Millions of miniature white roses..

Botanically, Almonds are a member of Rosaceae (rose) family. So, calling an almond bloom a rose is accurate technically. Just like tiny roses, the flowers are beautiful and delicate.

Due to its early flowering the almond tree came to herald the arrival of spring. For this reason, the almond tree is considered auspicious in many cultures, symbolising hope and revival.

According to a Roman tradition, newlyweds are showered with almonds as a fertility charm. Speaking of fertility, almond trees are self-infertile and require cross fertilisation. This is why colonies of honeybees are brought over to almond orchards in bloom time (like now) to help with pollination. 

Here are some pics of the bloom I took today:

Whitmore ranch (click on any pic for larger version):

Carpenter ranch:

Almond Bloom pics!

Carpenter ranch (click on the pic for bigger view):

Whitmore ranch:

Year One Pruning at Whitmore

These are pics of first pruning of one year old patch of almond trees at Whitmore ranch. They keep the strongest three limbs and cut away the others. These are also called "thinning cuts." They are used to open up and thin out canopies and control tree height. Thinning cuts, by reducing wood, reduce competition for nutrients and result in overall invigoration of remaining wood.

Bloom is around the corner..