Javids Almond

Important! Upon Arrival:

Keep moist and cool. Fruits and berries are shipped in dormant form so they can be transplanted out once the soil can be worked in the spring. Light frosts will not damage the plants as they are in the resting stage. If you are unable to plant immediately, the plants can be stored for a short period of time. This should be a dark, cool (but not freezing) location such as an unheated garage, fridge or a cold cellar. Ideally they would be stored as close to 2°C or 35°F as possible. They should also be kept moist, but not wet, until they are planted. We DO NOT Recommend planting them in pots until the weather is warmer. A tree that breaks dormancy and begins growing in a pot will suffer from terrible transplant shock when replanted in the permanent site.

Planting:

Nut trees thrive in rich soil and seem to do well near river bottoms (but not in frost pockets or constant wet spots). Be sure though, to keep them well watered for the first summer at least. Plant in a sunny site with good air flow to reduce problems with disease.

You can add amendments such as compost or peat moss to the soil and/or a layer of mulch over the root area after planting will help retain moisture, especially during the first year. While it may be tempting to add fertilizer or manure to your freshly dug hole before planting your new tree, PLEASE resist! Fertilizer or manure in close contact with the root system could chemically burn the roots and potentially kill the tree.

Growing:

Almond trees can get black knot which needs to be pruned out, a few inches back from the growth into healthy wood. This is best done in the middle of winter so the disease does not spread.

Orchard Aftercare:

We cannot stress enough the importance of grass and weed control on young trees. Grass can rob young trees of nutrients as they struggle to become established and grow. Also, tree roots are prevented from moving into soil that is controlled by grass roots. Trees are stunted by the competition and the results are apparent for several years, if not longer. Prevent this from happening by following these instructions:
Mulch offers such a great advantage that it would be a mistake not to use it with your orchard and berry plants. In addition to enhancing the structure of the soil and providing fertility as it rots, it suppresses weeds and grasses that steal soil nutrients, prevents erosion from wind and rain, keeps soil cooler, helps delay spring bloom in cold climates, and helps retain soil moisture. It also encourages earthworms along with other soil organisms and protects against rapid freezing and thawing of the ground.
Spread mulch of deciduous (trees that lose their leaves) wood chips around the tree, not thicker than 2” thick and about 2-3 feet out. Spoiled hay, shredded leaves, shredded bark, composted manure etc. also work great.
Avoid mounding it up against the trunk, as it attracts rodents and the trunk area beneath the mulch remains too moist, rotting the trunk’s bark. For that reason some people keep the mulch back from the tree 6”-10” and use pea gravel in the space to keep weeds down.

Preparing for Winter:

We recommend protecting the graft for at least the first few winters. You can mound up some sand or soil around the base of the tree so that the graft is buried. The graft should be uncovered again in the spring. You could cut the bottom out of plastic 10 gallon pot and places it around the tree when he plants it. He leaves half the height of the pot above the ground level and fills that portion with peat moss.
In the fall rake the mulch back 6-8” to discourage rodents from setting up their winter home near the tree’s trunk.
If you are using tree guards, we recommend removing them for the summer. Leaving the guards on creates a damp environment in behind the guard and the tree trunk. This can cause cankers and other health issues. In addition, earwigs and other bugs make their home behind the guard.
Your tree needs to be protected from wildlife. The most fool-proof method is creating a cage around each tree using a wire mesh that is ideally 6ft/2m high. A couple of stakes will stabilize the cage.

Tips for Reducing Pest and Disease Pressure:

Orchard Hygiene. Clean away last year’s fruit tree leaves, fallen and mummified fruit which may harbour the spores for next year’s fungus infections. Unless your composter is “hot” enough to destroy disease pathogens, bury or bag and remove each season’s leaves and wasted fruit. When thinning, pick off bitten fruits e.g. curculio-bitten fruits have crescent-shaped wounds. Pick up fruit drops because they are likely pest-bitten fruits that harbour worms. Each fruit you pick up now means one less pest for next year.
Break the Fungus Cycle. Scab fungus overwinters in the soil under the tree and relies on raindrop spray to launch it back onto the tree come spring. Interrupt this cycle and bury the spores by laying new straw, wood chips or mulch under your dormant trees.
For Bacterial Canker on cherry and plum trees, use a sharp knife to cut out the infected tissue. Removed all the dark coloured cambium until healthy tissue appears.
Black Knot in plums. When Black Knot infects a small branch, cut away the branch 5 inches below the knot. Where infections occur on larger branches or trunks, excise infected tissue down to healthy wood. Burn or bury prunings away from the area to prevent reinfection. Sterilize cutting shears to limit the spread of the disease. Severely infected trees should be removed entirely.
Sticky Barriers. Paint a ring of Tree Tanglefoot or Sticky Stuff SKU 735-9108 a few feet up the trunk to block ants, Gypsy moths, tent caterpillar larvae, canker worms, and other crawling insects.
Good Sun Exposure and Air Movement will significantly reduce disease pressure. Space and prune fruit trees accordingly.