Almond Pink foam - planting and caring for ornamental shrubs. Types, varieties, planting and care of decorative almonds

Almond ( Amygdalus) - shrub or small tree from 1 to 6 m tall, famous for its spectacular flowering. Common almond (A. communis) has been cultivated as a nut crop since ancient times. Low (up to 2 m) types of almonds - graceful beautiful flowering shrubs are of interest as ornamental plants. Such is the ornamental plant low almond, steppe, or beaver (A. papa), which is distinguished by its small size (up to 1.5 m in height). In the spring, at the same time as the leaves bloom, the bushes are covered with delicate, modest, but numerous pink flowers. At this time, the plant literally catches the eye. But even after flowering, thanks to the compact crown and graceful leaves, the beaver looks attractive.

Another winter-hardy almond is Georgian (A.georgica) grows to a height of 1 m, has bright pink flowers. Of the undersized ornamental almonds, the bean almond is perhaps the most resistant to adverse conditions. This type of ornamental almond shrub is winter-hardy, easily puts up with drought, but requires a lot of sun. Almonds are propagated by seeds and numerous shoots.

Decorative almond in landscape design: how the plant blooms (with photo)

Very popular in landscape design almond low, which is suitable for small open areas and rockeries. In the background of the mixborder, it will become a bright spring accent, and then a good backdrop for perennials. Even before the moment when they began to plant ornamental almonds in our area, this plant grew in the vast expanses of the Mediterranean. Little by little, the shrub began to spread and flooded the territories of such countries as China, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and others. IN middle lane growing almonds is by no means a rare phenomenon now, since many plant species are well adapted to our climatic conditions. By the way, the three-lobed almond is a favorite among local gardeners due to its frost-resistant qualities and the beauty of flowering. The indisputable advantage of this shrub is also the fact that even novice gardeners can handle it. But it will not be possible to see the long-awaited results of their labors immediately. When asked how almonds bloom, experts smile mysteriously and answer: “Incredible.” Only this splendor can be observed only four years after planting the plant. That is his specialty. However, believe me, it's worth it: stunningly beautiful double flowers of white or pink shades will decorate your garden and fill it with a wonderful aroma. Look at the photo of the almond blossoms: this magnificent plant will grace your garden for many years if you take care of it and provide favorable conditions for existence:

By the way, some believe that almond is translated from Greek as " beautiful tree". Well, it is quite likely, since the riot of colors - purple, snow-white, flamingos - is not able to convey any picture. Approximately 20 days a year, this plant allows itself to be admired in our area - at the very end of April and until mid-May.

How to plant and grow ornamental almonds

Ornamental almond bushes can be planted either in spring or autumn. IN spring period you must definitely wait for the onset of good warm weather, but in the middle or end of autumn - by the way, the most favorable moment for landing - you should wait out the leaf fall.

next very important point, which you need to know for planting and caring for decorative almonds, this is that this plant prefers areas with sufficient sunlight during the day. Therefore, it is best to place bushes in the southern corners of your garden.

Please note that the tree will not grow on saline, acidic or clay soil. Moreover, for good landing and caring for ornamental almond shrubs, it is necessary that ground water buried deep enough in the soil. Experienced gardeners it is advised to choose a fertile sandy or loamy soil for a successful planting. Take note: if there are apiaries on your site, it’s easy perfect solution one of the important moments in the cultivation of almonds. The fact is that the shrub needs a process of regular cross-pollination. But if you do not breed bees, do not be discouraged: just plant several of these decorative trees at the same time. So, how to plant almonds, garden masters will tell us:

Firstly, choose a well-lit place. If something gives a shadow, try to remove this object. But the stones, if you have any on the site, you can leave. The shrub has been growing on the slopes of mountains since ancient times.
Your next step- dig a hole, the depth of which should be about 30 cm. In the event that you need to plant several bushes, place them about 3 m apart.
After that, fill the holes with a drainage layer: either broken brick, or rubble. Be sure to sprinkle sand on top.
Now place in the center of the hole what will become the support for the seedling- that is, a long pole. And remember that it should be at least 0.5 m above the ground.

Experts also say that the most favorable time for planting a plant, it is precisely the early morning or the hours of the afternoon that are considered. By the way, if you still couldn’t find loamy soil and have to work with acidic soil, be sure to first bring into the pit not a large number of lime. This will help "neutralize" the acid.

On a note: the plant is placed in a hole so that the root collar rises 3-4 cm above the ground. Naturally, after this, the hole should be covered with a mixture of sand, humus and leafy soil. Do not forget to water the seedling with at least 1 bucket clean water. And, to consolidate the result, carry out the mulching procedure - filling the area around the bush with a layer of peat. Be careful: the mulch should not come into contact with the plant! You can see decorative almonds in the photo, planting and caring for which were carried out correctly: with such soft pink buds, the bush of its gardener now pleases every year:

How to care for decorative almonds

Let's take a closer look at how to grow almonds so that they fill the territory of your garden with a divine aroma and do not suffer from a lack of care and care. Growing and caring for almonds follow the same pattern as any ornamental plant: the shrub should be watered, fertilized, cut and protected from any pests.

Let's start with watering. As you remember, stagnant water in the soil of this tree is contraindicated. Therefore, it is necessary to water the shrub no more than once a week. In this case, just a bucket of clean water is enough.

Another feature in the conditions of growing almonds is that after watering the bush, it is necessary to thoroughly loosen the soil. You should go deep into the soil by 7 cm if it is a seedling, but adult specimens should be pampered with this procedure at a depth of at least 9 cm. Remember that the rest of the time - not only after watering - the area around the bush must be cleared of weeds. Every plant needs to be fed. Therefore, when wondering how to care for almonds, remember what it needs in the spring, for example, top dressing in the form of manure or mullein, but in autumn period you need to add to the soil around the shrub or superphosphate, or potassium. Pay attention to the photo of decorative almonds, which are fed with nutrients in a timely manner: it gives a lush color and is protected from any diseases:

But to give the shrub the proper aesthetic appearance, caring gardeners trim their "pet". Trimming decorative almonds involves several stages: in the spring, for example, a sanitary haircut is carried out. With its help, the plant gets rid of sick, broken and those branches that thicken the crown. But the shaping is a haircut that helps to give the crown desired shape- occurs after the flowering of the shrub. By the way, in the eighth year of life ornamental trees be sure to get rid of old branches.

You must pay Special attention for the cultivation and care of almonds in the middle lane: firstly, since our winters are characterized by very low temperatures, it is necessary to protect the shrub from frostbite. Seedlings should be covered with either straw or dry foliage.

Do not forget to just make sure that under this insulating layer the root neck does not rot and rot. Things are much easier with already adult specimens: they are rarely sheltered for the winter. Just remember that winter-hardy types of almonds such as three-lobed, Georgian, steppe and Ledebour are the most suitable for our regions. They tend to quickly recover from the winter cold. Since you have already understood that frosts, in principle, do not pose a particular threat to this plant, you need to be on the lookout for another kind of danger - pests and diseases. A common disease is moniliosis - a type of fungal infection.

Most often, the fight against this scourge is to prevent it. That is why we said that almonds need regular nutrition and proper soil. But if trouble did occur, use a variety of fungicides to fight moniliosis - for example, the same foundation.

But to get rid of such creatures as mites, seed beetles, leafworms and, of course, aphids, you should use a set of insecticides. One of suitable options- Zolon. For stripping spider mites, it is better to use Akarin.

Methods for propagating ornamental almonds

It should be remembered that the reproduction characteristics of ornamental almond shrubs are slightly different: this is how varietal specimens are bred using vegetative methods - layering, grafting and shoots, but gardeners propagate species plants by seeds. Let's try to understand each of the methods. If you're wondering how to reproduce decorative almond, having resorted to planting seeds, then pay attention to the following step-by-step instructions:

You need to decide when you will land - in spring or autumn. This will depend on the nature of the work. So for spring sowing, it is characteristic that the gardener must carry out a mandatory stratification of seeds, which, according to the canons, lasts 4 months.
The next stage is the planting of almond seeds. To do this, it is necessary to prepare grooves, the depth of which should be at least 8 cm, and the distance between them should be approximately 10-11 cm.
After the seeds sprout, do not forget to water them, loosen the soil and fight weeds.
Already in the summer, seedlings can be transplanted to the site where they will grow in the future. In addition, already established specimens are suitable for vaccination.

With the help of cuttings, almond propagation is carried out in mid-June. Then the upper cuttings are cut off, the length of which reaches at least 15 cm. Then they are placed in a substance that stimulates growth and kept in this mixture for about 16 hours. To root the cuttings, they are placed in a cold greenhouse, where the soil has already been prepared, consisting of sand and peat in a ratio of 1: 2. The rooting procedure takes about 4 weeks. Upon completion, the cuttings are carefully transplanted into the garden.

Another way of reproduction of this plant is the growth, which occurs as a result of maximum pruning. It is used only after the shrub is two years old, because then the bush already has a fully formed root system. The growth is simply dug up and moved to permanent place growth. Caring for it is similar to caring for one-year-old seedlings. You can breed the varietal species that you see in the photo by propagating the ornamental almond shrub using layering: this procedure assumes that the shoots need to be pressed to the ground, fixed and sprinkled with soil:

Be sure to water the layers, loosen the soil around them and protect from weeds until they have roots. After the root system is formed, and this happens only after about a year, the plants are transplanted to another place away from the mother bush.

Types and varieties of decorative almonds: photo and description

Let's look at a photo of almonds in landscape design: experts say that this plant, which is so elementary in care, looks great both in solitary - single - plantings, and in group compositions:

But, in fact, this tree has no equal in creating amazing hedges! Most often, gardeners use varieties and types of almonds such as low, "Gessler" or white-flowered. But after all, the species diversity of this shrub does not end on these specimens! Let's learn about other varieties of such a unique plant.

And we will start, of course, with ordinary almonds. It is he who is so popular and indispensable in farms where a tree is grown for fruit production. It comes in two varieties - bitter and sweet. As you might have guessed, it is sweet almonds that are most in demand for industrial purposes.

You can take a closer look at such a useful type of almond in the photo below:

A deciduous shrub is the steppe almond, which also has such names as low and bean. It has a spherical crown shape. The tree can reach a height of up to 1.5 m. This plant is distinguished by the presence of bright pink buds. characteristic feature is also something that pleases the human eye with a riot of colors for only 10 days. True, a small bonus may be that the fruits of this species are edible. By the way, this particular variety is one of the most popular in our area.

The most common forms are white-flowered and "Gessler". But the varieties of this shrub do not end there:

The bush, which is distinguished by beautiful snow-white buds, is called "White Sail";

The next variety is "Anyuta", the branches of which during the flowering period are decorated with rich pink flowers;

"Pink Mist"- this is a variety whose branches are completely covered with amazing large poisonous pink buds;

Pale pink buds are characteristic of the Dream shrub;

A large specimen that reaches a height of at least 2 m is called "Mediator". It is considered one of the frost-resistant. It blooms with magnificent light pink flowers;

Pleasing to the eye terry buds Bush "Pink Flamingo". Of course, the flowers are colored appropriately - they are aged in pink.

" 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.. The pink or white foam of the flowers of such a tree not only decorates the garden in early spring, but also exudes 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 a self-fertile almond is well suited for growing in central Russia, because it 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.

When conducting 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 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.

Almonds are not only fragrant and healthy nuts. It is also a profusely flowering ornamental shrub that impresses with its delightful fragrant flowers in spring. Seeing the flowering of almonds, many wish to have a tree in their area. Growing and caring for it is quite simple, however, many varieties bred in our time are not frost-resistant and, as a rule, freeze out in the very first year of planting. How almonds grow and how to choose the right variety for your climate zone you will find out in this article. As always, the text is complemented by colorful photos.

Common frost-resistant varieties

Almond is a fairly frost-resistant tree. However, due to early flowering in spring, most of the flower buds in the middle lane freeze slightly. As a result, you will not be able to get a bountiful harvest from every tree. Many modern cultivars, bred in our time by breeders, have a long period of fruit bud generation and rather late flowering. This guarantees fruits.

Important! When choosing an almond seedling, always check with the seller whether the tree is adapted to your climate zone.

The following varieties have the best fertility and frost resistance in the middle lane:

Planting and caring for almonds

Almond seedlings are planted in autumn or spring, in groups of 3-4 trees at a distance of at least 3 m from each other. As a rule, annual grafted bushes are used.

Important! Almonds are self-sterile, that is, 2 trees of different varieties are required to obtain fruits.

Choose a sunny place for landing, on a small hill, protected from the effects of northern winds. The original "amphitheatres" open on the south side are excellent.

Prepare a landing pit with a size of 50 x 70 and a depth of 60 cm, add 5-6 kg of rotted manure mixed with 0.5 kg of superphosphate, and 200-300 g of lime or dolomite flour. Bury the seedling to the grafting site. After planting, it is recommended to water the trees abundantly at the rate of 10 liters per seedling.

Planting an almond tree

In the first year after planting, the young growth does not give a very significant increase, since at this time the root system, damaged as a result of transplantation, is being restored. The tree will need regular watering (every 10-15 days) and periodic loosening of the ground around the trunk. IN further care behind the tree is quite simple, but you should adhere to the following rules:

water the plant moderately and only when absolutely necessary (that is, during dry times);
do not fill the root neck - it easily rots, which leads to the death of the shrub;
fertilize regularly under the tree;

Almond seedling

carry out formative and health-improving pruning of shoots. Almonds are pruned after flowering. First of all, branches and shoots that thicken the crown are removed, diseased, frozen and dried shoots are cut off;
a grafted almond tree will need shelter for the winter.

Proper feeding

Almonds, like all walnut trees, need proper regular feeding. They are held in spring and summer every two weeks.

Young plants are fed with fertilizers containing more nitrogen and potassium in their composition. Under mature trees, nutrient solutions are applied from manure and ammonium nitrate (for 10 liters of water, 1 kg of manure and 20 g of nitrate). In early spring one-time fertilizing with fertilizers containing copper.

Reproduction of almonds

Under natural conditions, almond propagation occurs by seeds, however, cultivated varietal trees are propagated only vegetatively - by budding on a stock. For this procedure, any variety of almonds is used, even bitter-seed species. In the absence of a rootstock on personal plot, it can be grown independently from the stone of a high-quality tree.

Budding is carried out in mid-July:

take a one-year well-developed seedling with a root collar thickness of at least 0.8 cm;
at a height of 8-10 cm from the root collar, a T-shaped incision is made on the rootstock and a vegetative bud cut with a heel from a tree of the variety you are interested in is inserted;
the vaccination is closed with a wrapping film, which is removed after 1.5 months.

almond tree grafting

Diseases and pests

Among the common diseases of almonds, leaf curl, rust, moniliosis and gray rot can be noted.

You can cope with leaf curl and moniliosis by spraying Bordeaux mixture and the application of nitrogen-containing fertilizers to the soil.
When damaged by gray rot, diseased shoots are removed, and the tree is treated with a systemic fungicide.
To combat rust, a solution of an aqueous suspension of sulfur or sulfur powder is used.

Bacterial infection of almonds

Of the pests, almonds are most often affected by aphids. Spraying with a solution of karbofos or laundry soap. On young shoots, a plum codling moth or a leafworm may appear. In this case, spray the tree twice with chlorophos or karbofos at intervals of 10-12 days.

Effective cultivation of almonds: video

Growing almonds: photo

Decorative almond is beautiful shrub with a large number of equivalent shoots with juicy dark green leaves and a huge number of flowers that in spring completely cover the bush with a white-pink color.

This type of almond is grown in the garden as a chic hedge, although it is not uncommon that a flowering bush can also be found as a single planting.

The original appearance of the almond makes it a welcome guest in any garden and backyard. During its flowering - this is April, May, a huge number of delicate flowers will not leave anyone indifferent. The shrub will become a true decoration of the territory.

Decorative almond.

Decorative almonds are represented by a large number of varieties and species, but the following are the most popular among gardeners:

Georgian almond (height up to one meter, bright pink flowers, frost-resistant, flowering time - May);
ordinary almond (a shrub from which a tree can be formed is distinguished by a reddish tint of branches and flowers);
three-lobed almonds (subject to the rules of cultivation, it can be about three meters, a wide volumetric crown with flowers different shades dark pink to red).

All of the above species are a noble decoration. garden plot. Regardless of which of them grows in the courtyard, in order to obtain and preserve a full-fledged shrub, they must be organized proper care which will require a lot of effort.

Landing at home

Growing almonds in the garden is not difficult, provided that the basic requirements for planting and caring for it are met.

The shrub needs protection from gusts of wind and drafts, and it also needs a lot of light. Therefore, landing should be carried out taking into account these conditions. The best option- South side.

Now a few words and soil. Almonds grow well in any soil except clay. But the formation of a beautiful crown and profusion of flowering is achieved by adding a sufficient amount of compost to the soil.

Almond planting should be done in the fall, after the shrub has shed its leaves.

After choosing a place, you should prepare landing pit thirty centimeters deep. If you plan to plant several bushes at once, then the distance between them should be at least three meters. The pit itself for planting the plant must be fertilized with compost and mineral fertilizers, and only then plant a shrub in it.

At home, planting almonds is possible in two ways:

seedlings;
bones.

The most common planting seedlings. This method is simpler, but all young bushes require proper care to be organized.

As already indicated earlier, it is necessary to prepare pits for planting at the right distance (about three meters). For pollination and fruit formation, it is better to plant almonds at least in small groups of three or five bushes.

A small drainage in the form of pebbles mixed with river sand and a little dry lime is placed in the pits for seedlings. Then a shrub is planted, sprinkled with earth and well watered. For stability, the shrub must be tied to a support. Before the onset of winter cold, the plant will take root. Proper care during this period is to regularly water the almonds.

Bone planting is rarely used at home. This is a rather long process. It will take at least three to five years to get a full-fledged flowering shrub. But if there is a desire to try, then the seed should be planted in the ground in the spring, when the earth warms up well and is constantly watered, so by the beginning of autumn shoots should appear that need to be fenced off from drafts and wind.

Care

In order for the decorative almond in the garden to show itself in full and please the eye, it needs proper care. It includes the following items:

regular watering;
pruning and crown formation;
top dressing.

Water the plant as the soil around it dries out, about once a week, during the period summer heat you can do it more often. Irrigation water should be room temperature and soft.

As already indicated, almonds are distinguished by a special decorative crown. Using pruning, you can not only rejuvenate the bush, but also give it original shapes.

Crown care also includes the removal of dried, damaged twigs and faded shoots.

timely and correct pruning favorably affects the shrub. Such manipulations stimulate the growth of new shoots and strengthen the plant.

The almond bush also needs timely feeding with nutrients. Unlike many others garden plants, almonds are fertilized once a year in the middle of summer. To do this, use superphosphate (30 g diluted in 10 liters of water), which is added to the roots.

Also, caring for almonds includes periodically loosening the soil around, removing weeds.

Garden almonds are susceptible to attack by aphids, ants, caterpillars. These pests damage leaves, buds. They need to be controlled with insecticides. They must be used according to the dosage indicated in the instructions.

reproduction

Almonds have a good ability to reproduce. The following methods of breeding shrubs are used:

division of the bush;
root growth;
layering;
cuttings;
budding.

After a sufficiently voluminous pruning of an almond bush, a large amount of root growth is formed near the bush. From autumn, you need to leave a few of these branches until next year, and cut down the rest. On the remaining shoots, strong roots suitable for transplantation will form by next autumn.

Layers are long and thin shoots that are bent to the ground and at the point of bud growth and sprinkled with soil. Be sure to monitor soil moisture for rooting cuttings. This method of reproduction is quite long. The formation of roots and the appearance of young shoots occurs no earlier than a year later. Then you need to give the almonds time to strengthen the root system. Exactly one year later, the bush will grow up and be ready for transplanting.

Cuttings are a propagation process that must be started as early as July. First prepare cuttings with two or three knots. Then the planting soil is prepared from two parts of peat and part of sand. It is in such a substrate that the cuttings are planted, so that only one kidney remains on the surface. After they take root, they are transplanted into the soil for growing. At the same time, the cuttings must be protected from wind and cold, in winter time they are covered with straw or dry leaves. The coating layer must be at least fifteen centimeters.

Almond budding is carried out from late July to early August. Most often it is used in the propagation of terry almonds. For this, plum trees are used as a rootstock. A young shoot with developed buds is cut off from the almond bush and all leaves are removed from it at a distance of one centimeter from the stem. The rootstock is cleaned of dirt and with a special knife a little above the root neck, a cut is made in the bark in the shape of the letter T. The bark needs to be slightly turned to the side. Then, on the shoot obtained from the almond bush, an oblique cut is made so that a little bark with a kidney and wood remains on it, after which it is placed in a T-shaped cut on the plum and wrapped in bark. The stalk grafted in this way is firmly fixed special tape so that the kidney remains free and is left in this form until spring. For the winter, the scion is dug in the ground. With the advent of spring, the grafted cutting is freed from both the ground and the fixing tape.

And finally, the division of the bush. A heavily overgrown bush, during transplantation, can be divided into parts, while maintaining growth points in each of them.

As you can see, there are no special difficulties either in breeding or growing almonds. Compliance with the rules and conditions for keeping a shrub will allow you to grow a healthy and beautiful plant.

Shrubs almonds - amazingly beautiful blooming in gardens small trees. They are especially effective during flowering in spring. White-pink (or pure white) flowers, like foam, envelop the plant at a time when all the trees around are still bare. In addition, almonds bear fruit, and its fruits are very useful.

In almonds, it penetrates deeply into the soil. This helps him to endure drought. Shrubs (almonds) grow well and have a well-branched crown. If in winter the shoots freeze, then new shoots grow quickly. very early, in May, sometimes even in April. By mid-summer, the fruits ripen. The peculiarity of the plant is that lovely flowers bloom first, and only then leaves appear. The flowers are quite large, solitary, jagged small leaves are collected in small bunches. As the fruit ripens, the pericarp becomes wrinkled and cracks. That's where the nuts come from. They taste both sweet and bitter, and not all of them are edible.

Growing almonds on a plot is not difficult, but there are still some rules and restrictions. This frost-resistant plant tolerates frosty winters down to -27 ° C without any problems. But during flowering, they do not tolerate such cold, they are completely unadapted to it in such a defenseless time.

Unpretentious shrubs (almonds) grow on any soil (with the exception of acidic ones). They like a bright place, at least 6 hours a day of direct sunlight. If you plant them in the shade, then you can not wait for flowering.

Top dressing is necessary, therefore nitrogen is introduced in the spring, then phosphorus, (saltpeter, manure). As care, loosening of the soil around the trunk, weeding from weeds and watering are performed. Especially moist soil is important during flowering.

For the development and proper formation of the crown, it is recommended annual pruning. On the eve of flowering, you need to cut off all unnecessary and frozen shoots. Over the summer, new shoots will appear.

Almond shrubs are propagated by cuttings, root offspring, layering and seeds. The latter are planted in the ground freshly picked in the fall. Be sure to do stratification within 3-4 months. When the seedlings reach 30 cm in height, they are transplanted to a permanent place. The first flowering can be obtained after 2 years.

Almonds have long been famous for their useful properties. Since ancient times, it has been used as a valuable nutritional product and medicinal plant. After all, it contains many minerals necessary for bone health. Also, almonds are used for digestive problems and impaired kidney function. It improves eyesight and heals wounds. Almond oil has a softening and nourishing effect. It is used to strengthen nails and hair, to heal the skin and for burns.

In Japan, there are entire gardens where almonds (shrub) are planted. The photos of this amazing spectacle are simply mesmerizing! A long time ago, such large-scale plantings were made for the imperial gardens. In general, in Japan, gardening art expresses an ideological, peculiar attitude towards nature, towards the Japanese nation. In times of social upheaval and adversity japanese gardens with blossoming almonds were one of the few places where a person felt comfort and tranquility. Therefore, planting these shrubs, you can count on a sense of beauty and a sense of comfort.