Topic: Almond trees

[Tenuse]

I am planning my fruit bit of the allotment at the moment - have planted 4 apple trees that I got for a fiver each in a sale - a Discovery, a James Grieves, a Laxton's Superb and a "mystery tree" that had no label  ??? so we shall see what becomes of it! They are all five or six foot high in containers and I really hope they fruit next year (full of buds....)

Sorry getting distracted, I have been surfing the net for nice fruit to go and one of the sites was selling almond trees and said you could keep them down to 6-8 feet with pruning.

Has anybody grown an almond tree?? Especially anybody in Yorkshire - would it fruit?

Ten x

[gavin]

Aaah - happy memories of the almond orchards outside Sanaa in Yemen.  Stunning blossom!

I suspect they'd need a warmer climate than Yorkshire - good hot summers like this last one?  But I really haven't a clue, never having tried!

All best - Gavin

[Tenuse]

Maybe I will wait until Global Warming is well and truly underway  ;D

[ciderself]

That sounds good -all those apple trees-like a mini orchard. Have inherited a plum tree - it has greenish yellow fruit which were all rotten by the time I took over the plot. Anyone recommend other types of tree that will grow well? Always fancied a nectarine myself but not sure whether it would survive our normally wet cold summers.

[Palustris]

Almonds are the kernel of a form of peach. They need a lot warmer climate than Yorkshire for the fruit to ripen enough for the nut to form properly. Also sadly in Britain even the Flowering Almond is very prone to Peach leaf curl. This is a fungus disease which causes red blisters on the leaves. The leaves then shrivel and die with obvious weakening effect on the tree. The fungus can be passed on the any other peach or nectarine trees in the vicinity. Nectarines are slightly more tender than peaches and can be grown but in most of Britain need the protection of a greenhouse over Winter. Peaches may be grown on a South facing wall in most of the Southern half of Britain, with some protection of the blossom from late frosts.

[Tenuse]

Oh dear I don't want to infect everybody's trees (not that I have noticed much other than apples on other nearby allotments anyway).

Hmm OK then can anybody recommend some nice varieties of plum, they grow ok in the North don't they??

I am also going to grow some blueberries, even though I have to replace a big trench of soil with ericaceous compost... this is my Challenge Plant!

Ten x

[ciderself]

Sounds like a no go with almonds and nectarines then. Reckon Victorias are the nicest plums and they make fantastic chutney. Next door neighbour has one - looks as though it will get very large though - already 15 foot high.

[budgiebreeder]

I live in Yorkshire and have grown an Almond Tree from a nut that I picked up in Malta.It is now 5 years old and about 4 foot high.No Almonds yet but I am ever the optimist so my advise is give it a try!