Can almonds be planted? A guide to understanding almond cultivation

Almonds are a common dried fruit on the market, divided into sweet almonds and bitter almonds, mainly containing protein, fat, sugar, and trace amounts of amygdalin. The fat composition is mainly oleic acid and linoleic acid. So, can almonds be planted?

1. Can almonds be planted?

Almonds can be planted, but when used as seeds, the apricot kernel shell must not be removed. They are the seeds of the apricot in the Rosaceae family, including the seed kernels of the apricot tree and the seed kernels of the almond tree. Each time the fruit ripens, once the almond kernel shell is cracked open, you can see the almond slightly flattened and egg-shaped, with its surface wrapped in a brown coat.

2. Almond cultivation techniques

1. Growing environment

Its biological characteristics give it strong adaptability: it is drought-tolerant, cold-tolerant, tolerant of poor and thin soil, and resistant to saline-alkali conditions. In summer, it grows normally at a high temperature of 43.9°C; at a low temperature of -40°C it can overwinter safely. It can be planted on flat land or sloping land. It has no strict requirements for soil.

2. Propagation by seed or grafting

Seed propagation: Pick mature fruits, rub off the flesh; large seeds yield 5-10 kg of seed per 50 kg, small seeds yield 7.5-15 kg of seed per 50 kg; seed purity is 98%, germination rate is 86%; mix with damp sand at 1:3 for winter sand storage. Spring sowing is in late March, autumn sowing is in late November (after drying in a ventilated place in the shade, they can be sown). Large-ridge sowing is often used, sowing 1 row per ridge, with a dibbling spacing of 10-15 cm, 1 seed per hole, covering with soil 5-6 cm thick after sowing (about 3 times the seed diameter), then compacting.

Grafting propagation: The rootstock uses apricot seedlings grown from seed or wild apricot seedlings; branch grafting is done in late March, and bud grafting is done from early July to late August.

3. Field management

When the seedlings have 3-4 leaves, thin them; after 2-3 weeks, do a second thinning, and irrigate promptly to prevent wind from injuring the roots; irrigate as appropriate in dry weather, and pay attention to drainage during the rainy season in July-August. When the seedlings reach 45 cm in height, the tender tips can be pinched off 1 month before bud grafting. Pruning is carried out from November in winter to March of the following year, with 3 tree shapes: natural round-headed shape, open-center layered shape, and natural open-center shape. From April to June, apply additional fertilizer and water; apply quick-acting fertilizer once each before young buds sprout and during young fruit growth, with 0.25 kg per mature tree, then irrigate.

Almonds have very strong vitality and basically have no requirements for the environment, making them easy to plant.