How to grow Almond
Updated October 2026
Almonds are stone fruit trees, close cousins of the peach, grown for the kernel inside the pit. They need a warm, dry climate with enough winter chill and a frost free bloom in February, which is why California's Central Valley grows nearly all of the country's crop. Outside the dry, mild West, late frosts and wet springs usually take the crop.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Almonds in the US
Not to be confused with: Flowering almond (Prunus triloba) is an ornamental shrub grown for its pink spring blossom and does not give edible nuts. Hardy almonds sold for cold climates are often peach and almond hybrids with hard shells and bitter kernels.
Where to plant
Almonds bloom very early, about the third week of February in the Central Valley, before the leaves appear. Temperatures below about 28°F (minus 2°C) during or after bloom kill the flowers, and rain and humidity at bloom bring disease and poor nut set. That is why they suit Northern California and the Central Valley, inland Southern California and warm desert valleys such as the St. George area of southern Utah, and fail most years in Florida, the Gulf South, Texas, the Mid-South, the East, the Pacific Northwest and the cold North.
Give the tree full sun for at least three quarters of the day and deep, well drained soil. A gentle slope lets cold air drain away on frosty nights. A standard tree takes up a space of roughly 20 by 20 feet (6 by 6 m) when mature.
- In Southern California, almonds crop best inland, where winters bring the 400 to 500 chill hours they need.
- Winter cold below about minus 10°F (minus 23°C) can kill the fruit buds, and below minus 20°F (minus 29°C) damages the wood, so cold winter regions are out even before frost at bloom is counted.
Choosing a variety
Most almond varieties cannot pollinate themselves, so plant two compatible varieties that bloom at the same time, within easy bee range of each other. A peach that flowers at the same time can also supply pollen. In a small garden, a self fruitful variety saves the space of a second tree, though a pollinizer nearby still helps the crop.
| Variety | Notes |
|---|---|
| All-in-One | Semi dwarf, self fruitful, soft shell with a sweet kernel; a common home garden choice |
| Nonpareil | The main California variety, with a paper thin shell; needs a pollinizer; matures about late August in the Central Valley |
| Mission (also sold as Texas) | Hard shell, strong flavor, ripens 40 to 60 days after Nonpareil; often used as a pollinizer |
| Ne Plus | Older California variety that blooms between Nonpareil and Mission |
Soft shell or paper shell almonds can be cracked by hand, which matters for home use. Avoid bitter almonds, which contain amygdalin and are not for eating.
How to plant
- Buy a grafted tree from a reputable nursery, bare root in winter or potted later, and plant it promptly so the roots never dry out.
- Dig a hole wider than the spread of the roots, or about twice the width of the pot and the same depth. Do not add fertilizer to the backfill.
- Set the tree so the graft union sits 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) above the finished soil level, backfill with the soil you dug out and water it in.
- Make a low ring of soil around the tree to hold water, and give about 3 to 5 gallons (11 to 19 liters) at each watering for the first few weeks.
- If the tree is a single whip, cut it back to about 30 to 36 inches (75 to 90 cm) to make it branch. If it already has branches, keep 4 to 6 well spaced ones above about 30 inches.
- Mulch in a ring around the tree once it starts to grow, keeping the mulch off the trunk.
Watering and feeding
Mature trees have deep roots and do best with long, deep waterings that wet the soil to about 1 foot (30 cm), then a few days of drying before the next one. A lawn sprinkler schedule of short, frequent watering suits trees poorly. Keep the soil from waterlogging, as wet roots invite Phytophthora root and crown rot.
Almonds are heavy nitrogen feeders. Utah State University's rule of thumb is 1 ounce (28 g) of actual nitrogen per year of tree age each year, up to a maximum of half a pound (225 g) of actual nitrogen per tree. Spread it evenly under the drip line and water it in. Young trees should grow 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) a year and mature ones 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm); far more than that means too much nitrogen and fewer nuts.
Pruning and care through the year
- Train the tree to an open center: a clear trunk for 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm), then a whorl of main scaffold branches that stay as the permanent framework.
- After the framework is set, prune lightly. Nuts form on spurs and at the base of 1 year old wood, and heavy pruning gives water sprouts instead of crop.
- Pick off flowers or young nuts for the first year or two so the tree builds its framework first.
- On calm, frosty spring nights, a young tree can be covered with a tarp pegged to the ground at dusk and uncovered when the morning warms above freezing.
- In fall and winter, knock down and destroy any nuts left on the tree. These old mummies shelter navel orangeworm through the winter.
Harvesting
Almonds ripen from August to October, depending on variety and region. The hulls split open as the nuts mature, then the hull and nut dry on the tree. Let them dry on the tree where you can, because nuts picked early are milky and damp. Shake the branches or knock the nuts down onto a tarp, and pick them up promptly, since nuts left lying on the ground draw pests.
Remove the hulls, dry the nuts in the shell somewhere airy and dry, and store them in airtight containers to slow the oils going rancid. Shelled kernels keep for a long time in freezer bags in the freezer.
Propagation and saving seed
Almonds do not come true from seed, so trees are grafted or budded onto a rootstock, often a peach seedling. Buy grafted trees of a named variety.
Pests and diseases
Almonds share most of their pests and diseases with peaches and apricots. Clean up old nuts and keep the bloom dry where you can.
Pests to watch for
- Navel orangeworm White to pinkish caterpillars feeding inside the kernels, with webbing and droppings. They overwinter in old nuts, so remove every mummy by late winter and harvest promptly.
- Peach twig borer Wilting, dying shoot tips in spring and small larvae boring into shoots and nuts.
- Fruit tree borers Gummy sap and sawdust-like frass at the base of the trunk or on limbs.
- Aphids Curled leaves and sticky honeydew on new spring growth.
- Spider mites Fine stippling and bronzing on leaves in hot, dry, dusty summers.
- Birds Nuts pecked open or taken as the hulls split.
Diseases to watch for
- Shot hole Small purple spots on leaves that drop out to leave round holes, with spots on twigs and fruit; spread by rain in fall and spring.
- Brown rot Blossoms and young shoots wilting and browning at bloom in wet weather, often with gum at the base.
- Rust Small yellow spots on the upper leaf with rusty brown pustules underneath in late summer.
- Root rot Slow decline and dieback in wet, poorly drained soil, caused by Phytophthora.
Common questions
Do I need two almond trees?
Usually, yes. Most almond varieties need pollen from a different variety that blooms at the same time, carried by bees. Self fruitful varieties such as All-in-One can crop alone, though a second variety nearby still improves the set.
Can I grow almonds outside California?
In the warm, dry West, yes, including the low desert valleys of southern Utah and warm parts of the Southwest. In most of the rest of the country, almonds bloom so early that late frosts kill the flowers, and humid, wet springs bring disease, so they rarely crop. Pecan is the better nut tree for the South and the East.
How long until an almond tree produces nuts?
Expect a first real crop about 4 to 6 years after planting. Removing the flowers for the first year or two lets the young tree build a strong framework.
When are almonds ready to harvest?
When the hulls have split open and the nuts have begun to dry on the tree, from August to October depending on variety. Nonpareil matures around late August in the Central Valley.
Why is my almond tree not producing?
The usual causes are a frost during or just after bloom, no compatible pollinizer, cold, wet or windy weather that keeps bees from flying at bloom, a tree that is still too young, heavy pruning, or too much nitrogen fertilizer.
Can I grow an almond tree in a pot?
It is not a good choice for a pot. Even semi dwarf almonds grow into sizeable trees with deep roots, so plant them in the ground.
Sources we checked: Utah State University Extension: How to Grow Almonds in Your Garden; UC IPM: Almond, Home and Landscape; UC IPM: Navel Orangeworm, Home and Landscape; UC ANR Fruit and Nut Research and Information Center: Almond Climate and Cultivars.
Loading sow calendar…