics of your winterberry when you have a chance!

Last year, I bought some winterberry cuttings for my teacher who living in Inland Empire. This winter, it is full of red berry. Sorry, I did not take any picture of it. It is why I said it grew well in our area. I was recently very lucky to get one big Japanese winterberry planted in the garden at LA for 30 some years. I hope it will be survived

I actually like flowering quince with leggy trunk and branches. The reason is that when it is in bloom, I can appreciate the flower very much. If the flowers are too close to each other, it steals the beauty of each flower. This is why Most of the time I took pictures of single flower

I have contorted quince and it has been growing very well! It is actually in full bloom at this time !
I don’t have Iwai nishiki , so I don’t know!
Chojubai has been doing well here if you know how to care for .
Good luck
Thụ Thoại

 

[エドガー]

Nice to hear winterberry can work in SoCal!
Hope your new urban-yamadori does well and I'd love to see pics in the future. 30yo is quite old.. how thick is it?
Also, do you think winterberry will still berry/flower a little, even without a male pollinator plant?

Yes, good point... leggy branches accentuates the nice flowers even more so!
Space is key.

Thanks for the insight and tips.

 

[bonhe]

Nice to hear winterberry can work in SoCal!
Hope your new urban-yamadori does well and I'd love to see pics in the future. 30yo is quite old.. how thick is it?
Also, do you think winterberry will still berry/flower a little, even without a male pollinator plant?

Yes, good point... leggy branches accentuates the nice flowers even more so!
Space is key.

Thanks for the insight and tips.

You are very welcome. Yes, indeed, the space is one of the important factors in the art, to which many of us forgot about during training our bonsai!

This is Japanese winterberry. It is female and according to the previous owner, it had berry here and there. I forgot to ask the lady why she did not get the male to help pollination! Its trunk base diameter is 4”.


Thụ Thoại

 

[エドガー]

This is Japanese winterberry. It is female and according to the previous owner, it had berry here and there. I forgot to ask the lady why she did not get the male to help pollination! Its trunk base diameter is 4”.
View attachment 281912 View attachment 281913

Thụ Thoại

Very nice! Hope it survives and I look fwd to seeing its' progress!

 

[bonhe]

Very nice! Hope it survives and I look fwd to seeing its' progress!

Thanks
TT

 

[mushrooms]

I have seen the Chaenomeles Double Take (TM) hybrids all around So Cal nurseries. The amount of flowers they produce is massive!

Upland Nursery has some contorted quince right now in bloom. I also saw some Toyo Nishiki near the back with fruit.
Mimosa Nursery in LA also has some quince like Cameo and Peach Double Take.
San Gabriel Nursery has some unnamed pre-bonsai quince too. They also get some Texas Scarlet and Super Red quince from Dave Wilson nursery but have sold out for the season.
I think Greenthumb Nursery is also likely to carry quince (probably the Double Take series).

 

[エドガー]

Thanks for the tips!
I am in south OC, so most of those are far from me... but there's a Greenthumb branch close to me. I will check it out!