How to Care for Flowering Almonds
Flowering Almond, known botanically as Prunus japonica or Cerasus japonica, and more commonly as Korean Cherry, is a perennial deciduous shrub that is grown as an ornamental. It is used as a specimen plant and en masse for low hedging, path edging and foundation plantings. In plant Hardiness Zones 3b to 7b, well-drained woodland soil in full sun or a small amount of shade make the plant thrive; it grows up to 5-feet tall at maturity and nearly as wide. It throws profuse and lush pink blooms with double-petals in April and May. It is a very low-maintenance shrub considering its consistent blooming performance, and a bit of basic care and maintenance will make it a strong performer in your garden year after year. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Rich, well-drained, slightly acidic soil
- Sunny location
- Water-soluble general-purpose fertilizer
- Ground rock sulfur amendment
- Clean sharp secateurs or shears
Instructions
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Select a sunny planting locale that has little to no daily shade as Flowering Almond blooms most heavily in full-sun conditions.
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Plant Flowering Almonds in rich, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic or with a neutral pH at the highest, keeping in the range of 5.6 to 7.5 pH. If you need to adjust your soil to a lower pH by one point, add a few ounces of ground rock sulfur per square yard. Mix the sulfur into the soil evenly before planting.
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Water thoroughly at planting, and maintain a moist but not wet soil when reaching an inch or two down into the soil. Monitor your Almond carefully over the first few weeks of planting to determine the natural water uptake and establish a watering regime. Flowering Almond can withstand brief periods of drought, but flowering may be impacted somewhat.
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Fertilize Flowering Almond twice a year at the roots with a water-soluble general fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro. Do this once in early spring before flowering and once again during the summer.
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Prune Flowering Almond as desired to control size and shape. Prune in the summer after flowering with clean sharp secateurs or shears. Flowering almond can be pruned just about anywhere along its stems as its buds develop at very close intervals.
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