Almonds: Calendar of Operations
for Home Gardeners
Pamela M. Geisel is UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor in Environmental Horticulture for
Fresno County; Carolyn L. Unruh is UCCE staff writer for Fresno County; and Paul Vossen is
UCCE Farm Advisor in Fruits, Vegetables, and Marketing for Sonoma and Marin Counties.
University of California
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Publication 7257
Almonds are among the earliest-blooming among
fruit and nut trees. As such, they are susceptible to
spring frosts that can damage the blossoms or small,
developing, immature nuts. Almond trees are best
adapted to areas with less chance of spring frost and
with warm, dry summers where the fruit can prop-
erly mature and cure. Almond trees grow well in
most well-drained soils. Almost all almond varieties
require a pollenizer variety nearby that blooms at
the same time.
Winter Dormant Season
Prune trees in December or January to shape the
trees and to promote growth of new fruiting wood.
Remove dead or diseased wood, overly vigorous
water sprouts from the center of the tree and suck-
ers from the base. On old, mature trees, prune out
older fruiting wood to stimulate new growth and
maintain fruitfulness.
A dormant oil spray will help reduce European red
mite, brown almond mite, and San Jose scale if
these pests become a problem. In most cases this
treatment is not needed.
Spring Bloom Season
If rain threatens, control blossom brown rot with
a fungicide spray at full bloom. If it is a wet
spring, an additional fungicide spray applied 3
to 5 weeks after petal fall will help control shot
hole, scab, and anthracnose diseases.
Fertilize mature trees from February to March
with 4 pounds of ammonium sulfate.
Immediately follow a fertilizer application with
an irrigation in order to dissolve the fertilizer
and carry it into the root zone. This also helps
prevent the loss of nitrogen to the atmosphere.
From February through July, young trees benefit
from much smaller but more frequent applica-
tions of fertilizer prior to rain or irrigation.
If you use drip irrigation, apply just the amount
of water needed to replace what is used by the
tree and lost from the soil through evaporation.
If you use sprinkler or flood irrigation, water
about every two weeks, and provide enough
water to wet the soil to a depth of 18 to 24 inches.
Water requirements will vary depending on
environmental conditions and your soil type .
Summer Growing Season
Continue regular irrigations every one to two
weeks until rainfall and cooler weather arrive.
Almonds are mature and can be harvested as
soon as their hulls split and nuts can be removed
easily from trees. The nuts are still green and
quite moist at this time. Nuts do not have to dry
on the tree before harvest. Almonds dry much
more quickly when they have been removed
from the tree and spread on the ground. To mini-
mize pest problems in the drying nuts, harvest
them as soon as possible after hull split. Separate
the hulls from the nuts and discard the hulls. Dry
the in-shell nuts in a protected location until the
shells are dry and brown and the kernels have a
nice crunch (about 5% moisture). Kernels can be
left in the shell or removed for storage. Freeze in-
shell nuts or shelled nutmeats for two weeks to
kill worms. Store in sealed plastic bags to prevent
re-infestation.
Autumn
Prune out dead wood from October through
November while trees are still in leaf and dead
wood is easily visible.
Clean up weeds or debris that may harbor insects
or plant pathogens.
Control and remove winter weeds that are near
the tree trunk to reduce the chance of crown rot
or rodent damage.
Remove and destroy all old nuts left on the trees
or the ground after harvest to reduce the number
of overwintering navel orangeworms, the major
almond worm pest.
http://ucanr.org
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For More Information
Cousult these UC IPM Pest Notes online at
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu:
Brown Rot
Shothole
Anthracnose
Scales
Spider Mites
You'll also find detailed information on many
aspects of fruit and nut tree care in these titles and in
other publications, slides sets, and videos from UC
ANR:
California Master Gardener Handbook, publication 3382
Drip Irrigation in the Home Landscape, publication
21579
Pests of the Garden and Small Farm, publication 3332
Pruning Fruit and Nut Trees, publication 21171
Sweet Cherries for the Home Grounds, publication 2951
The UC Guide to Solving Garden and Landscape
Problems, CD-ROM 3400
ORDERING
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orders by mail, phone, or fax, or request a printed
catalog of publications, slide sets, and videos from
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Visit the ANR Communication Services website at
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Publication 7257
© 2002 by the Regents of the University of
California,Division of Agriculture and Natural
Resources. All rights reserved.
2 Almonds: Calendar of Operations for Home Gardeners
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WARNING ON THE USE OF CHEMICALS
Carefully follow all precautions and safety recommendations given on the container label. Store all chemicals in
their original labeled containers in a locked cabinet or shed, away from foods or feeds, and out of the reach of chil-
dren, unauthorized persons, pets, and livestock.
Confine chemicals to the property being treated. Avoid drift onto neighboring properties, especially gardens con-
taining fruits and/or vegetables ready to be picked.
Mix and apply only the amount of pesticide you will need to complete the application. spray all the material
according to label directions. Do not dispose of unused material by pouring down the drain or toilet. Do not pour
on ground: soil or underground water supplies may be contaminated. follow label directions for disposing of con-
tainer. Never burn pesticide containers.
PHYTOTOXICITY: Certain chemicals may cause plant injury if used at the wrong stage of plant development or
when temperatures are too high. Injury may also result from excessive amounts or the wrong formulation or from
mixing incompatible materials. Inert ingredients, such as wetters, spreaders, emulsifiers, diluents, and solvents,
can cause plant injury. Since formulations are often changed by manufacturers, it is possible that plant injury may
occur, even though no injury was noted in previous seasons.
Funding for this publication was made possible through a grant from the Elvenia J. Slosson Fund.
Almonds: Calendar of Operations for Home Gardeners 3
Introduction
Winter Dormant Season
Spring Bloom Season
Summer Growing Season
Autumn
For More Information
WARNING ON THE USE OF CHEMICALS
Text1: ISBN 978-1-60107-048-7