Almond tree, amazing when blooming

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Before a single leaf unfolds, the almond tree (Prunus dulcis) drapes itself in a white robe, the first fruit tree to bloom at the end of winter. Easy to grow and asking for little care, it bears almonds eaten fresh and green in summer or dry in fall, provided its frost-sensitive flowers stand well sheltered from cold winter winds.

Caring and pruning it are steps that will lead to a quality harvest of almonds.

• Read also: health benefits and therapeutic value of sweet almond

How to plant an almond tree

Recommended is to plant your almond tree in fall to speed root development up before winter, because this tree has a very early growth phase.

If you must plant during winter, spring or summer, avoid frost and freezing and heat waves, and water regularly in summer.

• Provide for adequate, regular watering at planting and during the 2 first years after that.
• Even though it may be self-pollinating, almond trees are more productive if another pollinating variety is planted nearby.
• Follow our advice on planting shrubs.

Although the almond tree itself isn’t vulnerable to the cold, the blooming can be adversely affected and abort in case of late frost spells.

• Since almond flowers are very sensitive to the cold, it is highly recommended to find a spot for it that is very sheltered from cold winter winds.

Pruning and caring for almond trees

Pruning your almond tree takes place quite early, towards the end of summer and at the beginning of fall.

The almond tree slowly enters its dormant state and this span of time is when pruning avoids excessive sap runoff which often leads to gummosis.

So no point in taking the risk of cutting your almond tree back too severely.

• Simple clearing of the inside of the tree to ensure proper light penetration is enough.
• Also eliminate dead, weak or crossing branches.

• Almonds bear on short spurs and on the previous year’s shoots, so heading back young branches removes some of the coming crop, though spurs elsewhere on the tree still fruit.
• Cut back to a branch collar or a healthy side shoot rather than leaving stubs, which dry out and let cankers in.
• Pick off any mummified almonds still hanging in the branches while you prune, as they harbour fungus and moth larvae until the next crop.
• Remove suckers arising below the graft union, since they grow from the rootstock — often a peach-almond hybrid such as GF-677 — and divert water and nutrients from the grafted variety.

All there is to know about the almond tree

Easy to grow and requiring only limited care, the almond tree also has the advantage of offering a very beautiful blooming at the end of winter and generously bears fruits as early as July.

• The almond tree flowers appear before the leaves do.
• It is the 1^st fruit tree to bloom at the end of winter.
• The almond tree is considered to be one of the symbols of virginity.

Often planted as a standalone, its small size makes it possible to set it up in small groups of 3 or 4.

The fruits are about 1 ½ to 2 inches (4-5 cm) large and can be eaten either fresh and green in summer, or dry in fall.

A symbol of love and virginity, the almond tree drapes itself in a white robe in spring before any leaves have even appeared. This white robe is similar to that of a bride on her wedding day.

• Read also: health benefits and therapeutic value of sweet almond

The almond tree year: when to plant, prune and pick

Almond growing runs on a very early calendar, from autumn planting to a harvest that happens twice over. Here is what to do and when, and the reason behind each date.

After picking, hull the almonds and dry them in the sun on well-ventilated mesh trays.

Which almond variety to plant

Almond cultivars differ mainly in whether they set fruit on their own, how early they blossom (and so how exposed they are to late frost), and the thickness of the shell. The following varieties are the ones commonly offered by garden centres and mainstream fruit tree catalogues.

Harvesting almonds

The harvest takes place in either of two distinct time frames in the year, depending on whether you hope to eat fresh almonds or dry ones.

The almonds of the almond tree are harvested at the end of spring, towards May-June if you want them fresh or green, and often towards the month of September at the end of summer if you want them dry.

• To harvest almonds dry, wait for the husk (the part that surrounds the shell) to have dried out and opened.

Watch out though for bitter almond (fruit of the wild almond tree), because it contains hydrogen cyanide which is poisonous to man and can even be fatal if high doses are ingested.

Health benefits of almonds

Almond has high oil, protein, carbohydrate and vitamin contents.

It also has cosmetic properties that are softening and hydrating in case of skin inflammation (wound-healing and anti-inflammatory in cosmetology).

Almond both softens and acts as a skin tonic, which gives it uses much appreciated in dermatology.

Lastly, almond tree buds are used in gemmotherapy since they have been said to have anti-sclerosis effects for elderly persons.

Animals also benefit from almond, since veterinarians use it on herds for its laxative properties.

• Almonds are one of the richest food sources of vitamin E, along with useful amounts of magnesium and fibre.
• Keep shelled almonds in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place, because their high unsaturated oil content turns rancid once exposed to warmth, air and light.
• Eat almonds with the brown skin on: that coat holds most of the nut’s polyphenol antioxidants, along with some of its fibre, and blanching removes it.