Pruning flowering quince

I usually aim to prune flowering quince such as boke, toyonishiki, or chojubai in fall after most of the leaves turn color and begin to fall off. In recent years, however, my garden has lacked the cold required to make this happen.

Flowering quince in early January

When this happens, I defoliate the trees and prune them to give them a short break (they usually start blooming immediately after cutback).

White flowering quince after cutback – 12″

My goal for cutback at this time of year is to remove any shoots growing from areas where I don’t need them and to shorten the year’s new growth to reduce the internode length and create an attractive silhouette.

When are new shoots not needed? When they’re growing downwards or towards the center of the composition, when there are two or more branches emerging from the same spot, or when they are growing in crowded areas that are unlikely to receive enough light during the growing season.

White flowering quince before pruning

After pruning – 10″

As always with alternate budding species, the goal is to prune to outwards facing buds to create attractive movement in the branches.

Chojubai before pruning

After pruning – 11″

Although little wiring is needed at this stage, each of these trees can benefit from modest branch arrangement with a few wires or guy wires. I try to avoid over-wiring quince as the wire can cut in quickly during the growing season if it’s not checked regularly.

News & Updates

[Local Event]

• The Bay Area Bonsai Associates (BABA) will hold their 42nd Annual Bonsai Exhibit next weekend on January 17–18 at the Lakeside Park Garden Center at Lake Merritt in Oakland. The event will include exhibit displays, food, a demonstration by Adam Toth, plant sales, and a raffle.
  
  The event runs from 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Saturday (featuring Adam’s demo and light dinner) and 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Sunday.

[Seattle Area Event]

• The Puget Sound Bonsai Association will host their 2026 Winter Silhouette Show on January 31 and February 1st at the Bellevue Botanical Garden in Bellevue, Washington, from 10am – 4pm both days. An artist tour of our exhibit featuring bonsai professionals Aarin Packard (Saturday) and David De Groot (Sunday) at 1pm will provide visitors with insights to the displays. Parking and admission are free. Learn more at the Puget Sound Bonsai Association website.

[National Event]

• This fall, the first ever US National Tropical Bonsai Exhibition will be held in Houston, Texas, on September 5-6, 2026. Event organizers Pedro Morales, Mike Lane, Hurley Johnson, and Dawn Koetting are putting together a fantastic program featuring a tropical-focused vendor area, demonstrations, and an exhibit featuring 100 outstanding tropical bonsai.
  
  The team is currently looking for submissions for the exhibit. Submissions will be accepted through June 15. There are also sponsorship opportunities available for businesses and individuals looking to support the event.
  
  To learn more about the event, check out Evan Pardue’s conversation with organizer Dawn Koetting on the Little Things for Bonsai Podcast. To submit a tree, donate to the event, or sponsor an award, check out the US National Tropical Bonsai website.