Can you grow an almond tree in San Francisco? Anyone have any tips?

Question

I live in the Bernal Heights neighborhood and am interested in growing an almond tree, but I want to figure out if its even possible.

Answer 1

According to the websites I've visited and the information gathered, you can grow an almond tree in San Francisco....providing you have good soil drainage. Nut and peach trees need anywhere from 500 to 1,000 chilling hours, when temperatures are less than 40 degrees.

Your biggest concerns would be frosts and rains during the blooming period (which normally occurs in the first half of February). Frosts will destroy the bloom and prevent nuts from developing. Rains during this time introduce diseases that can attack the blooms and prevent them from developing into nuts. You also have to make sure you have enough bees to do the pollinating for you.

If you're willing to devote the time and energy, you should be successful in getting a good harvest 4 to 5 years after planting.

GOOD LUCK!

Here are some very informative websites for you to view;

http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/plant_almond.pdf#search=%22almond%20growing%20climates%22

http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/backyard-climate.pdf#search=%22almond%20growing%20climates%22

http://cemadera.ucdavis.edu/newsletterfiles/The_Pomology_Post8319.pdf#search=%22can%20almonds%20grow%20in%20san%20francisco%3F%22

Answer 2

Depending on your humidity. They grow well in hot dry climates. We get down to -6c in winter and up to 40c in summers and with a weekly water they dont look back.

Remember to get a tree that is self pollinating or you will have to buy two different compatible varieties to get nuts. Also something to consider is the hardness of the nuts. Some varieties you can break by hand (paper shells) and some are so hard that you have trouble with them even with a nut cracker.

I dont know what wildlife you have in your area you may like to consider this as well. I seldom get nuts as the cockatoos, rosellas and galahs eat mine when they're ready to pick. (Australia)

Answer 3

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