How to Grow and Care for Almond Trees

How to Plant Almond Trees

When to Plant

Almond trees are usually sold as bare root seedlings for planting in late winter or early spring during dormancy.

Selecting a Plant Site

Almonds require full sun, at least six to eight hours, and well-draining soil. The tree won’t tolerate clay soil. Plant almond trees at least 10 feet away from sewer and water lines.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

Space your almond trees 15 to 20 feet apart.

Almond trees have one main long taproot. Dig a hole that is deep and wide enough to fit the taproot without bending or trimming it. Place the taproot in the center of the hole and gently spread out the other roots.

Place a potted tree at the same depth it was growing in the pot. If you are planting a bare root tree, take a close look at the trunk, which has a different color than the root. Plant it so the root flare (where the roots are attached to the trunk) is just above the soil line.

If planting in a windy location, stake the tree for support. Tie it only loosely to the stake; the tree should be able to sway. Remove the stake after the first season.

Almond Tree Care

The most critical aspect of growing almonds successfully is a suitable climate. If those conditions are in place, the tree does not require a lot of care.

Light

At least six to eight hours of full sun daily are needed for the tree to bear the most flowers (and potentially nuts).

Soil

The soil should have excellent drainage with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Sandy soil is best. Poorly drained or heavy clay soil is not suitable for growing almonds. Till the soil deeply before planting so that the roots can strike down deep.

Water

Almond trees need a lot of water, especially during the nut development stage. Aim for about 3 to 4 inches of water per week, or enough to keep the soil moist. However, be mindful of overwatering, which may cause root rot.

Temperature and Humidity

Almond trees have very specific temperature requirements. Between November and January, they need at least 300 chilling hours with temperatures below 45 degrees F, followed by a long frost-free period since almonds take seven to eight months to mature. The trees are highly vulnerable to severe cold and a spring frost is damaging to the flowers.

Summers must be hot with temperatures between 75 to 95 degrees F and low humidity. It is for these reasons that almond nut production in the United States occurs mainly in California.

Fertilizer

Fertilize your almond tree in spring with a balanced fertilizer. Apply this fertilizer along the drip line of the tree. For the amount to use, follow product label instructions.

Pollination

Most almond trees are not self-fertile. For cross-pollination, you need two or more cultivars whose flowering times line up. Reputable nurseries will spell out the pollination needs of the trees they sell and recommend which cultivar to plant for pollination, how many trees, and at what distance.

An alternative is to select a self-fertile variety.

Types of Almond Trees

• ‘All-In-One Almond’ is a self-fertile tree so you need to plant one to get almonds. It grows 12 to 15 feet tall and wide. It blooms late, which reduces the risk of cold damage when a spring frost hits. USDA Zones 6-9
• ‘Garden Prince’ is a self-fertile variety that only grows 6 to 8 feet tall, which makes it suitable for small spaces. With its large pink spring blossoms, it also has ornamental value. USDA Zones 6-10
• ‘Titan’ is a variety known for its hardiness. It blooms late and needs another late-blooming pollinizer. It grows 20 feet tall. USDA Zones 5-9
• ‘Seaside’ (Prunus dulcis ‘Primorskiy’) is a late-blooming and early-ripening almond that reaches 14 feet in height. It is partially self-fertile but produces higher yields if planted with a different variety as a pollinizer. USDA Zones 5-9
• ‘Nikita’s Pride’ is an especially hardy almond variety that was developed in Ukraine. It grows up to 20 feet tall. Although it is partially self-fertile, planting another late-blooming variety makes it highly productive. USDA Zones 5-9

Sweet Almond Tree vs. Bitter Almond Tree

The bitter almond tree, Prunus dulcis var. amara, is less common than Prunus dulcus, which produces edible sweet almonds. Bitter almonds are toxic; they contain high amounts of the natural plant toxin amygdaline, which causes cyanide poisoning. The almond trees you’ll find at nurseries are all sweet almond trees.

Harvesting Almonds From Your Tree

Almonds give you a clue as to when they are ready to be harvested: The hulls begin to split apart, revealing the familiar, light-colored shell. Do not wait too long after this splitting to harvest your almond nuts because the exposed shell is now fair game to both birds and insects.

The easiest way to get the almonds off the tree is to tap the branches with a pole. Lay a tarp down ahead of time to catch the almonds as they fall to make pick-up easier.

After gathering the almonds, they must be dried properly, or else they become moldy. Drying requires several steps:

1. Remove the hulls.
2. Spread the nuts out (with the shells still on), in a thin layer, across a surface conducive to drying. An ideal surface would be a table, the top of which has been replaced by a screen. Cover the shelled nuts with mesh to prevent birds from taking them, and cover them with a tarp when rain is expected.
3. Check if the drying process is complete by sampling the “nuts.” Crack the shells of a few to find out whether the edible seeds within are hard or rubbery. If they are rubbery, then they are not completely dried out yet. If they are hard, then they are ready.
4. When you have determined that your crop has dried out enough, bring the rest of the nuts, with their shells still on, indoors. Stored at room temperature, they will keep for eight months.

How to Grow an Almond Tree in Pots

Almonds trees, even dwarf varieties, are too large to be permanently grown in containers.

Pruning

Pruning an almond tree annually during its dormancy is key to keeping an almond tree vigorous, healthy, and productive. Remove the following with sanitized pruning tools:

• Dead or broken branches or branches growing towards the middle of the tree
• Limbs, branches, and shoots blocking light and air from reaching the center of the tree
• Branches crossing one another
• Poorly angled or wide-angled branches that prevent the tree from growing in an upward shape.

Propagating an Almond Tree

Almond trees are propagated through grafting, which ensures that the tree has a solid rootstock and produces a high-quality crop. This is difficult for home gardeners to do, therefore it is best to purchase a tree from a reputable nursery. Some varieties are also protected by a trademark and may not be propagated in any form.

Overwintering

The best winter protection to give your tree is planting an almond variety that is winter-hardy in your growing zone and blooms late, which minimizes the risk of the blooms getting damaged by a late spring frost.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Almond growers in California note that the navel orangeworm, the larvae of a small moth. is the worst offender of the crop. The pest bores into the almonds and feeds on them. Prevention consists of removing and destroying any mummy nuts (those that remain on the tree after harvest) in fall or winter and, as a next step, insecticides specifically designed to treat navel orangeworm.

Leafrollers are another pest that eats the buds of almond trees. Otherwise, look out for aphids and scale that produce honeydew (insect waste), attracting ants to the tree. If conditions are dry, look for white webs from spider mites, and spray them off the tree with water.

Almond trees are also susceptible to many fungal diseases. Fungal infections, such as canker, can kill the tree. Other fungal problems, such as anthracnose and leaf spot, are controlled with fungicides.

FAQ

• • It can take as long as five years or longer until the tree starts producing almonds. Once it has started producing, an almond tree has a lifespan of about 25 years and will continue to produce nuts if cared for properly.

• • The first phase of harvesting almonds is to shake them off the trees. Farmers use machines called shakers to encourage the shelled almonds to drop off the tree to the ground where they will dry for about a week. Once the shells are dry, a sweeper grabs the nuts for further harvesting steps.

• • The almonds you buy at the grocery store won’t germinate; to grow an almond tree, you’ll need fresh, untreated almonds to germinate. But even if you are successful, it won’t be more than a fun experiment to do with kids and won’t grow into a fruit-bearing tree. Almond trees are propagated by grafting.