Almond Variety Selection and Management Characteristics Explained (Part 2)
As a nut-producing fruit tree, the almond differs somewhat from other peach varieties in cultivation.
1. Site selection. Almonds have strong adaptability and a long lifespan, and can be planted on hillsides, slopes, around the home, and in courtyards, but the following points should be noted: (1) Almonds bloom early, so mid-mountain areas and open ground where late frosts are unlikely to occur should be chosen; (2) Almonds are light-loving, so sunny slopes or shady slopes with a small gradient should be chosen; (3) Almonds are not tolerant of waterlogging, so well-drained plots should be chosen.
2. Planting. In autumn, plant after leaf fall and before the ground freezes; in spring, plant before bud break. North-south row orientation is preferred, and planting density should not be too high: on fertile flat land, row spacing 5-6 m and plant spacing 3-4 m; on ordinary flat land, row spacing 4 m and plant spacing 3 m; on hilly land, density may be appropriately increased to 60-80 plants per mu. Ridge cultivation is recommended.
3. Training and pruning. For densities below 50 plants per mu, the main trunk delayed open-center form is preferred; for densities above 50 plants per mu, the spindle form is preferred; on hilly land, the natural round-headed form, multi-main-branch clump form, etc., may be used. Almonds are light-loving, moisture-fearing, and strongly apically dominant, and harvesting is mainly by shaking the fruit down, so the trunk should be headed high, with a trunk height of 90-100 cm. This helps reduce orchard air humidity, prevent trunk gummosis, and lessen insect pest occurrence. Winter pruning: remove more, cut back less, ensure the permanence of branches and trunk, and minimize large wounds. Summer pruning: in the early period, focus on bud removal and tip pinching; in the later period, focus on branch thinning, removing water sprouts, back branches, and competing branches to maintain the growth advantage of the main branch extension shoots.
4. Flower and fruit management. When establishing the orchard, rationally allocate pollinizer trees and place bees during the flowering period. Spray 2000-fold Sulobo boron once each before flowering, during flowering, and after flowering; for young vigorous trees, spray 300-fold PBO once each before flowering and within one week after flowering to control vegetative growth and increase fruit set rate. The fruit swelling period of almonds is concentrated in the 3rd to 7th weeks after petal fall; strengthening autumn orchard management and increasing nutrient storage in the tree are important technical measures for increasing single-fruit weight and yield.