What are the cultivation methods for the bitter almond tree?

The bitter almond tree, also called the loushu tree, belongs to the Rosaceae family as a deciduous arbor tree, with a height of 4 to 9 m, and can be planted as an ornamental forest or timber forest. Its fruit kernels are a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine and are of high value.

In mountainous areas, planting the bitter almond tree is a good project for becoming wealthy; it does not mind poor, thin soil, is drought-resistant and has very few pests and diseases, can be planted in front of and behind houses and on field edges, and enters full fruiting period after 3 years.

To plant the bitter almond tree, seed propagation followed by transplanting is mostly used. The method is: harvest ripe seeds in June, remove the fruit flesh, then put the seeds into a jar, pour in hot water at 85 to 90°C (the amount of water should just cover the seeds), stirring while pouring so the seeds are heated evenly, then rinse with warm water at 45°C 1 to 2 times daily, and after the seeds swell and split open, carry out drilling sowing or raise seedlings. Raise seedlings for 1 year, and transplant when the seedlings are about 40 cm tall. The planting spacing for established plants is 4 m × 4 m or 4 m × 5 m, with 30 to 42 plants per mu. In the first year or two, the young seedlings need loosening of the soil and weeding 1 to 2 times each year, along with topdressing of farmyard manure and potassium fertilizer; fruiting trees should be given heavy applications of phosphate fertilizer, and also need pruning and pest control.