Just wondering if I can prune this tree back. I need to cut off a large branch and thin it out a little. Would it be too hard on the little tree given the buds are coming or am I stuck until next fall?
As I know, this is exactly the time to prune almond tree because you need to distinguish male branches from female ones if you don’t have two trees close together.
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Thanks Ivan, This is an All in One self pollinating tree. It’s the only one in the yard.
I do still plan on grafting another variety on here eventually but I don’t what would be the best pollinator for it yet.
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@Plants
Not sure of your cultivar, but in my experience Garden Prince doesn’t need a second pollen source.
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If you do not care about almond production at this young age, you can go ahead and prune. First 3 leaves (years) of Almond trees is all about creating shapes for better production in future years. In commercial orchards, during the first couple of years, pruning for scaffold selection and training is done in Winter and Spring. So, you are not late!
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Thanks Richard I’ll look into that. But I’m more looking for something that flowers around the same time. This tree gets covered with blooms.
Hey neighbor! Thanks that’s what I was worried about really. And the tree dying or getting problems if I go heavy on a later prune. This is my first almond tree going on 3rd leaf. I thinned last year pretty good and it all came back heavy for a small tree in a large container.
Anyways it’s going to rain tomorrow and later this week as you know. So maybe I’ll get some copper on after the rain and trim before it’s even more awake?
yeah, I have an almond orchard, third leaf. We are not touching anything on those trees. For the fruit trees, we took some gaps in rains to prune nectarines, apples, and pluots; but did not touch cherry and apriums.
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Nice! Must be very pretty on your lane. That little tree I have sure is a water hog. She wilts in the summer pretty easy if I’m not on it. A few days last summer I misted when wilting and she perked right back up. Wishing you a successful season.
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No need to look into it. I was pointing out that if your almond is Garden Prince then it doesn’t need a companion.
That’s ok I was interest in it anyways. I have an All in One which is self pollinating but as with most self pollinators that I’m aware of they still do better with a different type nearby.
Hey since you seem to know almonds would you be ok with this prune or go more on the one side. After cutting off that larger limb the tree looks a little off. Or wait until next year?
In a commercial orchard, the goal is a bit different. We can not keep lower branches since we need to make sure that there is space for shaker claws for harvesting. So, branch below 3 feet always gets pruned. Then, during scaffold-selection pruning, pruners try to select 3-5 evenly-spaced branches, or tie+train branches to make future scaffolds. In this case, I think, the goals are most probably space management, lowering fruitset for easier harvest, and light penetration. The lower branch to the left will be covered by the top branches very soon if shoots from the top branches coming toward it are not removed. You can keep the branch for now to see how it grows and possibly train it to become another scaffold branch. If nothing works, you can always prune it later.
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Sounds like a plan thanks again