How to plant and care for Almond (Robijn)

Prunus dulcis

🌳 Tree 🍓 Fruit 🔁 Perennial

A self-fertile almond with pink spring blossom and sweet nuts in early autumn. Resistant to peach leaf curl, but still best in a warm, sunny spot.

At a glance: harvest in September.

When to plant and care for it

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Flowers

Harvest

Prune

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

On planting day
Plant the Tree
Plant at the same depth it grew in its pot, in a hole twice as wide as the root ball, 4 m from other trees. Firm and water well.
0–1 days after “Plant the Tree”
Stake and Tie
Drive a short stake in on the windward side and fix it with a soft tree tie. Loosen the tie each spring so it never cuts into the bark.
0–2 days after “Stake and Tie”
Water In Deeply
Soak the root area with a full can, then keep the soil moist (not wet) for the first few weeks.
7–21 days after “Water In Deeply”
Mulch the Base
Spread 5–8 cm of compost or bark mulch in a 1 m circle, keeping it clear of the trunk.

January
Cover Against Leaf Curl
From January to May, rain spreads leaf curl. A clear polythene shelter over small or wall-trained trees keeps leaves dry.
March
Blossom — Protect from Frost
It flowers very early: cover with fleece on frosty nights and hand-pollinate with a soft brush.
July
Summer Pruning
Prune in summer, never in winter (silver leaf): remove dead, crossing and crowded branches.
September
Harvest Almonds
Pick when the green husks split. Remove the husks and dry the nuts in their shells for a few weeks.
Starts from year 3.