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    Thread: Questions for Dick Benbow - Quince.

    1. #1
      Fareastkoi is offline Senior Member
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      Questions for Dick Benbow - Quince.

      Dick,

      I got this quince from an quince expert bonsai here in San Jose, CA a few years back. This quince is a bout 18 years old. However, I've not get it to bloom like when I first got it. I've re-soiled it last spring and I use Miracle-growth fertilizer everytime I water it. Please let me know what kind of fertilizer I should use? and should I repot it to a bigger pot? Also, what type of soil should I use? Thank you very much.
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    2. #2
      dick benbow's Avatar
      dick benbow is offline "The Koi Coach"
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      First let me start off by apologising for being so tardy for your response from me. I am really sorry......

      The key to quinces is to quit fertilizing with Nitrogen fertilizers around the end of august
      and switch to a fertilizer that 0-10-10. This sets the plant up with what it needs to bloom the following spring. You quit fertilizing with the first hard frost. The first number-nitrogen-the plant uses to grow and make leaves. Most quince tend to put blooms out on the ends of thier branches so if you prune the leggy extenstions from summer in the fall, you may be creating your problem of less blooms. The trick is to maybe use 1/10th of the amount suggested for miraclegrow each time you water during the spring and summer. We want to maintain health but not push too hard. After the initial growth spurt in spring, when the wood starts to harden say around june. Cut your NEW long shoots back to about 3 leaves.

      Soil wise, quince like thier moisture so you want to run with something that has more organics ( bark etc) then say a soil used for pines which has more drainage. If your familar with japanese soil then you'd do a 50-50 split of akadama and kiru (pumice) or a volcanic rock. My mixture here is one third fir bark, one third red volcanic, and one third
      pumice.

      when it comes to upsizing the pot, more roots create more growth....I'd be tempted to
      repot in spring about the time buds are swelling and take about 20% of the roots off and repot it right back in the same old pot.

      I must honestly tell you that one quince I bought two years ago from an estate sale, I have never been able to see bloom. So I quess what I'm saying is like koi there is always one weird individual that doesn't seem to respond like all the others

      I love the quince, very nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      Dick Benbow
      "The Koi Coach"
      member Team Purdin

    3. #3
      dick benbow's Avatar
      dick benbow is offline "The Koi Coach"
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      here is my toyo Nishiki getting ready to bloom. It's not as old as you but pretty vigorus.
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      Dick Benbow
      "The Koi Coach"
      member Team Purdin

    4. #4
      Fareastkoi is offline Senior Member
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      Quote Originally Posted by dick benbow View Post
      here is my toyo Nishiki getting ready to bloom. It's not as old as you but pretty vigorus.
      Wow. Your quince is so vibrant. Thank you very much Dick. Your help is greatly appreciated. I'm planning to re-pot this quince this weekend. I don't have akadama soil in hand. However, I'll try to mix 50% of pumice rock in the new soil. I'll try the new fertilizer method that you have details. I'll update you next year to see how this progress.

      I've enclosed an updated picture of this quince that I took about a week ago.
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    5. #5
      dick benbow's Avatar
      dick benbow is offline "The Koi Coach"
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      Love how the blooms go from white to pink. It truely is a beautiful bonsai!
      Dick Benbow
      "The Koi Coach"
      member Team Purdin

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