How to Grow Quince from Seed: The Quick and Easy Way

To grow quince from seed, start harvesting the fruit in late winter/early springtime. The fruits should be dark-colored and somewhat soft when they are ripe. Once you have collected enough fruit, wash them and remove the skin using a knife or peeler. Quarter the fruit and place it in water containing 1 tablespoon of sugar per Liter to help improve acidity levels and speed up ripening time. This will also make sure there aren’t any pests present. Place your newly acquired quinces into baskets or containers filled with moist soil and cover them with plastic wrap for protection against direct sunlight exposure.

The Best Time to Plant

Plant in late June or early July for optimal results when trees are dormant. When planted and cared for afterward, this tree is no different than any other deciduous fruit tree.

Following the recommended planting distance of 5 2.5–3 meters, you will need between 667 and 800 trees per hectare. Planting distances of 6 4.5 meters should be used, yielding about 370 trees per hectare, where seedling rootstock has been used because the trees are expected to grow larger. This is especially true in areas with deep and fertile soils.

All quinces are susceptible to superficial blemishes due to their thin skin and open growth habit.

How to Plant Quince Seeds

Planting quince seeds can be daunting, but with a little bit of patience and luck, they’ll reward you with delicious fruit in the coming months. Before you get started, make sure to choose a good spot for the quince seeds. Quince trees grow best in areas with plenty of sunlight and well-drained soil. Once you’ve chosen the right spot, it’s time to plant. Make sure to water the quince seeds occasionally as they may require it once they’ve germinated. Be patient, and you’ll have fruit trees in no time!

• Though quince shrubs can be grown from seed, special attention must be paid to the young plants during their first winter. When started in pots in the house in February, quince plants may be ready for bud grafting in the fall. The fruit quality of quince trees grown from seed is a crapshoot, but the vast majority of quince trees still yield fruit suitable for baking and canning. Seedling quince accepts scions from pear cultivars and select quince trees, providing orchardists with a wide range of fruiting options from a single, resilient rootstock.
• In the fall, collect quince fruit, clean it, and then save the seeds. The seeds should be cleaned in running water and dried on a paper towel for at least two days. The seeds should be stored in a cool, dry place indoors, away from direct sunlight.
• Put the three-quarters cup of clean, damp sand into a quart-sized zip-top plastic bag. Quince seeds should be placed in a sealed bag. Using gentle massage motions, combine the sand and seeds in the bag.
• Put the sand and seeds in the fridge. To germinate, quince seeds need to be chilled for a while, a process known as stratification. Storing the bag at a temperature just above freezing is recommended.
• Spread potting soil in seedling pots. Plant one or two seeds in each container at a depth of 1/2 inch. Water the pots thoroughly. Keep the containers in indirect sunlight near a south-facing window.
• After most seeds have germinated, transfer the pots to a windowsill. When one plant in each container has its second set of leaves, pinch it off or remove it.
• After the last chance of frost has passed and the weather has warmed up, harden off quince seedlings by placing them outside in containers for a few hours each day. Start spending more time each day outside. The quince only needs a week to become fully acclimated to outdoor conditions.
• Put the quince trees in your garden in a row while they are still in their peat pots to enjoy the summer outdoors. Do not crowd the plants in the row by more than 1 1/2 feet in width; wait until late fall, when dormancy has set in, to move them to their permanent orchard locations.