Quince fruit has fuzzy-skinned and looks like a squat pear and an apple. The plant of quince is a large bush as large as 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall. And we know this quince as an autumn fruit.
A ripe quince comes with yellow skin and hints of green. The quince fruit has tiny seeds and contains yellowish-white flesh. This fruit weighs as much as 10 pounds, and it can reach 5 inches in diameter. We can eat quince raw, but it is very tart in taste. Commonly, quince fruit is cooked and made into jelly, added to fruit compotes, or made into crisps, cobblers, and tarts. And quince is not difficult to grow.
Process of Quince Farming in India
Quince farming is very profitable for all Indian farmers; therefore, we provide essential information regarding it. Apart from this, you should also know the main factor when you start quince farming in your farms. Equipements plays the leading role while farming. Rotavator, Cultivator, Harvester, and tractor are significant equipment in quince farming. Therefore you should choose the best equipment, and tractors are the most prominent among them. You can choose the New Holland 3600 tractor for quince farming. You can also choose any other tractor models such as Sonalika 35, Powertrac 439 Plus, and many more. Let’s look at the process of quince farming in the below section.
Best Site and Climate for Growing Quince
Quince grows well in Zones 5 to 9. This fruit is so hard to peach but not as hardy as pear. It belongs to the same botanical subfamily as a pear.
You can plant the quince fruit in full sun. Plant the quince in well-drained and compost-rich soil, and you should choose the pH of the soil is 6.5, slightly acidic. Plant the plant in a warm, sheltered location close to a wall to receive reflected heat. Avoid planting quince in low places where frost and cold air settles.
Planting Quince
- You can plant the quince any time during the growing season. But you should avoid the dry and hot weather while planting the quince.
- You should plant the quince in early spring while the quince plant is still dormant, which is optimal.
- Prepare a planting site in the complete sun that is protected from the prevailing wind.
- You should work well-rotted compost or manure into the soil.
- Again dig a pit half as deep and twice as wide as the plant’s roots. Pour one cup of all-purpose fertiliser into the bottom of the hole.
- Set the quince plant in the hole so that the soil mark on the stem from the nursery pot is level with the surrounding soil. Remove all burlap and twine from bolted and Burlapped trees. Spread the roots in all directions.
- Refill the hole with half soil and half old compost or commercial organic planting mix; Be firm in the soil so that there are no air pockets between the roots. Build a slight clay basin around the trunk to contain the soil in the water and water at the watering time.
- Water thoroughly with a high-phosphorus liquid starter fertiliser after planting.
Container Growing Quince
- Farmers can grow the quince in a container 18 inches deep and larger or wide.
- You should plant the quince tree in a commercial organic potting mix. Along with this, keep the soil evenly moist but not wet.
- You should grow the quince in a container with an all-purpose fertiliser that is higher in potassium.
- After two years, repot the tree in a container 24 inches deep and wide.
- You should keep the tree small and prune the top and root each winter.
Quince Care, Nutrients, and Water
- For best fruit production, water the quince plant regularly and keep the soil evenly moist.
- In early spring, feed quince with a general blended fertiliser before starting the growth.
- In mid-spring, mulch around plants with aged compost. Aged compost mulch will help in feeding the soil and keep down weeds.
Training and Pruning Quince
- Quince fruit is trained as a shrub, but you can train it as a small tree. In the first year, prune the quince to the size of an open centre by cutting the central leader to approximately 24 inches. Select scaffolding branches; Trim these back to two buds and remove all other branches.
- Established quince plants do not require much pruning. However, prune in winter to keep the plant open to sunlight and wind; Remove any broken or diseased branches.
- Quince fruits mainly at the tips of growth from the previous summer. Prune quince like a tip-bearing apple. If the lateral shoots are less than 9 inches long, they can be left uncut; These shoots will flower and fruit at the end of growth in the next season. You should cut the long side shoots about 6 inches long.
- Branches on the back of the head bend and become leggy. Also, remove the suckers that grow from the root.
- Black knots are natural on trunks and branches, and you should not remove them.
- Quince fruits usually do not thin out unless there is an extra-heavy harvest.
Equipment Requirement
With information about quince cultivation, you should also know the equipment that will help to boost the yield. Tractors are an essential segment in every cultivation. However, the Mahindra 575 is the most effective tractor for farming, and you can easily check this Mahindra 575 price list online. Apart from this, you can choose Swaraj 742, Eicher 551, and many more.
For more information regarding quince farming Blog in India, stay tuned with us.