Almonds are shrubs that bloom in western Poland and develop their first leaves at the turn of March and April, and in other regions - April and May. They belong to the very large family of the Rosaceae and are close relatives of the edible common almond, eagerly cultivated in southern Europe.
In Poland, the most famous is the three-lobed tonsil Prunus triloba, also known as the three-lobed almond. In cultivation we can find its most popular variety 'Multiplex' with full light pink flowers. The flowers are placed very densely on last year's shoots, they are dark pink in the bud and light pink when developed.
They look like small, full florets. It is grown in nurseries in the form of small trees grafted on a trunk or in a bushy form, growing up to 3 m.Creates very characteristic leaves. The flowers are set on shiny dark brown stems covered with hairs in their youth.
Almonds and seasons
In winter, small fringed growths 3-5 mm long are visible near the buds. Shrubs begin to bloom in the 2-3rd year after planting, but remember that abundant flowering is conditioned by the annual cutting of one-year shoots over the 3-4th bud from the root.
Flower buds will form on the grown one-year shoots in the summer, which will bloom in the next spring.The three-leaf almond can be planted all over Poland, as it can withstand temperature drops down to -30 ° C.Sometimes during cold and severe winters its shoots can freeze.It is also worth mentioning that the flower buds of this shrub are the favorite food of many birds.
The second, less common and cultivated species is the dwarf tonsil Prunus tenella Batsch. Creates shrubs up to 1.5 m in height, growing thanks to underground runners.It is sometimes grown in the form of a small, low tree.Dwarf almond has single flowers of various shades of pink or white that develop in April.
Almond care
In the garden, almond trees require fertile and moist soil as well as warm, sunny and secluded positions. They look nice when planted in a bed, singly or in groups with early flowering crocuses, scrubs, tulips, etc.In Poland, tonsils are multiplied in nurseries by budding on alech seedlings, which often produce numerous shoots that can drown out the entire bush. Therefore, as soon as they start to grow, they should be systematically cut.
Almonds planted in containers or as cut twigs are very valuable plants for driving as well as accelerating flowering.It is worth knowing that all tonsils are attacked by moniliosis, also called brown rot stone trees, which results in the death and wilting of whole shoots, which are cut and immediately burned, but not composted.
