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. Caring for it is not too complicated, but the plant is very thermophilic. Therefore, you should not even try to grow it in regions where late frosts are possible.
general description
Common almonds are a sprawling shrub or small tree of the Rosaceae family, which reaches a height of 4-6 m. The trunk bark is gray or reddish. It begins to bloom early, usually in February or April. At this time, the bush of almond ordinary is very attractive. Pale pink flowers strew the long branches of the bush. By the time the flowers fall, the first leaves begin to appear. The fruits of ordinary almonds ripen in July or August.
Habitat
It is widely distributed in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Common almonds usually grow on stony river beds, dry talus. 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, which is less whimsical and ready to grow even in the northern regions. True, it will bloom willingly, but fruiting will not work. At this time, the bush is an amazing sight. It is as if shrouded in an airy pink cloud. When the spring, bright outfit subsides, the bush releases leaves and remains the same until the colds.
Plant use
Common almonds are a unique plant that can be used completely, from roots to leaves. Wood is suitable for carpentry, gum is used to make glue, cake is used for food in diabetes and 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. Leaves contain carbohydrates, organic acids, vitamins and fatty oils. Almonds 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. It’s convenient: I drank a pill and got a lot of vitamins. But keep in mind that they are mostly synthetic, while almonds give you complete vitamins and minerals.
In the garden
Common almonds are most widely used in gardening. As already mentioned, there are two varieties, so when buying seedlings you need to be careful. If you plant bitter almonds together with sweet, you will have to wait 4-5 years until you get the first fruits and understand your mistake.
Caring for almonds, the photo of which you now see, is not very difficult. Therefore, the desire to plant it on your garden plot is quite feasible. Under good conditions, it reaches 4-6 meters in height, and on dry taluses it sometimes grows in the form of a bush, not exceeding 2 meters.
Flowering and ovary
This is a moment that every gardener should know if he wants to get a rich harvest. Almond bud is laid in the spring. At this time, the plant spends energy on growing fruits, so the buds hardly grow. After collecting the stone fruits, the process will go more intensively. The most important thing is not to damage the kidneys when harvesting. They become very noticeable in August - September.
Common almonds - gymnospermous plant, a guest from the southern edges. But this is not so sissy. During the period of winter dormancy, the plant can tolerate a short-term decrease 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 ordinary almonds, which were planted before their birth and still delight with a wonderful harvest. Indeed, this amazing shrub can live up to 80 years.
Growing place
This shrub in the adult form does not tolerate transplantation. Therefore, you need to immediately find a suitable place for him. Planting ordinary almonds is carried out in the fall, when the entire plot is free and you might think where the new tree will grow. It will grow even on clay soils. But light, fertile, and well-drained soil is best suited for it.
But on heavy acidic clays it will not grow. Salted areas are also not suitable for him. With a high chlorine content, the seedling will die within a few months. Sites with heavy soil should be immediately excluded. The seedling will not grow.
Water and light
The botanical description of common almond makes it clear that this plant is drought tolerant. But if there is not enough water for life, do not wait for intensive growth. Green mass is the main consumer of moisture, and if it is not enough, then the leaves will be dumped around the middle of June. Therefore, in hot years, irrigation is mandatory. With sufficient moisture, the leaves remain throughout the growing season. Foliage is very important; photosynthesis processes take place in it. Therefore, its loss will lead to the loss of part of the crop. Consequently, the development of generative buds and next year's crop is deteriorating.
This is a very photophilous plant. Do not try to grow it in the shade. With a lack of light, the growth process and productivity are sharply reduced. That is, the proximity of large buildings and other garden plants will negatively affect fruiting. But its own crown can become an obstacle if it is not thinned out. If you do not carry out regular pruning, the plant will turn into an ugly bush with virtually no fruit. Therefore, timely planting care 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 reproduce by seed. Vegetative propagation allows you to save the valuable qualities of the best varieties in subsequent offspring. The cultivation of ordinary almonds is most often carried out by budding a vegetative bud on a stock. And stock for this is taken from a bitter-seed variety.
So, the first thing you need to grow seedlings. To do this, seeds must be sown in grooves with a depth of 8-10 cm. The distance between them is 10-12 cm. Between the rows should remain up to 50 cm. Next year they will sprout together in the spring. 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 stem thickness reaches 1 cm, they are ready for budding. This procedure indicates a vegetative bud vaccination of the selected variety.
Almond planting
In the second year, seedlings can be transplanted to the main place in the garden. Planting is best done in the fall. Since almonds grow in warm climates, you can plant them in winter. Gardeners note that at this time the seedlings take root better. But in the spring to leave this procedure is strictly not recommended.
On the garden plot you need to plant at least 3-4 inter-pollinated varieties. If this is not possible, then at least two varieties. This is even provided that the neighbors in the plots also have almond bushes. For planting, you need to prepare a landing pit in advance. Its depth is up to 60 cm, and its width is up to 70 cm. Before planting, fertilizers must be applied. An ideal option would be 6 kg of rotted manure and 0.5 kg of superphosphate. After planting, it is necessary to water the seedlings, using at least a bucket of water for each of them.
We form a 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 ordinary almonds is incredibly rich and diverse. These are fats and carbohydrates, a large amount of protein, vitamins and amino acids. The crown of young trees must begin to form in the second year after planting. First, the height of the stem is determined, and all shoots that grow below this height are cut as close to the trunk as possible.
From the shoots that are located above the first branch, a crown is formed. This is done as follows. 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 located between them. The fourth should go in the direction opposite to it. All other shoots that grow between them are cut.
Plant care
During the first year of life, the bush gives a slight increase. This is easy to explain, as the root system was damaged during digging and transportation. It does not actively perform its basic functions of providing the ground with nutrients. Therefore, during the first year, it is especially important to irrigate every 10 days. As soon as the soil in the near-stem circle dries, it needs to be loosened by 10 cm.
Feeding is optional, since you have already added organic matter to the planting pit. But keep in mind that the bush needs a lot of nitrogen. Therefore, in the first days of summer, 200 g of ammonium nitrate is required for each plant. This procedure is performed during watering. Do not forget about the proximity of plants in the garden. The first five years in the rows of agricultural machinery recommend growing vegetable or feed plants. This is good for the growth of ordinary almonds.
Caring for young plants is very important, because the root system and the crown are being formed right now. It consists in timely watering and weed control. If you see that the plant has stopped in growth and development, you can make mineral fertilizing. It is a mixture of 100 g of nitrogen and potassium and 200 g of phosphorus per plant. Almond shrubs enter fruiting for 4 years. Until about the age of 19, they will annually increase the yield.
What is useful almond ordinary
Pharmacognosy, that is, a pharmaceutical science that studies medicines derived from plant-based raw materials, has long and seriously studied the beneficial properties of almonds. These fruits, which are considered to be nuts, are excellent helpers for anemia and anemia, and diabetes.
Almonds are very useful for the digestive tract. It normalizes the acidity of the digestive juice, is used to normalize the liver and spleen. This is an excellent remedy for headache, migraine and insomnia. In folk medicine, almond kernels are widely known as an antitussive. Almond oil has a wide range of beneficial properties. It has an expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect, normalizes intestinal function.
Almonds will also give good support to pregnant women. They should receive a sufficient amount of vitamin E and magnesium, calcium and zinc, phosphorus and iron every day. Just these microelements are abundant and are found in tasty fruit-drupes.
Instead of a conclusion
Almonds ordinary GF are an excellent choice for gardeners who live in a warm climate. 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 3-4 bushes will be enough to plant. When they reach full maturity (by about 18 years), then the fruit will already be in abundance. But there are enough options for the implementation of almonds. And most importantly, the bushes are completely unpretentious. Even if you have absolutely no time for watering and weeding, this will not cause their death.