GROW ALMONDS AND SAVE MONEY

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33252, 15 June 1973, Page 11

GROW ALMONDS AND SAVE MONEY

The kernels of almonds are classified as nuts and are much in demand tor domestic use. Although these nutritious nuts are ; expensive to buy fruiting : specimens are not a com- [ mon sight in our gardens and inquiries seem to sug- ; gest that there is no par- ; ticular interest in them. There are also flowering ; cultivars and these seem ; to hold more appeal. Almonds are among i'.° ■ earliest of the genus primus ' to flower and as such ihc 1 are susceptible to frost dam- 1 age both when in blossom 1 and at the young fruit stage. ' Their cultural attention is generally much the same as 1 that required by peach 1 trees. Young trees should be 1 pruned hard back alter 1 planting. It is desirable to ‘ promote a strong framework ‘ and good shape initially and 1 attention to these aspects 1 during the formative years • of establishment will pav * dividends later. Annual pruning should consist of shortening and thinning out to maintain maximum development of young I growth and restrict the older I .' unproductive wood, as bear- 4 ing is on laterals formed the i previous year and on short < spurs arising from older wood. Prune in autumn Fruiting specimens could be pruned in late autumn as this will lessen the chances of infection from silver leaf.

a disease to which almonds are very susceptible. Flowering trees, howe'.er. are perhaps best left mr.,l after the last blossoms in ve passd their best. ", hen prompt attention is desirable. Always seal all cut surfac's greater than hall an ii-.ii promptly. Fruiting almonds are generally divided into <w. ,i i and bitter grades. Apart from this division there re also soft shelled, thick >r hard shelled and paper er thin almonds, the diffeiearereferring to the thickness of the shell surrounding the kernel. Monavale is regarded as the best known fruning almond in New Zealand. It is the result of seedling raised in the Waikato. Although it is a reliable cropper bearing large nuts, they are somewhat bitter, hard shelled and not as good as the few others curren:!, available. Qualitv product Of those available. Nonpariel is one of the nest yielding, a thin shelled. Quality end product of (insistent bearing. Others include the large flat nut culti-

car IXL ami the <. .J'-lornian-raisea Hui bank There are some exielh n: single and double tlowm ir. >. almonds to choose trotn .md some ot them will also bear fruit Prunus glandulosa is a ■ d dwarf among the other i.<li growing almond trees Lius species grows 4 to fill i.iU and has while Howers e.lmn appear in October. A double white form, albo plena, and a double pink form, also exist. All these dwj'f almonds are floriferous and the last-named has the added attraction of reddish orange autumn foliage. P.triloba tlore plena <;• a taller growing almond wt.h full double pink flowers :*«• species, single pink, will beat small round red fruit. P. pollardii is an Austra lian-raised hybrid, actualb considered to be a cross be tween a peach and an almond This forms a lari: • tree which comes into tlo-vr in August and seems to i?st in bloom “for ever." It mur.es a magnificent sight against a clear blue sky. with its jinwide slightly fragrant Dims blossom. An abundance < t fruit is set almost without fail. There is a double pink form available now.