How to Plant and Space Russian Almonds

Use the shovel to turn the soil at the planting site. Choose a site that gets full sun or partial shade, but keep in mind that Russian almond produces its best flowers and fruit in full sun. Improve drainage, if needed; Russian almond prefers well-drained soils. Prepare the entire bed instead of individual planting holes. Use the rake to remove large rocks and smooth the surface of the planting bed. Break up large dirt clods by hand.

Drive a stake into the planting bed to represent the main stem of the Russian almond. Make sure the stake is at least 2.5 feet, or half the Russian almond's mature width, from the nearest wall or fence. Russian almond grows 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide, so measure from the stake outward five feet towards where you wish the second tree to grow. This is where the main stem of the second Russian almond will be. Drive a stake into the planting bed to mark the spot. Measure from the second stake five feet to where you want the next tree to go and mark that spot with a stake. Repeat the process until all planting sites are marked with stakes.

Dig the planting holes so that the center of the holes is as close to where the stake was as possible. Dig each hole as deep as the nursery container the Russian almonds came in and at least 2 feet wide. The loose soil is easier for the roots to penetrate as the tree establishes itself in the yard.

Remove the Russian almond from its nursery container. If the plant seems stuck, roll the container on the ground or turn it upside down and give it a few sharp raps to loosen the root ball. If the roots are pot bound (tightly woven, often in a circular pattern), use a sharp knife to make several vertical cuts at different points around the root ball. Using your fingers, gently disentangle the roots as much as possible.

Place the plant in the center of the planting hole and loosely spread the roots out in their natural direction. The top of the root ball should be no higher than the top of the planting hole. Back fill the planting hole with enough excavated soil to hold the plant in place. Water well to settle the soil around the roots, eliminating air pockets and gaps.

Finish back filling the hole with the excavated dirt. Water well and add more soil, if necessary, to bring the soil even with the surrounding ground. Repeat the planting process in Steps 3 through 5 to plant each of the remaining Russian almonds.

To make watering easier, make a 2- to 3-inch soil "wall" around the tree at the outer edge of the planting hole. This helps water descend to the tree's roots instead of dispersing across the ground.

Spread organic mulch 3 to 4 inches deep around the base of the newly planted trees, but do not pile mulch against the main stem.