Almond tree: when and how to prune

Prunus dulcis

Prune an almond tree in summer, in June–August, in dry weather: lightly, thinning out the crown and removing crossing branches, and never in autumn or winter, as silver leaf and gummosis then threaten.

The almond is a small tree of 4–8 m, related to the peach, which flowers as early as February–March. It fruits mainly on one-year-old wood and on short spurs, and needs less pruning than a peach: keep the crown open, remove dead and diseased wood, and leave plenty of young shoots. You do this in summer, because as with all stone fruit, silver leaf and gummosis get in through the wounds in autumn and winter. Pruning does not help against peach leaf curl: for that you need a rain shelter.

Updated on 10 October 2026

Key facts
Pruning months	June–August
Nesting season (15 March–15 August)	Take care in June–August
Flowering	March
Native to Belgium	No, planted

Almond tree: when to prune it?

Prune in June–August, when the tree is in full leaf, on a dry, warm day: the wounds then close quickly.

Don’t prune in autumn or winter, nor in wet weather: silver leaf and gummosis then get in through the wounds.

Twigs that suddenly wilt and wither in spring have blossom wilt. Cut them out straight away, back into healthy wood: this is not pruning, but hygiene.

What else to prune in those months? June · July · August

Almond tree: how to prune it?

In its first years, give a young tree an open crown, with three or four main branches on a short trunk and an open centre: that lets sun and air into the crown.
Thin out a mature tree: remove crossing, rubbing and inward-growing branches, and branches that are too close together.
It fruits mainly on one-year-old wood and on short spurs. So leave plenty of young shoots, spread across the crown, and don’t shorten them all.
Saw off dead and diseased branches back into healthy wood, just outside the branch collar. Cut a branch with silvery leaves, a sign of silver leaf, well back; then disinfect your saw.
On a south-facing wall, tie in a fan-trained tree with its branches spread out like a fan. Shoots growing towards the wall or straight out to the front are removed in summer.
Leave saw cuts as they are, without wound paint: a clean cut made in summer closes best on its own.

How much to cut, and how often?

Little: a light thinning every summer, and never more than about a fifth of the crown in one go.
An almond does not need renewing as strictly as a peach: its short spurs bear fruit several years running. Only remove the oldest, worn-out ones.
Bring a neglected tree back over two or three summers, removing a few of the worst branches each time: large wounds heal poorly.

What does it mean for wildlife?

Pruning in June–August largely falls in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Blackbirds and chaffinches sometimes nest in an almond: look carefully first, as disturbing an active nest is against the law, or wait until after 15 August.
The blossom in February–March is one of the first food sources for queen bumblebees and early bees. There are still few of them about: help pollination with a soft brush.
Pruning does not prevent peach leaf curl: from January to April, put a small rain shelter over a small tree or fan, and pick off affected leaves. Don’t spray poison against aphids: ladybirds and tits deal with them.
Bitter almonds from an unknown tree or a seedling are poisonous: never taste them, and keep them away from children and pets. Healthy prunings can go on a dead hedge, for hedgehogs and wrens.

Common mistakes

Pruning in autumn or winter, so silver leaf and gummosis get in through the wounds.
Shortening or removing all the young shoots, so no fruiting wood is left.
Expecting pruning to prevent peach leaf curl, instead of putting up a rain shelter from January to April.
Sawing in wet weather, so fungi and bacteria easily get in.
Pruning in summer without checking for nests first.

Caution: Prone to peach leaf curl, like the peach. Don’t prune in autumn or winter (silver leaf and gummosis).

Nearby: related pruning guides

Plant profile: Almond tree · Pruning calendar and basic rules