Almonds are a favorite stone fruit that has a pleasant, sweet taste. If the climatic features of the region allow, then you can try to grow it in your garden plot. Caring for him is not too difficult, but the plant is very thermophilic. Therefore, do not even try to grow it in regions where late frosts are possible.
General Description
Common almond is a sprawling shrub or small tree of the Rosaceae family, which reaches a height of 4-6 m. The bark of the trunk is gray or reddish. Blooms early, usually in February or April. At this time, the ordinary almond bush is very attractive. Pale pink flowers litter the long branches of the shrub. By the time the flowers fall, the first leaves begin to appear. Almond fruits ripen in July or August.
Habitats
It is widespread in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Common almond grows usually along rocky riverbeds, dry screes. This plant is cultivated in Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Crimea. There are two varieties of almonds - bitter and sweet. In addition, there is a decorative form that is less whimsical and ready to grow even in the northern regions. True, it will bloom willingly, but it will not work to wait for fruiting. At this time, the bush is an amazing sight. It is as if enveloped in an airy pink cloud. When the spring, bright outfit subsides, the bush releases leaves and remains the same until the very cold.
Using a plant
Common almond is a unique plant that can be used in its entirety, from roots to leaves. Wood is suitable for carpentry, gum is used to make glue, cake is used as food for diabetes and in cosmetology. And the fruits are widely used in the confectionery industry.
Medicinal raw materials are leaves, fruits and seeds. Fruits are also a valuable food product. The leaves contain carbohydrates, organic acids, vitamins and fatty oils. The almond itself and its derivatives have analgesic and hemostatic, sedative and anticonvulsant effects. It is recommended to be used by expectant mothers and children, athletes and schoolchildren during periods of high physical and mental stress. Today, we are increasingly starting to use various dietary supplements. This is convenient: I took a pill and got a large amount of vitamins. But keep in mind that they are mostly synthetic, while almonds give you complete vitamins andtrace elements.
In the garden
Common almond is the most widely used in horticulture. As already mentioned, there are two varieties, so you need to be careful when buying seedlings. If you plant bitter almonds together with sweet ones, you will have to wait 4-5 years until you get the first fruits and realize your mistake.
Caring for common almonds, the photo of which you now see, is not very difficult. Therefore, the desire to plant it in your garden plot is quite feasible. In good conditions, it reaches 4-6 meters in height, and sometimes grows in the form of a bush on dry scree, not exceeding 2 meters.
Flowering and setting
This is a moment that every gardener should know if he wants to get a rich harvest. The almond bud is laid in the spring. At this time, the plant spends energy on growing fruits, so the buds almost do not grow. After collecting stone fruit, the process will go more intensively. The most important thing is not to damage the buds when harvesting. They become very noticeable in August - September.
Common almond is a gymnosperm plant, a guest from the southern regions. But it's not that much of a sissy. During the winter dormancy, the plant can tolerate a short-term drop in temperature to -20 degrees. At -22 °C, half of all kidneys die. A sharp drop in temperature to -24 ° C will lead to the death of 90-100% of the kidneys.
Often, gardeners proudly show photos of common almonds,which was planted before their birth and still pleases with a wonderful harvest. Indeed, this amazing shrub can live up to 80 years.
Growing space
This shrub in its adult form does not tolerate transplantation well. Therefore, you need to immediately find a suitable place for it. Common almond planting is carried out in the fall, when the entire area is free and you can think about where the new tree will grow. It will grow even in clay soils. But it does best in light, fertile, and well-drained soil.
But it will not grow on heavy acidic clays. S alt areas do not suit him either. With a high chlorine content, the seedling will die within a few months. Areas with heavy soil should be immediately excluded. The seedling will not grow.
Water and light
The botanical description of the common almond makes it clear that this plant is drought tolerant. But if there is not enough water for life, you should not expect intensive growth. Green mass is the main consumer of moisture, and if it is not enough, then the leaves will be dropped around mid-June. Therefore, in hot years, irrigation is mandatory. With sufficient moisture, the leaves persist throughout the growing season. Foliage is very important, it undergoes photosynthesis processes. Therefore, its loss will lead to the loss of part of the crop. Consequently, the development of generative buds and the harvest of the next year is deteriorating.
This is a very photophilous plant. Don't try to grow it in the shade. AtLack of light sharply reduces the process of growth and productivity. That is, the proximity of large buildings and other garden plants will negatively affect fruiting. But even its own crown can become a hindrance if it is not thinned out. If you do not carry out regular pruning, then the plant will turn into an ugly bush with little or no fruit. Therefore, timely care for plantings is needed not only for plants, but also for you. By the way, if you perform this procedure every year, then it will not take much time. It is enough to remove all diseased, broken and damaged shoots.
Almond propagation
Under natural conditions, almonds are propagated by seeds. Vegetative propagation allows you to save the valuable qualities of the best varieties in subsequent offspring. The cultivation of common almonds is most often carried out by budding a vegetative bud on a rootstock. And the stock for this is taken from the bitter seed variety.
So, the first step is to grow seedlings. To do this, the seeds must be sown in grooves 8-10 cm deep. The distance between them is 10-12 cm. Up to 50 cm should remain between rows. Next year, by spring, they will sprout together. Now you need to water and loosen the soil, take care of the seedlings. In July, the lower branches are cut into a ring. When the thickness of the stem reaches 1 cm, they are ready for budding. This procedure signifies grafting with a vegetative bud of the selected variety.
Planting almonds
In the second year, seedlings can be transplanted to the main place in the garden. planting is bestproduce in autumn. Since almonds grow in warm climates, you can plant them in winter. Gardeners note that at this time the seedlings take root better. But for the spring, leaving this procedure is categorically not recommended.
At least 3-4 mutually pollinated varieties should be planted on the garden plot. If this is not possible, then at least two varieties. This is even on the condition that the neighbors also have almond bushes in their plots. For planting, you need to prepare a landing hole in advance. Its depth is up to 60 cm, and its width is up to 70 cm. Fertilizers must be applied before planting. The ideal option would be 6 kg of rotted manure and 0.5 kg of superphosphate. After planting, be sure to water the seedlings, using at least a bucket of water for each of them.
Shaping the crown
To get a good harvest, you need to do this regularly. But it is not grown for the sake of beautiful flowers. The chemical composition of the common almond is incredibly rich and varied. These are fats and carbohydrates, a large amount of protein, vitamins and amino acids. The crown of young trees should begin to form in the second year after planting. First, the stem height is determined, and all shoots that grow below this height are cut as close to the trunk as possible.
The crown is formed from the shoots that are located above the first branch. This is done in the following way. As the second skeletal branch, you need to take a shoot that grows in the opposite direction from it. The third skeletal branch is formed from the shoot, which is locatedbetween them. The fourth should go in the direction opposite to it. All other shoots that grow between them are cut out.
Plant care
During the first year of life, the bush gives a slight increase. This is easy to explain, since the root system was damaged during digging and transportation. It does not actively perform its main functions of providing the ground part with nutrients. Therefore, during the first year, it is especially important to water every 10 days. As soon as the soil in the trunk circle dries out, it needs to be loosened by 10 cm.
Feeding is optional as you have already added organics to the planting hole. But keep in mind that the bush needs a lot of nitrogen. Therefore, in the first days of summer, it is required to add 200 g of ammonium nitrate for each plant. This procedure is performed during irrigation. Do not forget about the neighborhood of plants in the garden. For the first five years, agrotechnicians recommend growing vegetable or fodder plants between rows. This is good for the growth of the common almond.
Caring for young plants is very important, because right now the root system and crown are being formed. It consists in timely watering and weed control. If you see that the plant has stopped growing and developing, you can apply mineral supplements. It is a mixture of 100 g of nitrogen and potassium and 200 g of phosphorus per plant. Almond bushes come into fruition for 4 years. Until about the age of 19, they will increase their harvest annually.
What is useful almondsordinary
Pharmacognosy, that is, pharmaceutical science that studies medicines obtained from raw materials of plant origin, has long and seriously been studying the beneficial properties of almonds. These fruits, which are considered to be nuts, are excellent helpers for anemia and anemia, for diabetes.
Almonds are very useful for the digestive tract. It normalizes the acidity of the digestive juice, is used to normalize the functioning of the liver and spleen. It is an excellent remedy for headaches, migraines and insomnia. In folk medicine, almond kernels are widely known as an antitussive. Has a wide range of useful properties and almond oil. It has an expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect, normalizes bowel function.
Almonds will also provide good support for pregnant women. They should receive enough vitamin E and magnesium, calcium and zinc, phosphorus and iron every day. Just these microelements are abundant and contained in delicious drupes.
Instead of a conclusion
Common Almond GF is an excellent choice for gardeners who live in warm climates. The bushes are quite neat, and also decorative during flowering. But the taste and nutritional value of the fruit are much more significant. If you want to prepare almonds for the whole season for your family, then it will be enough to plant 3-4 bushes. When they reach full maturity (by about 18 years), then the fruits will already be in abundance. But options forrealization of almonds is enough. And most importantly, the bushes are completely unpretentious. Even if you don't have time to water and weed at all, it won't kill them.
