How to prune quince

Late winter while dormant (February–March); light thinning also possible in summer. In the first 3 years, select 4–5 well-spaced main branches and remove everything else to build an open-centred goblet shape. On established trees, remove dead, diseased, or crossing branches in late winter, and thin congested fruiting spurs occasionally to maintain fruit size.

Annually for maintenance; formative pruning in years 1–3. Yes — Cydonia oblonga (fruiting quince) needs formative pruning in early years to build an open-centred framework, then light annual maintenance to remove dead, diseased, and crossing wood and maintain airflow. Unlike ornamental crabapples, fruiting quince tolerates some summer pruning without disease risk.

In the first 3 years, select 4–5 well-spaced main branches and remove everything else to build an open-centred goblet shape. On established trees, remove dead, diseased, or crossing branches in late winter, and thin congested fruiting spurs occasionally to maintain fruit size.