Decorative almond. Decorative almonds: planting and care

" Trees

Almond is a tall tree or bush, which belongs to the genus Plum and the family Pink. Many people think that almonds are a nut, but in fact they are not, they are a stone fruit.

The almond tree reaches a height of 4-6 meters, and a shrub of 2-3 meters. The rhizome consists of 3-5 skeletal roots that are able to penetrate deep into the soil, thereby protecting themselves from drying out.

The plant is quite branched, while it consists of two types of shoots, which include shortened generative and elongated vegetative ones.

dark green leaves mounted on brown petioles and have a lanceolate shape with a pointed tip.

An interesting feature of almonds is that it begins to bloom in March or April, much earlier than the time of leaf bloom.

Flowers such a plant consists of 5 petals painted in white or light pink. On average, the diameter of one flower is 2.5 centimeters.

almond fruit is a dry and velvety to the touch drupe with a leathery and fleshy green pericarp.

After drying, the pulp is very easily separated from the edible pit, oval in shape and long, equal to 2.5 - 4 centimeters. It is characterized by the presence of a large number of furrows.

The first fruiting occurs at 4-5 years of tree life., but in full force it manifests itself only for 10-12 years. At good care shrub bears fruit for 30-50 years.

In addition to getting fruit almonds are also grown for ornamental purposes.. Pink or white foam flowers of such a tree not only decorate the garden in early spring, but also exude a unique aroma.

Almond is a plant whose pollination must be taken care of in advance. There are two types of trees:

the former need cross-pollination, therefore, at least 3 pollinators are planted next to the fruiting almonds, the flowering time of which must coincide;
the latter are pollinated by bees, so it is desirable that 2-3 hives stand next to the plant.

Initially, it was believed that almonds could only be grown in the southern regions, but with the development of scientific technology, breeders have bred varieties that, with proper shelter, can survive even the harshest winter.

Varieties

Sweet varieties of almonds are grown in the culture, the following types are especially popular:

Anniversary- the variety blooms quite late, has good drought resistance. The skin is of medium thickness, and the kernel is sweet, dense and dry;
Ayudag- this variety is late-ripening and early-growing, the first fruiting occurs already in the 3rd year of the tree's life. Fruits, covered with a soft shell, are a dense, slightly flattened oval core of light brown color;
Sevastopol- such almonds boast excellent resistance to heat and drought, in addition, they bring a huge amount of yield. The shell of the fruit is soft, and the kernels themselves are dense, sweet, painted white;
mangul- This late-ripening variety is not afraid of drought. Hard and dense kernels with increased oiliness are covered with a soft shell. Distinctive feature there will be good immunity to most diseases and pests;
Dessert- such self-fertile almonds are well suited for cultivation in middle lane Russia, because he is not afraid of return frosts and frostbite of flower buds. The shell is soft and rough. The oval-shaped kernels are very sweet and oily. Primorsky or Spicy almonds are usually used as pollinators for this variety.

Rules for planting an almond tree in open ground

It is best to grow almonds from annual seedlings., which are placed in open ground at the beginning of March or at the end of November.

As a planting site choose a sunny area, protected from drafts and gusty winds, almonds can also grow well in partial shade.

It is believed that trees planted in autumn take root better than those that were transferred to the open ground in spring.

Before you plant a plant, you need to prepare a hole. In autumn, two weeks before planting, pits are dug, the diameter and depth of which will be 50-70 centimeters.

If almonds are planted in groups, then the distance between individual trees should be 3-4 meters, and between rows 5-6 meters.

A drainage layer is laid at the bottom of each pit. consisting of crushed stone or gravel. Then fertile soil is placed in them, consisting of the following elements:

1 part sand;
2 parts of humus;
3 parts of leaf land;
5-6 kilograms of rotted manure or humus;
500 grams of superphosphate;
in the presence of acidic soil, an additional 200-300 grams are added to it dolomite flour or notice.

After the pit has sufficiently infused you can start planting a tree:

initially, a support 1-1.5 meters high is dug in in the center of the pit;
then a hill is built around it from the earth;
the seedling is placed on a mound so that the root neck is 3-5 centimeters above the ground;
at the next stage, the pit is covered with fertile soil, rammed and carefully watered;
as soon as the water is completely absorbed, the seedling is tied to a support and the soil is mulched with a 3-5 cm layer of peat or dry leaves.

During the spring planting, the pit is also prepared in the autumn.

How to plant almonds:

Almond care

Almond care consists of several standard procedures that must be followed when growing almost all fruit trees.

For best fruiting almonds need regular watering. Young plants are watered every 2 weeks, and adults once every 20-25 days.

Loosening the trunk circle beneficial effect on tree growth. The first time such work is carried out at the end of March to a depth of 10-12 centimeters.

Then, during the entire growing season, another 3-4 loosening is carried out, but already to a depth of 6-8 centimeters. It is also necessary to remove weeds in a timely manner.

Almonds are very responsive to fertilizing. Starting from the 2nd year of life in late April-early May, 20 grams of ammonium nitrate or urea diluted in water are added to the near-trunk circle of each tree.

In autumn, the following mixture is added to the near-stem circle for digging:

1 kilogram of manure;
20 grams of potassium sulfide;
40 grams of superphosphate.

The first 5-7 years of the life of trees in the aisles, it is recommended to grow green manure.

In Siberia, without shelter, you can grow bean, steppe, low or Russian almonds. Three-lobed almond grows well in the central strip.

pruning

Early spring, before bud break it is necessary to remove all frozen, broken, diseased or deforming branches.

After flowering is over, you can start forming pruning., during which 3 tiers of skeletal branches are displayed:

in the first year, three branches are selected, located 15-20 centimeters apart and shortened to a length of 15 centimeters;
the next 2-3 years on the central conductor form 3 tiers, located at a distance of 20-30 centimeters;
shoots that are insignificant for crown formation are pinched several times during the summer;
the rest are cut to 50-60 centimeters;
upon completion of work, the central conductor is shortened so that the distance between it and the upper tier is 55-60 centimeters.

In autumn, after the leaves fall, carry out sanitary and anti-aging pruning. That is, they remove all dry, diseased, broken branches growing in the wrong direction and thickening the crown.

It is worth remembering that when pruning thick branches, the cut point must be processed with garden pitch.

Diseases and pests

The most common types of diseases on almonds are:

cercosporosis- initially, brown spots with a diameter of 2-4 millimeters appear on the leaves, on which you can see a gray coating. Then the center of the leaf dries up and falls off.
Scab- This fungal disease that affects the leaves, flowers and shoots of a tree.
Rust- red spots appear on the upper side of the sheet, and brown pads on the inside. Over time, the leaves dry and fall off.
perforated spotting- the disease affects all parts of the tree. You can find it on the leaves, because characteristic spots of red shades with a dark border around the edges appear on them.
Gray rot- brown spots and a gray fluffy coating appear on the shoots.

To get rid of diseases, it is necessary to remove and burn the damaged parts of the plants and carry out the treatment with fungicides according to the instructions. The most popular drugs are Horus, Topaz, Champion and Oksihom.

Of the pests on almonds, you can find insects such as seed-eater, aphid, leafworm or spider mite.

As a pest control, trees must be treated with insecticides, which include Actellik, Fufanon, Tagore.

Against aphids use Biotlin or Antitlin. Get rid of spider mite you can use the preparations Apollo, Agravertin or Fitoverm.

As you know, it is much better to prevent the occurrence of any trouble than to treat it, therefore preventive measures will be extremely effective:

in early spring, before the formation of buds, the tree and the soil around it are treated with a 1% solution of Brodsky liquid;
after the end of leaf fall, the treatment should be repeated;
the best preventive measure there will be observance of agrotechnics of cultivation. This includes proper watering, weed removal and sanitary pruning.

Remove the almonds only after the green outer shell darkens and begins to easily separate from the kernel.

The use of a flowering tree in landscape design

Almonds have a very beautiful and unusual flowering., for which he is very often planted in decorative purposes. Early flowers can only decorate a waking up garden and create a spring mood.

In addition, a well-formed crown shape will help to use such trees to create an alley or simply as a shading for recreation areas.

The almond tree is amazing flowering plant , which in modern conditions can be grown anywhere in the country. With the correct implementation of all the recommendations, you can get very tasty bone fruits.

Many people love almonds, the benefits of which are the presence of a large amount of nutrients in nuts, which are very necessary for the mental and intellectual development of a person. The damage is minimal, but more on that below. Almonds - the most valuable and very useful plant from the nut group. The fruit of the almond is commonly referred to as a nut, but it is actually the pits of the inedible almond fruit. The almond plant has an interesting duality: according to biological characteristics, its systematic position, it is a stone fruit plant, but according to the commodity characteristics of the fruit, consumption, it is a nut-bearing plant.

Biological characteristics of almonds

The almond genus unites about forty species, but only one species has become widespread as a horticultural crop - the common one (Amygdalus communis L), belonging to the multi-colored family.

In our country, the culture of almonds has recently developed, it is industrially distributed in the Crimea, Central Asia. Although it was brought to the Crimea in the VI century. The initial position of the distribution of almonds is Asia Minor.

The ancient Phoenicians in a blooming pale pink tree saw the image of the beautiful goddess Amygdala, from her name came the generic name of this culture - amygdalus. Tajiks call it “bod”, Uzbeks call it “badam”.

As a garden crop, almonds are now common in many countries and continents: in Australia, the USA (California), Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco), Yugoslavia and others.

Depending on the soil, the common almond in natural conditions has a height of 2 to 6 meters, that is, it can be in the form of a bush or a tree. The crown is wide, oval, spreading, broom-like, rarely cylindrical. Branches without thorns, straight or deviated, with numerous small branches.

Winter flower buds oblong-ovate, slightly pointed at the apex, rounded at the base. Vegetative buds are wide-conical, up to 5 mm long.

The leaves are dark greenish, sometimes with a bluish tint, soft (leather in very dry areas). Flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, monoecious. Five white petals with a pink tinge, carmine base, up to 36 stamens.

Fruit - consists of an outer pericarp, endocarp (bone) - a nut, a seed (kernel). The fruit is slightly pubescent (sometimes naked), thick, green, ripening, cracking along the ventral suture. The stone (nut) is smooth, perforated, brownish-brown (rarely white, straw-colored, fawn), varies in shape: compressed or swollen (two-seeded).

The kernel is protected by a brown thin durable shell - a nut shell, inside is white, ovate-lanceolate or oval, tastes sweet or bitter with a pleasant almond smell.

Almond buds are laid in July on annual shoots. This is clearly visible: small green tubercles are visible in the axils of the leaves, which by the end of the month become larger buds, from which flowers and vegetative buds will develop.

When harvesting almond nuts, it is advisable not to damage the developing buds, as there is a very active internal development of the flower buds at this time. The earth is moistened (do not flood!), After which they are loosened, fertilizers are applied.

In spring, pink tips of future flowers appear before flowering. The flowers consist of five light pink petals, the bases of which are painted in a bright carmine color. up to 30 stamens are placed inside the petals. the pistil, consisting of an ovary at the base, ends with a stigma.

Since almonds are strictly cross-pollinated, insects are required. Nature created this plant so that the pollen of the tree's own flower could not successfully pollinate the pistils of its own flowers, that is, the plant itself is sterile. This eliminates the deterioration of offspring, which happens during self-pollination.

Almonds form an amazingly large number of flowers, but out of tens of thousands of them, no more than 5-8% of fruits are formed on an adult plant.

Flowers are the main reserve of the seed crop. In winter, when the temperature drops to minus 22 degrees, only part of the flower buds die. Even at minus 24 degrees, up to 20% of flower buds remain viable.

With normal pollination, young almond fruit quickly increase, begins at the same time active growth new shoots. After 2.5 months from the beginning of fruit growth, the amount of fatty oil in the seeds is up to 50% of its total amount.

Almonds - benefits and harms

The delicious almond has long been revered as the epitome of wellness and health. Its nucleolus is a highly nutritious dietary, medicinal product. The core contains - 70% fatty oil, up to 15% carbohydrates, up to 35% protein. It is rich in proteins, perhaps this is the most protein-rich plant, not only among the nut-bearing ones. One hundred grams of almonds contain 85 mg of sodium, 228 mg of sulfur, 451 mg of phosphorus, 4 mg of iron, 75 micrograms of vitamin A, 75 micrograms of vitamin B 1, 600 of vitamin B 2.

The benefits of almonds, the harmonious composition of the nut kernel give it an excellent dietary and medicinal value. In terms of nutritional value, almonds are ahead of meat, milk, fish, all fruits, vegetables of temperate, subtropical zones.

It is a source of many nutrients for the mental and intellectual development of a person. It has long been considered one of the most important foods for growing children. Almonds contain two vital, brain-healthy substances - riboflavin, L-carnitine, which increase brain activity, and as a result, the risk of Alzheimer's disease is reduced. Studies have shown that almonds, as well as almond oil, are an important ingredient for general health, functioning nervous system person.

It is a fantastic source of many vitamins, minerals, and phosphorus is definitely one of them. Phosphorus affects the strength, durability of bones, teeth, and also prevents the occurrence of age-related diseases such as osteoporosis. Almond has high content vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant.

Its significance for the health and beauty of the skin is well known. Massage with almond oil is often recommended for newborns. Almond milk is added to cosmetic soaps because of its well-established reputation for improving skin condition.

Many people think that the word "fat" means something negative, but in fact, certain fatty acids are essential. They can be very beneficial for our health. The body cannot make its own fatty acids, which is why we must get them from food sources. The benefit of almonds is that they contain two very important fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids. These fatty acids help reduce inflammation throughout the body. Fatty acids also help lower "bad" cholesterol levels. They support healthy skin and hair. The presence of potassium and sodium in almonds help regulate and control fluctuations in blood pressure. Regular consumption of almonds protects the body from the dangerous spikes in blood sugar that diabetics suffer from.

It contains folic acid, which helps reduce the risk of birth defects in newborn babies. It also stimulates the growth of healthy cells and tissue formation. Doctors regularly prescribe drugs folic acid pregnant women to ensure the proper development of the fetus.

Unsweetened almond milk can be used if you are trying to lose weight. Monounsaturated fats, which contain almond kernels, reduce appetite and prevent overeating. Dietary fiber also contributes to the feeling of satiety, despite the fact that you eat a little nuts. Studies have shown that a low-calorie diet that includes almonds is beneficial for obese people who are obese, helping them to get rid of overweight. Finally, the dietary fiber contained in the kernels promotes consistent bowel movements, which also helps to lose excess weight. Overall health improves as dietary fiber helps to flush out toxins from the body.

A therapeutic emulsion is prepared from the kernel - almond milk. According to Eastern medicine, beneficial features almonds are enhanced by figs, superior to ginseng. With sugar, it is very useful for asthma, pleurisy, hemoptysis, intestinal ulcers, bladder, increases male abilities, improves eyesight.

This is an excellent honey plant and valuable wood. The almond is considered one of the earliest domesticated nut fruits. Throughout history, it has retained religious, ethnic, social significance. Almonds are mentioned ten times in the Bible, where they are described as "the best among the best fruits."

But even the most useful product can be harmful. Almonds, its nuts are a strong allergen, so it should be used very carefully by allergy sufferers, since an excessive amount can cause not only a severe allergic reaction, but even cause poisoning.

Do not eat unripe almonds - they have a high content of hydrocyanic acid, and this can also cause poisoning.

Well, a high calorie content contributes to weight gain - this, of course, is harmful for overweight people.
It comes in two varieties, sweet and bitter. Sweet is used in many Asian dishes. A popular use for crushed sweet almond kernels is marzipan candy base.

Bitter is also used in cooking, but must first be processed while still raw to remove the bitterness. Bitter almonds contain toxic amounts of hydrocyanic acid, which can be extracted from the kernels and processed into the poison cyanide. Eating a handful of unprocessed raw almonds can kill a person.

In addition to the world-famous macaroons, cakes, salted or candied kernels, I recommend two recipes.

Almond cocktail: Pound 20 g of almonds with a porcelain mortar or mince, add 200 ml of milk and 20 g of any fruit syrup, mix with a mixer, the cocktail is ready. Fruit syrup can be replaced with 15-20 g of jam - strawberry, raspberry, fig, unabi.

An almond cocktail will be of particular benefit when fig, raspberry, strawberry, unabi and slightly warmed milk are used instead of syrup. This cocktail can be a healing drink for colds.

Almond cake. Crushed cookies, almond kernels, mix well, pour condensed milk, put in a mold, refrigerate for 35-40 minutes. Then sprinkle sugar and cocoa on top. The almond kernel for such a cake should not be crushed as much as for a cocktail.

And another video recipe for flourless almond cake:

Growing almonds

Features of growing almonds: it grows even on stony, slate, light clay, light sandy soils, but prefers deep fertile permeable soils. Almonds are undemanding to soils. But it does not tolerate heavy clays, high standing groundwater, saline areas. On household plots it is easy to increase soil fertility by applying organic fertilizers for deep digging.

This is a light-loving plant, with a lack of illumination, productivity decreases. It should not be planted in the shade of tall trees, buildings.

Under natural growing conditions, almonds are propagated by seeds. To preserve the grade, use vegetative propagation- budding. The rootstock is obtained from the seeds of the bitter seed variety of almonds. Seeds are sown before winter to a depth of 8-10 cm. Already in July, when proper care seedlings at the root neck reach 1 cm in diameter and are suitable for budding.

Two days before budding, the soil is well watered - after abundant watering, the bark exfoliates better. At the base, the stock bole is wiped from top to bottom with a piece of damp cloth, after which budding is performed. For budding, well-developed straight shoots are selected, on which eyes are clearly formed.

In areas where it can be up to minus 25 degrees in winter, the strapping is not removed in winter, moreover, it is better to sprinkle the place of budding with earth, and in the spring remove the strapping, cut off just above the grafting site (cut by eye). Coppice shoots of the rootstock are systematically removed.

On poor soils with weak growth of seedlings, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is applied, but rotted manure is better at the rate of 4-5 kg per 1 sq. meter. In home garden conditions, it is desirable to plant at least 2-3 plants for cross-pollination.

In the first year of planting, plants especially need careful care: watering, loosening the soil. Watch the plant - it will tell you what it needs.

If the soil in your area is already very heavy, you can use seedlings of peach, cherry plum, plum as a rootstock. In 3-4 years you will already get a harvest.

Pruning is carried out forming and rarefying. I am a supporter of undersized trees. Dwarfism has a lot of advantages: ease of care, a large number of plants in the same area, the absence of mutual shading, much higher yield per area, the possibility of sheltering plants for the winter.

Almonds increase their yield until the age of eighteen, and after twenty-five years, the yield decreases. Watering during the growing season contributes to a sharp increase in yield. To avoid frequent watering, the soil surface can be mulched with grass, old sawdust, any mulching material.

Ripening of almond fruits is determined visually by cracking of the pericarp along the ventral suture. The removed fruits are cleaned of the pericarp, which is used as feed for small livestock. Then the nuts are dried.

Despite the peculiarities of growing this crop, it is second only to walnut and hazelnuts. Whoever loves almonds is not afraid of impending old age. Fans of this nut at any age feel cheerful, easy, boldly looking into the future!

Almond tree at proper fit and proper care every spring will bloom profusely and decorate the garden when the rest of the plants are still sleeping. Blooms in April or early May. Its branches are literally strewn with pink or white-pink flowers, exuding a unique aroma. If you plant several almond trees nearby different varieties, then at the end of summer it will be possible to collect fruits, inside of which there is an edible tasty bone.

Description of the almond tree

Almond is a tree up to 6 meters high or a spreading shrub up to 3 meters high. It begins to bloom early, in regions with a warm climate, flowers appear in March, in the middle lane - in April or early May. Flowers first appear on the branches, and after they crumble, leaves. There are so many flowers on the shoots that the almond tree in spring looks like pink fireworks. The diameter of each flower is 2.5 cm, it consists of five petals.

Almonds are of two types:

bitter is wild plant, its bones are inedible;
sweet - a cultivated plant whose nuts can be eaten.

The first fruits appear on the 4-6th year after planting, and abundant fruiting - after 10 years. IN favorable conditions it lasts up to 50-60 years. Almond is a long-lived tree, its maximum age can be 120 years.

Fruit sets only when cross-pollinated. A prerequisite is that the trees must be of different varieties and bloom at the same time. Landing them is carried out at a distance of 3-5 meters from each other. Pollinators are bees or other insects. Almond is a honey plant.

Requirements for growing conditions

The almond tree is sun-loving. Growing it in a shady place leads to the fact that flowering becomes scarce.

The root system has several skeletal branches that go deep into the soil. This makes the plant drought tolerant. Stagnation of water at the roots does not tolerate, the soil must be drained, loose, breathable. Growing on open field should be carried out in a place protected from winds and drafts. Almonds grow well on stony soils with a high content of calcium and lime. Planting on acidic or saline soils is unacceptable - the tree may die.

Almond is a thermophilic plant. For cultivation in regions with cold winters, cold-resistant species have been bred.

Steppe almond is frost-resistant, hibernates without shelter at temperatures down to -25 °. Its other names are low, Russian, almond or bobovnik.
Three-lobed almonds are cold-resistant, in frosty winters the ends of the shoots can freeze out, cover with agrofiber is required. After freezing, it quickly recovers.

All of these types are decorative. Their bones are inedible and can cause severe poisoning.

Cold-resistant seedlings are considered to be grafted on thorns or cherry plums.

Features of cold-resistant types of almonds

Steppe almond is considered the most winter-hardy. This is a low-growing shrub, its height does not exceed 1.5 meters. The branches are erect, the bark is gray-red. steppe view interesting in that its pericarp is pubescent, as if covered with felt. The fruits adorn the branches all autumn.

The steppe species has a lot of root growth, which is used for its reproduction. Pruning is required only sanitary, which is carried out in early spring. This species is undemanding to the soil, tolerates polluted air, easily withstands drought - it requires minimal care. It is used for landscaping streets and courtyards in the city.

One of the common varieties of the three-lobed species is Pink Foam. It has beautiful large double flowers of pink, raspberry or purple color. The root system of this variety is superficial and highly branched. The variety "Pink foam" is suitable for strengthening slopes, artificial embankments.

Planting almonds in the garden

Planting almonds is carried out in pre-prepared pits:

they are dug up 60x60 cm in size, the same depth;
drainage is poured at the bottom, for which crushed stone, split brick, stones, expanded clay can be used;
for drainage - a layer of coarse river sand, it is rammed;
a mound is made from the nutrient soil, and a long stake is driven into its center, which will serve as a support for the seedling;
the roots of the seedling are directed on different sides of the mound, making sure that they do not bend;
the pit is covered with loose fertile soil.

The root neck is left 1-2 cm above the soil level.

The soil mixture is made up of 5 kg of humus or compost, 500 grams of superphosphate, 250 grams of lime and a small amount of river sand.

If you plan to grow several almond trees, then the pits are dug at a distance of 5 meters from each other.

Preferred autumn planting seedlings, this guarantees their survival.

At spring planting the roots of the seedling must be smeared with clay mash. This will retain moisture and prevent the plant from drying out. trunk circle it is necessary to mulch, but the root neck should not be covered with mulch. Caring for a planted tree consists in constant watering. Until the almonds take root, it is important to keep the soil moist. At the same time, you can not fill it: with excessive dampness, the roots can rot.

Care

Caring for an almond tree is not difficult, but should be done regularly, especially in the first few years after planting.

Care includes the following activities:

loosening several times per season to a depth of 15 cm - a crust should not be allowed to form on the soil surface;
regular watering, as the earth dries up, but not more than 10 liters per trunk circle;
top dressing twice a year: in spring - nitrogen, in autumn - phosphorus and potash;
early spring and late autumn it is necessary to carry out moisture-charging watering - in the fall, such care will make it easier to endure the winter, and in the spring it will provoke lush flowering;
pruning.

Sanitary pruning is carried out after the snow melts. Cut out all broken, frozen branches. Formative pruning is carried out immediately after the flowers fall off. Remove branches growing deep into the tree, crossing each other and thickening the crown too much.

Older trees sometimes need rejuvenating pruning. In this case, cut off all the branches, leaving a stump. After a while, it will overgrow with young shoots.

In regions with cold winters, care includes preparing the almond tree for winter. To do this, in the second half of summer, buds are removed at the tops of the shoots. This accelerates the lignification of young green shoots and makes them resistant to frost. In cold winters, it is necessary to throw agrofiber on the almond bush and press the ends of the canvas tightly to the ground.

reproduction

The almond tree can be propagated by pitting, layering, grafting, or cuttings.

Most easy way reproduction - rooting shoots. They carefully dig it out and cut it off with a sharp shovel. mother plant along with the roots. Well, if you manage to keep part of the soil on the roots, rooting will be faster.
Reproduction by layering is possible for bush almond species. The lower branch, extending almost horizontally, is pinned to the ground in several places and lightly sprinkled with earth. Separation from the main plant is carried out the next year.

Growing almonds in the above ways is the most effective. Rooting occurs quickly, and all the characteristics of the mother plant are transferred to the seedling.

The grafting method is more complex, and inexperienced gardeners do not always succeed on the first try. Growing almonds from seeds takes a lot of time. Seed stratification is required, their germination on a separate bed. Transplant to permanent place You can only three-year-old seedlings. Maternal characteristics when propagated by seeds are not always transmitted.

conclusions

In regions with cold winters, ornamental almonds are suitable for cultivation. They winter well, quickly recover after freezing, and in early spring they become garden favorites.

For a long period, the three-lobed luizean was called the three-lobed almond. The second name was terry plum. And only then scientists isolated this plant to a separate genus Louisiana. Before today continue to import this plant from nurseries located in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. So, Louisiana terry almonds in the Moscow region are three-lobed - care, reproduction, shelter, photo - we are considering today.

Terry almonds, in the suburbs is it necessary to shelter for the winter

You should not pay attention to the fact that the plant is of southern origin. Almonds without needing additional insulation. Its flowering begins in the first half of May, before the dissolution of the leaves. admire beautiful flowers pink, dark pink or raspberry hue can be no more than two weeks - exactly how much the plant blooms with roses of miniature forms. It happens that return frosts damage them, but this is not terrible. Blossoming almonds look good in the cut, stand for a long time in a bouquet.

Planting rules: almond terry three-lobed

The plant does not impose special requirements on. But it's not worth the risk, trying to grow almonds in heavy clay areas or places where ground water very close to the surface. Before planting in the soil, it is recommended to make it for digging.

The plant loves well-lit places, light partial shade is allowed. Planted almonds must be protected from the winds. On the garden bed, a twenty-centimeter drainage from crushed stone or broken brick, a five-centimeter layer of sand is poured on top.

It is carried out at intervals from half a meter to one and a half. The root neck should be located slightly above the soil level. The mixture for planting is made up of three parts of leafy soil, two of humus and one of sand. Three hundred grams of lime is added to each landing hole. Landing is completed by mulching with earth or peat.

Louisiana necessary care, photo

The plant loves regular feeding. a kilo of mullein, ten grams of urea, twenty grams of saltpeter are added to a bucket of water. In autumn, twenty grams of double superphosphate is applied to each square of the plot.
Watering is recommended in moderate volumes. On sandy areas, it can be carried out more often. Important condition- do not soak the root neck. It is recommended to pour from seven to ten liters of water per plant.
It is useful to loosen, weeding out weeds. Excellent almonds tolerate pruning, quickly recovering due to young shoots.

Plant propagation

It happens seed way or . It is allowed to graft almonds on plum, blackthorn, and even bird cherry. Subsequently, it is necessary to cut out all the wild shoots that form below the grafting site.

Louisiana is damaged by leafworm caterpillars. They are advised to spray with chlorophos. Plum codling moth is etched with karbofos, processing it several times. Aphid raids are prevented with a solution laundry soap, infusion of tobacco, potato tops. To, it is advised to whitewash the bole with a solution of lime and clay, adding a little wood glue to it.

In diseases of gray rot, damaged branches are cut off. The procedure is performed twice - after flowering or in winter. The appeared rust is treated with preparations based on colloidal or ground sulfur.

Almonds and. It helps with asthma, ulcers and pleurisy, improves eyesight. It heals the stomach. Great for growing. Plant almonds on the site, and you will not regret it at all.

Three-lobed almond (Prúnus tríloba)- This is a bushy plant with pinkish flowers. This plant also has the name three-lobed louiseania, but among the people it is called sakura near Moscow. It attracts the attention of passers-by, and is on the wish list of many summer residents and gardeners. Almond three-lobed Rosenmund is one of the most beautiful garden plants, which is grown solely for its ornamental appearance.
Description

Initially, it was discovered in China, later brought to England, and only in the 20th century did it enter the territory of the USSR. In connection with its eastern beginning, the plant is called Chinese double plum or sakura, because of the pink flowers.

On the face of it small tree, which can grow up to 3.5 meters, with branches sticking out to the sides. Almond leaves grow in bunches and have a three-lobed shape.

In the first half of May, almonds bloom for 2 weeks. At this time, the bush acquires a soft pinkish color. After the flowering period, the leaves bloom, and the shrub stops blooming.

The fruit of this plant is not large, rounded and inedible. Most often, three-lobed almonds can be seen in botanical gardens or summer residents.

Here is another photo of this plant:

Species and varieties

The main differences between almond species and varieties are their shape, height and color.

Georgian almond. The plant grows no higher than a meter, the leaves are large, bright pinkish in color, with a rough, hairy fruit. The flowering period falls on May and is 3 weeks. Easily survives frosts.
Almond low. This plant loves light, resistant to frost and drought, undemanding to the soil. This almond is common in Siberia. Its main difference is the color of the branches, they are dull red with narrow leaves. The flowers are light pink. The flowering period is a week.
Almond ordinary. Can be found in the Caucasus, Iran and Afghanistan. Looks like a big bush or small tree with branches of red or pinkish color and up to 5 meters high.
Three-lobed almond or, as it is sometimes said, three-lobed It has decorative varieties, namely:

Interesting! With proper care of the plant, it can live up to a hundred years!

Landing

Three-lobed almond loves sunlight and lack of wind. Regarding the soil, you should choose light, loose, fertile lime. Places in the shade, without access to light and damp places are categorically contraindicated. It should be planted at the end of autumn, at the end of leaf fall or with the onset of warm days of spring.

An excellent soil for him would be such a mixture: leafy ground + 1/2 of its amount of humus + 1/3 of sand. About 20 cm of crushed stone or broken brick, and 6 cm of sand should be used as drainage. The root neck of the seedling cannot be buried during planting, as it must be above ground level. Plants should be planted at a distance of a meter from each other.

Three-blade care

Watering.

As mentioned above, this plant is drought tolerant. However, during the flowering period, it requires copious amounts of water. If it is planted on loamy soil, then the amount of water should be normal. It is worth watering the three-blade only if the earth dries up, as stagnant water can lead to rotting.

Fertilizer.

Louisiana Rosenmund requires constant fertilization. In the spring season, it is fertilized with a solution of 1 kg of mullein, 20 g of ammonium nitrate and 10 g of urea. All this must be diluted in 10 liters of water. Should be applied in autumn mineral fertilizers, For example double superphosphate and potassium sulfate, 20 g per square meter soil.

A haircut.

In order to give the crown a beautiful shape and for healing, almonds need pruning. At the end of the flowering period, flowering branches should be shortened by 2/3 of their length. This procedure stimulates the growth of new, healthy shoots. You also need to cut off all the branches that grow inside the crown.

It is important to know! The shrub is prone to thickening. If the plant has grown too large, then it must be thinned out. This will keep it decorative look and protect from disease.

Preparing for frost.

Quite often, the branches of this plant are neatly tied in a bundle and wrapped around nonwoven fabric. You can also sprinkle the soil around the root with a layer of earth. But the root neck should be left open.

The nuances of growing in the suburbs

Although luiseania is a heat-loving plant, she calmly endures frosty, snowy winters. Some sources claim that when proper preparation by winter, she is not afraid of frosts down to -30. However, the problem may be sudden or frequent temperature changes, especially if frosts are replaced by wet thaws. In this case, the plant wakes up ahead of time, and can be damaged by frost. He freezes the ends of the shoots and buds. In such cases, almonds should be covered for the entire time of frost. Having followed the above recommendations, there should be no problems when growing almonds in the Moscow region.

Growing in the Urals and Siberia

Everyone counts almonds exotic plant, which loves the sun and heat and needs special care. However, this is nothing more than a delusion. Of the about 40 species of this plant, most do not need a special climate and other conditions.

Although almost all types of almonds are frost-resistant and not particularly demanding on the soil, not all are suitable for growing in Siberia and the Urals. There is one type of plant that is suitable for the northern regions, this is the steppe almond. It is also called bean, wild and low almond.

Like other types of almonds, its flowers are a rich pinkish hue, and it blooms for about 2 weeks in early May. After the flowering period, it is covered with leaves, and at the end of summer, chestnut-colored fruits appear on it. In height, the bean grows up to 1.5 meters. He needs enough light and shelter from the wind.

Care for the steppe almond does not differ from the care for the three-blade induced above.

Reproduction of almonds

Species almonds are often propagated by seeds, and vegetative methods are used for varietal propagation. The most common breeding method for trilobate is grafting on plum, almond or sloe. To do this, you need to take one straight shoot of almonds, on which eyes have already formed. Leaves should be cut with secateurs.

Grafting should be carried out during sap flow, namely in the spring or in August. The rootstock must be wiped from dust and dirt, make a T-shaped incision slightly above the root collar and unscrew the cut bark. Next, you need to cut a strip of bark from the handle so that it fits completely under the T-cut. The joint should be wrapped with a cloth or tape. The kidney must be left open.

cuttings

For propagation of almonds by cuttings, it is required cut from the top of the cuttings up to 25 cm long and put them in a growth stimulator for 15 hours. Rooting of cuttings occurs in a cool greenhouse, after planting in a substrate that consists of sand and peat. A month later, rooting occurs. When the roots have formed, the cuttings should be transplanted to a test bed.

pruning

Regular pruning of almond shoots will help it maintain its beauty and splendor. Pruning is done at the end of flowering, in June. With the help of pruning, you can achieve the density of the crowns of the bush, which has a positive effect on its decorative appearance. Also, this procedure protects almonds from pests and fungi, affects the rapid growth of branches.

Where to buy seedlings?

Although the three-lobed almond has an exotic appearance, buying this plant is not a problem. It is worth looking for it in special markets where plant seedlings are sold, as well as in stores specializing in seedlings. In addition, you can search for online stores with delivery or the location closest to you.

What do gardeners say?

As you might guess, so beautiful and ornamental plant will not leave anyone indifferent. The reviews of gardeners about the three-blade almonds were divided into two conditional camps: those who cannot get enough of the beautiful flowering, and those who want to buy it.

Here is a review of a summer resident from the Moscow region on a forum for gardeners: “It is impossible to describe the beauty of the garden when the almond blossoms. All neighbors walk around with cameras and ask to be photographed next to the ‘sakura’. And what a smell… mmmm.”

Many people are also interested in the disease propensity of the bush, justifying this with cases from their own experience. However, as the reviews show, almonds are not prone to disease. Some seasonal diseases are inherent in almost every tree.

Application in landscape design

In its homeland, almonds have long gained popularity in the arrangement of territories and different areas. It is used for landscaping, decoration or addition to parks, country houses or dachas, on city streets and boulevards. IN landscape design this plant can have many uses. It looks good both paired with other plants, for example, and paired with similar ones. In addition, almonds can be planted on, on slopes, or near stones.

Three-lobed almond on trunk

Almonds on the trunk look as impressive and beautiful as in the form of a bush. If you have no experience in creating a form, you can buy a ready-made plant from specialists, or try to create this form yourself.

Most the easy way Create a bole is a method of shaping the trunk by cutting off the crown. This method is quite easy and effective, but it takes a large number of time. The essence of this method is that you need to pick up an even seedling, without knots, and after planting it should be tied to a vertically driven wooden peg.

When the seedling began to grow, the top must be tied to a peg, and all the shoots on the sides should be cut off, giving the almond the shape of a cap.