Almond

Almond: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Small tree of 4–8 m with an open, somewhat irregular crown about 5 m across.

Leaf

Alternate, lanceolate, 7–12 cm, finely toothed and glossy, with a fairly long leaf stalk (2–3 cm).

Bark

Dark grey, cracked into small plates.

Flower

Pale pink to white flowers (3–5 cm), single or in pairs, February–March, well before the leaves.

Fruit

Greyish-green, velvety, flattened fruits (3–6 cm) whose leathery flesh splits open in September; inside, a hard, pitted shell containing the almond.

Difference from peach

Peach has pink blossom a little later, a shorter leaf stalk and juicy fruits.

Difference from apricot

Apricot has broad, roundish leaves and orange, edible fruits.

Flowering: March · Harvest and fruit: June–July and September–October · Pruning: June–August

Identify by feature: Long, narrow leaves · White blossom · Pink blossom

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Peach Prunus persica: pink blossom a little later, a shorter leaf stalk and juicy fruits. Difference from peach
• Apricot Prunus armeniaca: broad, roundish leaves and orange, edible fruits. Difference from apricot

Why grow it?

• One of the earliest trees to flower, in February–March.
• In good years, your own almonds, fresh or dried.
• Tolerates drought better than most fruit trees.
• A small tree that fits into an ordinary garden.

Almond: where does it grow best?

• Full sun and warmth: against a south-facing wall or in a sheltered, sunny spot.
• Dry, well-drained soil; it dislikes wet roots.
• Out of cold winds, and not in a low, cold corner where frost lingers at night.
• Allow about 5 m across.

Light

Full sun

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Dry

Size

6 m tall, 5 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Apricot: Another stone fruit for a warm, sheltered spot, with the same summer pruning.
• Rosemary: A Mediterranean shrub for the same dry, sunny soil.
• English lavender: Flowers in summer at the dry foot of the tree and attracts bees.

Almond: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant from November to March; a container-grown tree can go in all year, except in frost or drought.
2. Many varieties need a second variety for pollination: if you only have room for one tree, choose a self-fertile variety.
3. Buy a grafted tree of a sweet variety: a seedling may produce bitter almonds.
4. Keep the graft union above the soil, stake the tree and water well.

Care

Pollination

It flowers so early that few bees are flying: brush a soft paintbrush from flower to flower.

Watering

Only in dry spells for the first few years; an established tree tolerates drought well.

Feeding

Some compost in spring is enough.

Harvest

Harvest in September, when the flesh splits open: take out the shells and let them dry for a few weeks in an airy place.

Tip: Plant it where you can see it from the house: in February a flowering almond is one of the first signs of spring, even in a year without a crop.

Almond: when to prune it?

Pruning months: June–August.

When: In summer (June–August), in dry weather.

How:

• Prune lightly: thin out the crown and remove crossing branches.
• It fruits mainly on one-year-old wood and short spurs: leave plenty of young shoots.
• Saw off dead and diseased branches back into healthy wood.

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

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Budding

A variety is propagated by budding onto a rootstock in summer.

Sowing

An almond in its shell sown outdoors in autumn often germinates in spring, but never gives the same variety and may bear bitter almonds.

Almond: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• The wood is hardy; the blossom in February–March is easily frosted: cover a small tree with fleece when night frost threatens.
• Against leaf curl: from January to April, put a small rain shelter over a small tree or fan, just as for a peach.

Diseases and pests

• Peach leaf curl: Young leaves swell up, turn red and curled, and drop, just as on a peach. Pick off affected leaves and keep the foliage dry with a rain shelter from January to April.
• Blossom wilt: In spring, blossom and twigs suddenly wilt and wither (brown rot fungus). Cut affected twigs back into healthy wood.
• Silver leaf and gummosis: Silvery leaves, dying branches or sticky gum on trunk and branches. Saw off affected branches and prune only in summer.
• No almonds: Frosted blossom, no second variety nearby, or too cool a summer. Choose a self-fertile variety and a warm spot.

Through the year

• January: Put up a rain shelter against leaf curl.
• February: Flowering begins: cover with fleece in night frost.
• March: Flowering; hand-pollinate.
• April: Remove the rain shelter at the end of April; pick off leaves with leaf curl.
• June: Pruning: thin out the crown, in dry weather.
• July: Summer pruning; water a young tree in dry spells.
• August: Last month for pruning.
• September: Harvest: take the almonds out of the splitting flesh and dry them.
• November: Planting.

What can you use it for?

Food and drink

Sweet almonds fresh (green) or dried; in our climate they don’t ripen every year.

Garden and landscape

One of the earliest trees to flower (February–March), for a sheltered, sunny spot.

Caution: Bitter almonds and the kernels of wild forms contain amygdalin and are poisonous.

Edible and useful

Fruit (June–July)

Pick green almonds in June–July, when the fruits have reached full size but are still grey-green, velvety and juicy. Cut one open: the shell inside should still be soft and the kernel still jelly-like or only just white and fleshy. If the shell is already hard or the kernel firm and white, it is too late for this use and you wait for the ripe almonds. First taste a small piece of one fruit: if it tastes bitter, stop and do not eat any almonds from that tree. Use green almonds as fresh as possible.

Nuts (September–October)

Pick ripe almonds in September–October, when the grey-green, fleshy hull splits open and starts to come away from the hard shell. Shake the branches or pick the fruit by hand and remove the dry hull. Leave the almonds to dry in their shells for 1 to 2 weeks in a dry, airy place, until the kernel is dry and brittle and snaps rather than bends. Only then crack the shell. Taste one kernel first: if it is bitter, that tree is not suitable and you eat none of them. Because almonds do not ripen every year in our climate, a harvest is a lovely bonus.

Storing

Dry almonds keep longest in their shells, in a cool, dry place, for up to a year. Shelled almonds keep for a few months in a closed jar in the fridge and longer in the freezer. Eat green almonds within 1 to 2 days; in the fridge they keep for a few days. Almond milk keeps for 3 days in the fridge.

Caution: Bitter almonds and the kernels of wild forms contain amygdalin, which releases hydrogen cyanide, and are poisonous: always taste one kernel first and eat none if it is bitter. Never eat bitter almonds as a snack and do not use them for liqueur or baking. Eat green almonds only from a tree that you are sure bears sweet almonds. Do not eat the kernels from peach, apricot and plum stones either: they also contain amygdalin. Almonds are a common allergen (tree nuts): people who are allergic avoid them even in small amounts. Throw away mouldy or musty almonds. Do not pick from sprayed trees and never eat anything you have not identified with certainty.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Green almonds with salt and lemon (Dish · 4 servings (as a nibble) · 10 min)
• Caramelised almonds (Dish · ± 250 g · 20 min)
• Homemade almond milk (Other · ± 800 ml · 15 min + 8 hrs soaking)
• Soft almond biscuits (Dish · ± 20 biscuits · 40 min)

Did you know?

• Wild almonds are bitter and poisonous. The sweet almond owes its taste to a single gene mutation, which people selected thousands of years ago.
• Botanically, the almond is not a nut but the seed of a stone fruit, just like that of the peach and the apricot.
• Almond and peach are so closely related that they cross with each other; such a hybrid is also used as a rootstock for fruit trees.