North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Elizabeth Hilborn <ehilborn@mebtel.net>]

Now that you mention rust, I do remember that another reason I removed 
the Chaenomeles was that 2 of three bushes were severely affected by 
rust. I remember one variety - the name has escaped me, bore the 
majority of edible fruit as most fruit was infected and inedible on the 
two other varieties.

I have the same problem with serviceberries. Most years I get no edible 
fruit.

We must have a bad location (humid valley) as I see Eastern Red cedars 
everywhere around here.  I do not think everyone in this area has these 
severe rust issues.

Betsy Hilborn
7a NC


On 5/22/2016 8:27 AM, Louis Pittman wrote:
> I have seen rust on Chaenomeles - but not here at the house.
> Saw a particularly ugly infestation on a single pear tree, years ago when I
> was visiting the old Dr. Alexander Nunn orchard at Lochapoka AL... needless
> to say, I didn't bring any budwood from that one...
> I'm not certain which strains of the rust fungus I have here.  Certainly
> cedar-apple, as I see the lesions on some apples (Gold Rush) and native
> crabs.   Last couple of years, I've lost virtually my entire mayhaw crop to
> rust infestation - mostly just hits the developing fruits, but I do have
> one grafted selection (I've lost the IDs) that develops some ugly stem
> lesions that necessitate pruning out.   Have not experienced rust on the
> serviceberries here, but some we planted at the elementary school my kids
> attended, about 2 miles away, get hit pretty hard most years.
>
> Plenty of J.virginiana around.  Barring some blight that selectively took
> them out, cedar-something rust is always going to be a factor.
>
> Lucky
>
> On Sat, May 21, 2016 at 10:20 PM, Elizabeth Hilborn <ehilborn@mebtel.net>
> wrote:
>
> > Thank you Richard, Yes this is what happens (rusty quince) when one tries
> > to step outside the lines. Sometimes it works - just often enough keep me
> > exploring.
> >
> > I was inspired by some of your earlier posts to plant 3 Chaenomeles
> > bushes, they were three named cultivars (Toyo Nishiki and 2 others)
> > purchased from One Green World about 10 years ago. However, although the
> > plants bore well, I just did not care for the fruit, even eventually
> > discarding some of the processed pulp I had frozen back.
> >
> > I rooted out all three bushes and other fruits are now in their place,
> > although I still get Chaenomeles suckers every spring- they are persistent.
> >
> > I may suffer from a lack of imagination for how to use the fruit...
> >
> > Betsy
> >
> >
> >
> > On 5/21/2016 10:21 PM, Richard Moyer wrote:
> >
> > > Betsy,
> > > After observing a neighborhood C. oblonga die from fireblight, have
> > > noticed
> > > many neighborhood Chaenomeles (Japanese Flowering Quince) in NE TN and SW
> > > VA which are not affected by rust or fireblight.  And we have LOTS of rust
> > > fruiting on cedars this year.
> > >
> > > Not to be splitting hairs, but Cedar-Quince Rust is distinct from
> > > Cedar-Apple Rust and Cedar-Hawthorn rust, though all three use pome fruit
> > > as alternate hosts.  See
> > >
> > > http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/diseases/rusts/cedar-quince-rust.aspx
> > >
> > > But my main point is that since 1992, we have been gathering and making
> > > quince juice, sauce, guava-like paste and quince drops (like gumdrops)
> > > from
> > > this pectin rich fruit.  Have read there are over 150 aromatic compounds
> > > in
> > > the juice; some pastry chefs have been having fun with ours.
> > >
> > > At this link is a summary of this group of quinces and work ongoing in
> > > Europe to evaluate Chaenomeles up to 2002.  I suspect some of this is
> > > still
> > > going on, and some cultivars may have been released now.
> > > Note the culinary uses listed therein:
> > > https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/pdf/rumpunen.pdf
> > >
> > > So Betsy, you could try some Chaenomeles.  Cultivars I like are 'Spitfire'
> > > and 'Toyo Nishiki'.  I like the latter for the large size of the both the
> > > mature bush and it's fruit.  These are rated Zone 5, though they sucker so
> > > freely from the base I imagine they would survive with snow cover or
> > > mulch.  But then there is the drying winds affecting flower buds, as has
> > > been noted.  Not as much of an issue in the upper SE, with out generally
> > > wet winters.
> > >
> > > For what it's worth, after trialing 25 fruiting genera at our original 2
> > > acre site, Chaenomeles is one of the few genera we introduced when moving
> > > to our farm 8 years ago.
> > >
> > > But there still are plenty of 'flowering quince' bushes as foundation
> > > plants at older homes, in the counties where I live in S. Appalachia.
> > > And the fruit is readily shared by the owners upon request each fall, and
> > > few anymore know what to do with it.  Though some remember elders their
> > > families making jelly.  Have transplanted suckers from some of those
> > > plants
> > > upon request, so with observation you may be able to identify some which
> > > are blight and rust resistant in your area, and ask to dig some starts.
> > > Said otherwise, there likely are some resistant quince already thriving in
> > > your area; others have already done the fruit exploration, probably more
> > > for ornamental reasons.
> > >
> > > Granted, Chaenomeles differs from Cydonia, so may not be a fit for you.
> > > But we enjoy working with the fruits we can grow, over striving for the
> > > fruits that don't work here (so far).
> > >
> > > I should shout out to Hector and Susie Black and clan, Lee Reich, Mike
> > > McConkey, Lucky Pittman and other NAFEXers for broadening my horizons of
> > > 'what fruits here', leading to culinary adventures.  Creative chefs also
> > > like the challenge.
> > >
> > > Thankful now for our spring rain, and for a few peaches looking good so
> > > far
> > > this year.
> > > Richard Moyer
> > > SW VA
> > >
> > >
> > > On 5/21/2016 9:42 AM, Anton Callaway wrote:
> > >
> > > > Betsy,
> > > >
> > > > I've been growing quinces for a few decades, but have just about given up
> > > because of rust.  If you can't wipe out all the red cedar trees within a
> > > 10
> > > mile radius (that's an exaggeration), then you will have problems with
> > > rust.  My last ditch effort was to bring in a 'Lisle's Special' quince,
> > > which was purported to be resistant to rust.  It is not.  I took out the
> > > tree last year.  The only quince I have remaining is a seedling of Lisle's
> > > Special.  It is also showing a lot of rust.  I expect it will be yanked
> > > out, too in a few years.
> > >
> > > > Sorry for the bad news.  I love the fruit also.
> > > >
> > > > Lester Davis gave me a quince-like tree a few years ago.  It is certainly
> > > not C. oblonga, but the fruit is similar in flavor.  It gets rust, but not
> > > so severely that I want to remove it.  It also has a wonderful fragrance
> > > akin to the C. oblonga fruit from my grandmother's yard and the
> > > exfoliating
> > > bark is quite ornamental.  You might contact him for more information.
> > >
> > > > Best regards,
> > > >
> > > > Anton
> > > > Piedmont region of NC, near RTP
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > >
> > > > > From: Elizabeth Hilborn <ehilborn@mebtel.net>
> > > > > Sent: May 17, 2016 8:38 PM
> > > > > To: mailing list at ibiblio - Northamerican Allied Fruit Experimenters <
> > > > nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> > > > Subject: [nafex] My poor young quince
> > > > > I have never tried growing Cydonia oblonga before as we have severe fire
> > > > > blight here. However, a site opened up with good ventilation and first
> > > > > AM sun. I love the fruit so I bought a tree. It arrived in our warm
> > > > > early spring, I was able to protect it from the late freezes. It was
> > > > > vigorous and put out at least 10 inches of new growth with healthy
> > > > leaves.
> > > > Now, although it has escaped fire blight, it is suffering extensively
> > > > >from rust. The apical meristem is brown and necrotic, each leaf is at
> > > >
> > > > > least somewhat deformed and every petiole is swelling with future
> > > > > fruiting bodies. One petiole has already started releasing spores.
> > > > >
> > > > > I feel like I have staked a goat out in a tiger infested jungle.
> > > > >
> > > > > So, does anyone have experience with this? Is this young tree destined
> > > > > to die a long, protracted death, or can it survive this severe rust
> > > > > infection?  I would rather rip the quince out if it is a hopeless cause
> > > > > for survival. This IS a bad rust year, my apples are suffering too - not
> > > > > every year is so bad....
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Betsy Hilborn
> > > > > 7a Central NC
> > > > __________________