How to Grow Almonds USA

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Drainage	Moist but well-drained; won't tolerate wet soils (RHS; USU). Tolerates chalk, loam and sand (RHS).
Lifecycle	Deciduous stone-fruit tree, a close cousin of peaches and nectarines but less cold-hardy (USU). Not self-fruitful: RHS and USU both state a second, different almond cultivar is needed for cross-pollination, moved by insects (honeybees per USU); USU adds that a compatible, simultaneously-flowering peach can also supply pollen. USU: winter cold below -10°F can damage fruit buds, below -20°F damages wood, and spring temperatures below 28°F during or after flowering damage the blossom -- a real, specific set of thresholds rather than a vague frost warning.
Edible parts	nuts
Documented problems	9 diseases, 9 pests

At a Glance

Diseases

Cytospora canker

low

Cytospora spp.

Named directly by USU ("Cytospora Canker").

Silver leaf

moderate

Chondrostereum purpureum

Almond leaf scorch

moderate

Xylella fastidiosa

RHS names almond directly as "a high risk host for xylella fastidiosa" -- a serious biosecurity/quarantine caution rather than a currently widespread UK problem; kept honest and stated plainly rather than omitted. USU…

Phytophthora root rot

low

Named directly by USU ("Phytophthora Rot"); species not specified by USU so left at genus level.

Coryneum (shot hole) blight

moderate

Wilsonomyces carpophilus

Named directly by USU ("Coryneum Blight") as a shared peach/apricot disease that also affects almond.

Bacterial canker (Prunus)

moderate

Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum

Named directly by RHS (bacterial canker).

Brown rot (stone fruit)

moderate

Monilinia laxa

Named directly by RHS (brown rot).

Peach leaf curl

moderate

Taphrina deformans

Named directly by RHS (peach leaf curl).

Honey fungus

low

Armillaria spp.

Named directly by RHS (honey fungus).

Pests

Birds (fruit)

low

Aves

Named directly by RHS.

Rabbits

low

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Named directly by USU alongside mice as bark-damaging small animals over winter; trunk guards recommended.

Aphids

low

Aphididae (various spp.)

Named directly by RHS.

European fruit tree red spider mite

low

Panonychus ulmi

Named directly by USU (as "European Red Mite").

Peach twig borer

moderate

Anarsia lineatella

Named directly by USU as a shared peach/apricot pest that also affects almond.

Greater peachtree borer

moderate

Synanthedon exitiosa

Named directly by USU (as "Greater Peach Tree Borer") as a shared peach/apricot pest that also affects almond.

Caterpillars

low

Lepidoptera larvae

Named directly by RHS.

Mice

low

Muridae (mice, various spp.)

Named directly by USU alongside rabbits as bark-damaging small animals over winter.

Deer

low

Cervidae

Named directly by USU: deer eat shoot tips in late winter/early spring and can rub bark off the trunk.

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: USU: mature trees benefit from less frequent, deeper irrigation -- water long enough to penetrate to 1ft depth, then let the soil dry for several days before watering again; shallow, frequent turfgrass-style irrigation is not ideal. Newly planted trees: 3-5 gallons per watering for the first few weeks.

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Site selection and planting	0	Full sun and shelter, well-drained soil (RHS; USU). USU: choose a gentle slope so cold air drains away on cold nights; dig the hole wider than deep, keep the graft union 2-3in above the final soil line, and water immediately after planting. Trees are free-standing and don't need staking (USU).
Framework training and early pruning	3	USU: cut an unbranched young tree back to 30-36in at planting to force branching; on a branched tree, remove growth below about 30in and keep 4-6 evenly spaced branches to form a permanent scaffold whorl at 30-40in. RHS's pruning group 1 calls for only light, formative pruning afterward -- prune in mid-summer if silver leaf disease is present. Heavy pruning later removes the 1-year-old wood that carries flower buds and pushes the tree into vegetative water-sprout growth instead (USU).
Flowering and pollination	6	Blossoms very early -- both sources flag frost as the main risk to a crop. RHS notes flowers may need protection in vulnerable UK sites; USU gives it as hard thresholds: temperatures below 28°F during or after flowering damage the blossom and prevent fruiting, and young trees can be tarped on frosty nights (cover around sunset once air temperature is above 34°F, remove as it rises past freezing in the morning). Not self-fruitful: needs pollen from a different almond cultivar, or a compatible peach flowering at the same time, moved by insects such as honeybees (RHS; USU).
Establishment care	3	USU: don't allow fruit to set for the first three years -- let the tree put its energy into bearing wood instead. Heavy nitrogen feeder: roughly 1oz of actual nitrogen per tree per year of tree age (not exceeding 1/2lb/tree/year), spread evenly under the dripline. Water deeply but infrequently once established, letting the soil dry between waterings.
Fruiting and harvest	8	USU: don't expect a harvest for 4-6 years after planting. Leave nuts to mature and dry on the tree -- picked too early they are milky and damp -- then harvest by hand or by shaking branches. Remove the husk and store airtight in a dry place; shelled kernels keep indefinitely frozen.

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: USU: leave nuts to mature and dry on the tree -- harvested too early they are milky and damp. Harvest by hand or by shaking branches so nuts fall.

Storage

USU: remove husks once harvested; store in a dry environment, airtight to slow oxidation of the oils; shelled kernels can be frozen indefinitely.

Sources

1. Utah State University Extension - How to Grow Almonds in Your Garden

   Peer-reviewed fact sheet, published July 2017 (authors Teryl R. Roper and Rick Heflebower). Site: full sun 3/4+ of the day, well-drained soil (won't tolerate wet soils), gentle slope for cold-air drainage. Spacing: ~20x20ft at maturity (10-12ft trunk radius). Planting: hole wider than deep; graft union 2-3in above soil line; water 3-5 gallons for first few weeks. Initial pruning: unbranched tree cut to 30-36in at planting; branched tree keeps 4-6 evenly spaced branches above 30in; framework trunk clear 30-40in with a permanent scaffold whorl above. Fertility: heavy nitrogen feeders, ~1oz actual nitrogen per tree per year of age (max 1/2lb/tree/year); young trees should grow 12-18in/year, mature bearing trees 6-12in/year. Don't allow fruit-set for first 3 years. Frost: bud damage below -10°F (winter), wood damage below -20°F, blossom damage below 28°F during/after flowering; tarp young trees on frosty nights (cover at sunset when above 34°F, remove at sunrise). Irrigation: deep, infrequent (to 1ft depth, dry between); Utah's dry climate makes it essential. Pollination: not self-fruitful, needs a different almond cultivar or compatible simultaneously-flowering peach, insect-moved (honeybees). Pests/diseases (same as peach/apricot): peach twig borer, greater peach tree borer, European red mite, spider mites, Coryneum (shot hole) blight, Cytospora canker, Phytophthora root rot; also mice/rabbits (bark) and deer (shoots/bark) causing physical damage. Harvest: mature and dry on the tree, hand-picked or shaken; husk removed; store airtight (dry, long-term) or shelled kernels frozen indefinitely. Nuts typically not harvested for 4-6 years after planting.

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Royal Horticultural Society, Utah State University Extension) is in the references of our UK guide to almonds; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.