How to grow almond
Family Rosaceae. Hardy to USDA hardiness zone 6a+ (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Full sun. Ready in 3-5 years to bearing (perennial tree).
Sun
Full sun
Spacing
15-25 ft
Days to harvest
3-5 years to bearing (perennial tree)
Hardiness
Zone 6a+
What growers actually recorded
Loading zone 7b results…
When to plant almond
- Transplant out: ~2 weeks after last frost.
Companion plants for almond
Plant with: Chive, Garlic.
Common pests & problems
Navel orangeworm, peach twig borer, brown rot.
Feeding & fertilizer
N-P-K ratio: Balanced 5-5-5, avoid fresh manure
Organic options: Compost mulch every spring · Blood meal + bone meal before flowering · Kelp meal after harvest
When to feed: Base feeding on a soil test and on how much new growth the plant made last year.
Watch for: Lots of leafy growth but little fruit = too much nitrogen.
N = nitrogen (leaves), P = phosphorus (roots and flowers), K = potassium (fruit and disease resistance). How to read a fertilizer label →
Grower's tip
Blooms very early, even earlier than apricot; late spring frost is the biggest threat to a nut crop, more than any pest.
When to plant almond in your zone
Free month-by-month sowing and transplanting lists, built from frost dates for your USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) hardiness zone.
Soil & water for almond
Soil & pH
6.0-7.5; confirm with a soil test
Deep, well-drained loam. Almond roots rot in wet or heavy, poorly drained soil.
Test soil before planting. Plant on a slight mound if drainage is doubtful; mulch but keep it off the trunk.
Watering
Deep watering every 1-3 weeks in the dry season, depending on soil and heat
Drip or micro-sprinkler over the root zone, not the trunk. Keep water off the hulls near harvest.
Cut back water as hulls begin to split to lower hull rot, then resume after harvest.
Knowing when to harvest
- Hulls split open and turn from green to tan-brown, exposing the shell.
- Nuts rattle loosely inside the shell when the branch is shaken.
- Harvest by shaking onto tarps once most hulls have split, typically late summer to early fall.
Storing & keeping
Dry hulled nuts to below 6% moisture, then store shelled kernels airtight in the fridge or freezer for a year or more; at room temperature they turn rancid within a few months due to oil content.
What to expect
Per plant: 20-50 lb in-shell from a mature tree, bearing by year 3-5
Requires a long, hot, dry summer to properly dry the crop and a low-humidity climate to avoid hull rot.
Troubleshooting almond
Heavy bloom, almost no nut set
Likely cause: No compatible pollinizer variety or poor bee activity during a short bloom window
What to do: Plant a second, bloom-overlapping variety and ensure pollinator access during bloom.
Shriveled kernels or hull rot
Likely cause: Late-season irrigation or rain during hull split
What to do: Cut back irrigation as hulls begin to split and harvest promptly.
Varieties worth the space
Not every name in a seed catalog. These are the ones growers order again, with what each one is actually good at and what it asks of you.
Nonpareil
The commercial standard, thin-shelled, needs a pollinizer like Carmel or Monterey.
All-in-One
Self-fertile, the practical choice for a single backyard tree.
Growing almond in containers
Not practical. Almond wants a hot, dry, long growing season and a large root system; it is an orchard tree, not a patio plant.
Nutrition
Vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, and healthy fats.
Common questions
Can almonds be grown outside a Mediterranean-type climate?
Poorly. High summer humidity brings on hull rot and fungal disease, and almond blooms very early, risking frost in most other climates.
Do almonds need a second tree?
Most standard varieties do; self-fertile types like All-in-One are the exception.
Where these numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Zone assignment and the 30-year normals behind every cold-hardiness figure.
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Frost dates, growing-season length, and the probability bands on both.
- Cornell, UMN, and UC Davis Cooperative Extension crop guides. Spacing, days to maturity, soil pH targets, and per-plant yield ranges.
- USDA FSIS / FDA Produce Safety guidance. Wash, cure, and cold-storage handling numbers.
Ranges are regional guidance, not a promise for your yard. Your own logged results always override the published range.