Almond 'Robijn'Prunus dulcisPrunus amygdalus, Almond Oil Plant, Sweet Almond

These plants are lifted from the nursery field when dormant, and sent to you in late autumn or spring for planting. They often look dead on arrival, but they are just resting in the dormant period and will establish quickly for a strong start in the garden come spring. Set out in prepared soil in holes wide enough and deep enough to lay out the roots. Tread down the planting soil to knock out air pockets. Water well to settle. Apply a mulch to protect roots from cold temperatures. If conditions prevent immediate planting, set roughly into loose soil or a pot of compost (‘heeling in’) to protect the roots. Set these at the same level as they were in the nursery field – you should see a soil line at the base of the stem. Stake trees, taller shrubs and roses to prevent root disturbance.

Fruit and nut trees do not suffer weed competition well so keep weeds and grass clear from within a 30cm radius of base of the tree. Remove any suckers at ground level in spring, and apply a mulch of well rotted manure or garden compost to the base of the tree. This will help to retain moisture throughout the summer. Almond blossom is particularly susceptible to frost and may require protecting by a layer of fleece.

Like all members of the Prunus family, the almond tree should only be pruned in summer to avoid the risk of bacterial infection. Almonds fruit on one year old wood. They require little pruning other than the occasional removal of any damaged or crowded branches. However should fruits become bitter, then more frequent pruning is required to encourage new leaf growth which will help to dissipate the chemicals which cause this bitterness, thereby preventing the fruits becoming bitter.

Seeds and garden supplies will normally be delivered within the time period stated against each product as detailed above. Plants, bulbs, corms, tubers, shrubs, trees, potatoes, etc. are delivered at the appropriate time for planting or potting on. Delivery times will be stated on the product page above, or in your order acknowledgement page and email.

Orders for packets of seed incur a delivery charge of £2.99.

Orders which include any other products will incur a delivery charge of £6.99.

Where an order includes both packets of seeds and other products, a maximum delivery charge of £7.99 will apply - regardless of the number of items ordered.

Large items may incur a higher delivery charge - this will be displayed in your shopping basket.

Please see our Delivery page for further details, and more information on different charges that may apply to certain destinations.

For more information on how we send your plants please visit our Helpful Guide on plant sizes.