IN YOUR ORCHARD
TIME TO CONSIDER Updated Nutrition Strategies for Yield, Tree Health & Resource Efficiency According to the World Health Organization, “Nutrition is a critical part of health and development.” As growers, we know this applies just as much to ourselves as it does to the trees in our orchards. Nutrition directly influences growth, development, resilience, and ultimately, yield. This year brought several storm systems across the state, and bloom came and went. If you feel behind in your nutrient plan, you’re not alone — and the good news is, there’s still time to get back on track. In this Time to Consider article, I’ll walk through the key nutrients that support almond production and highlight new insights and tools released in 2026 that may help guide your nutrition program as we move into summer.
Start With Orchard Specific Information (Tissue & Soil Testing) Before applying any nutrient, I always recommend starting with orchard-specific data. No two orchards are the same. What works in one block may be completely wrong for another. Tissue and soil samples give you a baseline of what nutrients are present, which ones may be deficient, and which may be tied up or unavailable. This is the foundation for any successful nutrient plan and helps prevent overapplying or underapplying the nutrients your trees need most. Macronutrients: 2026 Considerations The base of any nutrition program begins with the macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These three are the foundations on which the house is built. Nitrogen continues to be the driver of tree growth. It supports stem, shoot and leaf development, ultimately helping build that full canopy needed to maximize photosynthesis. However, the same warning is as relevant now as in past years; you can apply too much! Overapplication of nitrogen can lead to loss via leaching.
It can also increase disease pressure later in the year with hull rot. As with all fertilizer applications, follow the Four R’s of Nutrient Stewardship, and if you don’t know what those are, keep reading. Phosphorus plays a major role in root development and energy movement within the plant. Many California soils test high in phosphorus, but as many of you know, those numbers can be misleading. High soil phosphorus doesn’t always mean it’s plant available. Young orchards especially benefit from phosphorus applications to support strong establishment. Mature orchards may require less, depending on test results. Potassium could easily make a case for being just as important as nitrogen. Potassium is critical for carbohydrate (sugar) movement, photosynthesis and fruiting bud formation. Potassium can be applied via the soil or through fertigation. I still like to think of soil potassium as a savings account and fertigated potassium as a checking account — both serve important roles. Soil potassium is available as it breaks down throughout the growing season. On the other hand, fertigated potassium can be applied and is available the moment the plant needs it.
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ALMOND FACTS
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