Medlar plant grow and care – tree or shrub of the genus Mespilus also known as Mespilus germanica, Common Medlar plant perennial deciduous plant, grow for the edible fruits also as ornamental plant, grows in temperate and cold mediterranean or subtropical climate, and growing in hardiness zone 6-10a and with the right care in hardiness zone 10b.
Leaves color green light to dark in oval shape.
Flower color white with five petals, flowers grow in clusters.
Medlar plant edible fruits
Fruit color brown-yellow with a strong structure the fruit size 2-4 cm in round shape, taste remind quince and some cultivar need to be bletted or artificial ripening of fruit .
Medlar plant plant for sale – Seeds or Plants to Buy
Cool winter, if the tree attack in the beginning of the winter need to collect all the leaves and the fruit from the ground, cut all the infected branches
What is the best way to start growing? Plant / Seed
suckers
Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction? Yes, in order to get bigger fruits, sweeter and less seeds, but possible to
Difficulties or problems when growing: ?
Planting season: Winter to spring and possible in summer but less recommend, when planting bare roots winter to early spring after this it might die
Pests and diseases: Aphids, borer, mite
Pruning season: End of the autumn to beginning of the winter, but if there isn’t a lot of fruits better after the fruits season
How to prune: Prune the week branches and dead, crossing branch, in order to get bigger fruits better to reduce the buds in order to get bigger fruits, old stems, reduce the amount of branches and need to take care that all the fruits will get enough light, for tree when young need to prune all the side branches or shrub need to prune the top of the main trunk in order to induce more side branches.
Size of the plant: 3-8m, 10-24 feet, possible to grow it smaller as shrub
Growth speed in optimal condition: Medium growing
Water requirement: Average amount of water (possible to big amount of water)
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing: Full Sun
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant? No
Growing is also possible in a planter, flowerpot, containers: Yes, in containers need to keep the plants small, start with pot that will be 20-50% more than the root ball, bigger the plant smaller the percentage, every time that the tree arrive to full capacity need to switch to bigger until arrives to desirable size, better to use this method because the soil lose the viability over time and it’s efficient of care for the tree, when the plant big need to switch part of the soil, drainage it’s important and need to make holes and to use peat soil and maybe some lava grit in the bottom or something like that, put a bottom for the container and when water the plant let it fill the bottom but also need to dry in the same day.
Blooming information
Bloom season: Spring
General information about the flower White flower mostly grow in clusters
Thinning the bloom: The first years until the tree strong enough
Pollination is done by: Bees, self-pollination
Edible Fruits
Fruit harvest season: Summer / Autumn
Fruits pests or diseases: Birds, mite, fruit fly
What can be done with big quantities of Medlar plant fruits? Eaten raw, baked, jams, cakes
Work requirements on the fruit: Nothing special
How long does it take to bear fruit? 2-3 years
How to grow from seeds
Sowing requirement: Moist soil, sunny location
Saving seeds and care until sowing: Keep the seeds in cool and dark location
Sowing season: Winter to spring
Planting spacing: Better in separate pots and graft it, the best that grow transplant to the location
Depth of Sowing: 1cm (0.5 inch)
Conditions for seeds germinate: Moist soil, full sun
Watering requires for Seeds: Average amount of water / Big amount of water, don’t let it dry
Germination time: 4-6 weeks not include burying
Condition of seedling: Moist soil, put mulch and water regularly
Do the seeds require burying? Yes
Time to bury the seeds: 1-2 months, better to put it in the refrigerator or to sow it outdoor in the end of the winter
Scientific name:
Mespilus germanica
Alternative names: Common Medlar plant, Crataegus germanica
