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Decorative almonds captivate with their extraordinary picturesqueness everyone who has seen the flowering of its bushes - fragrant pink clouds. Planting and growing a beautiful plant in the climate of the middle zone is not at all difficult. Caring for decorative almonds includes watering, fertilizing and regular pruning.
Description of the ornamental almond bush
This ornamental crop is more often found in the form of medium-sized bushes. Sometimes almonds are formed on a trunk or in the form of a low tree. In Russia, low and three-lobed almonds are usually grown. The grayish-red trunks of the deciduous plant rise from 1 to 1.5 m or up to 2.5-3 m in different species. The bush forms straight shoots that fan out slightly in all directions, forming a spherical-oval silhouette. After the third year of development, the plant sends out root shoots, which later replace the first shoots, obsolete after 7 years of growth. The roots of decorative almonds are brittle.
The leaves of all species do not bloom equally. They also differ in size - 4-8 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide.Steppe almond, or low almond, provides an opportunity to admire its flowering against the background of young leaves. In most other species, leaf buds open after the flowering period. The lanceolate leaf blades of the crop are leathery, dark green in color, with an elegant serrated edge pattern.
Ornamental species delight with early spring flowering 4-5 years after planting. Depending on the variety, simple and double corollas are incredibly picturesque. Many species have rounded petals, although some are elongated, usually in different shades of pink or white. Numerous graceful stamens of decorative almonds, as seen in the photo, create the image of a fragile and delicate flower. The diameter of the corolla is from 1 to 2.5-3 cm. The buds open very densely along the entire length of the shoot, especially its upper part. The flower show lasts from one to three weeks.
Use in landscape design
The ability of ornamental crops to tolerate low temperatures allowed gardeners and lovers of beauty to grow them not only in the south of the country, but in the middle climate zone and even in Siberia. Species that can recover after freezing are planted:
- steppe;
- Ledebura;
- Georgian;
- three-lobed.
The culture is suitable for creating decorative hedges, very impressive in spring, and as a bright tapeworm in the garden. Beautiful flowering bushes act as an element for alpine slides against the backdrop of large coniferous groups. In autumn and winter, the shrub also has peculiar decorations - fleecy fruits.
Popular varieties of decorative almonds
Each of the decorative forms has separate varieties.Steppe almond, or bean, is represented by white-flowered and pink-flowered shrubs, which are highly decorative for 7-8 days.
The Intermediary is a frost-resistant variety created by I.V. Michurin, a 2-3-meter tree with pale pink flowers.
Pink Mist has corollas up to 2.5 cm in diameter of a rich shade.
Pink flamingo flowers are up to 1 cm, but lush, double.
The Anyuta variety blooms bright pink.
White Sail has small white flowers, but very abundant.
The Gessler form is represented by a low-growing shrub with petals of bright and rich color.
The Ledebur almond species, from the Altai foothills, is famous for the Fire Hill variety with red-pink petals, its corollas up to 3 cm. The shrub is decorative for 14-20 days. The shoots grow up to 1.2-2 m in height, the crown is compact - 0.8-1 m.
The tall, up to 3-5 m, three-lobed almond, a plant originating from China, has recently been given a different name - three-lobed Louiseania. Its shoots with gray bark create a spreading crown with leaves of three lobes. It blooms with large, up to 3-3.5 cm, densely double or simple corollas of rich pink and crimson color. The species has many varieties.
Tanyusha amazes with its densely double curled petals.
The shade of the Snow Uimura variety changes from pink to cream towards the end of flowering.
The rich color of the petals of the decorative variety Ladislava is close to crimson.
Planting and caring for decorative almonds
Gardens are decorated with both the usual steppe decorative almonds with edible nuts, and the more picturesque Louiseania. The culture is resistant to urban conditions, very colorful in spring. The bushes quickly rise and grow.
Preparation of planting site and material
The natural habitat of almonds is calcareous and rocky soils, sandy loams, light loams, with an acidity level of pH 5-7.5, open sunny areas. It is advisable to reproduce similar conditions on the site by placing the tree in a southern direction, under reliable protection from northern winds:
- light partial shade is allowed, no more than 120-150 minutes during the day;
- deep groundwater;
- for the planting substrate, prepare garden soil, humus or compost, sand in a ratio of 3:2:1;
- 300-400 g of dolomite flour or slaked lime are added to the mixture;
- holes in group planting are dug every 1-2.5 m.
Before planting, seedlings with an open root system are placed in a mixture of water and clay for several hours to restore moisture.
Planting decorative almonds
Plant shrubs in the evening, morning or afternoon in cloudy weather:
- pit depth 30-40 cm, same diameter;
- lay a 10-centimeter layer of drainage;
- An almond seedling is placed on the nutrient substrate, making sure that the root collar is located above the surface level;
- hammer in a low support for the stem;
- sprinkle with soil, compact, water with 10-15 liters of water and mulch the tree trunk circle.
Watering and fertilizing
The shrub is drought-resistant, but when watered, especially before budding and during flowering, it will look much more decorative. With sufficient moisture, almond petals will retain their original shade longer. Water 10-20 liters per bush every 7-10 days, depending on weather conditions. Dried soil is loosened and removed weeds.
In early spring, preserving natural moisture, ornamental shrubs are mulched with nutritious materials:
- compost;
- humus;
- lowland peat.
In April-May, before flowering, the following is diluted in 10 liters of water:
- 1 liter mullein, 25 g urea;
- 40 g of ammonium nitrate and water the bush.
Feeding 30 g of superphosphate per bucket of water in mid-summer will allow the almond wood to ripen well and form future flower buds. In the fall, the area is dug up with fertilizers: 20 g of double superphosphate and potassium sulfate per 1 sq. m. m.
Trimming and shaping
The ends of the shoots of almond seedlings are cut off at 20 cm. On the central conductor, future skeletal branches are determined, which grow at intervals of 20-30 cm. The formation of the almond trunk continues for the first 3 years. The Louiseania species is usually grown on trunks.
An adult decorative almond bush is pruned and the crown is beautifully formed in 3 or even 4 stages annually:
- In early spring, branches damaged by the elements and those that thicken the crown are removed.
- After the flower parade, the shoots that were blooming wildly are cut off. The procedure helps the wood to mature and form new branches.
- At the same time, the decorative almond bush is given the desired silhouette. A trunk of up to 60-70 cm is formed, 6-7 branches are left on the conductor trunk.
- In summer, almond shoots that go beyond the shape are pinched, stopping their growth. Planned branches are also pruned if they grow longer than 60 cm.
Preparing for winter
Proper pruning and pinching of the tops of ornamental almond shoots in summer is the best way to prepare the plant for low temperatures.Due to growth stagnation, wood accumulates and matures, which will not be so afraid of frost. Around 1-3 year old shrubs, arrange a thick layer of mulch from straw, dry leaves, and plant debris. Cover up to half the height of the trunk. Additionally, you can add fallen snow, which is quickly removed with the first warm days. Adult bushes of decorative almonds usually overwinter without shelter.
Reproduction
The method of propagation of decorative almonds depends on its shape. Species plants are sown by seeds, and varietal plants are sown only by cuttings, layering, shoots or grafting. Hobbyists often grow their own rootstocks from seeds, and then take cuttings of the variety they like for engraftment. Almond seed fruits are sown in the fall in the school. In spring they germinate. On rising shoots 1 cm thick from below, up to 10 cm in height, all branches are removed from the ring. Plants are replanted in the fall. Next year they can already serve as a rootstock. Almonds are grafted in spring and August.
Easy ways to propagate decorative almonds - layering and shoots. Root suckers grow after heavy pruning. They are dug up in the fall every other year, when a separate root system has formed. The lower branches of varietal decorative almonds are buried in the spring, leaving the top. The shoots are replanted in the fall, every other year.
Cuttings from decorative almonds are cut after June 15 from semi-lignified tops. The length of the segments is up to 20 cm, each should have 2 knots. The cuttings with the lower cut are placed in a growth stimulator according to the instructions, then planted in a light substrate of peat and sand so that 1 node remains above the surface. Segments of almond branches take root in a month, in the fall they are transplanted into a tree, carefully mulched and covered.
Diseases and pests
Leaves and shoots of ornamental shrubs are susceptible to fungal diseases:
- gray rot;
- rust;
- moniliosis;
- scab;
- Clusterosporiosis.
If there are symptoms of the disease - brown spots and dots on the leaves, death of the tops, almond bushes are treated with fungicides:
- Cuproxat;
- Fundazol;
- Speed;
- Topaz.
They damage the leaves and fruits of ornamental shrubs:
- almond seed eater;
- leaf roller;
- aphid;
- spider mite
Acaricides are used against the latest pests:
- Agravertine;
- Akarin;
- Mites.
Insects are controlled using effective insecticides:
- Zolon;
- Fufanon;
- Calypso et al.
Conclusion
Colorful almonds are decorative, drought- and winter-hardy, and show the full range of their colorful effect with regular pruning, watering and fertilizing. The shrub is durable, can grow up to 100 years in one place. By planting a cute plant on your homestead, you can decorate it for many years to come.
