Question
How do I prune a flowering almond?

Answer
Prune the flowering almond immediately after it finishes blooming. Pruning will encourage more blooms in the next year. Flowering almond also suckers profusely. These should be removed if you're pruning the shrub for shape. In a naturalized setting, the suckers may be allowed to grow. You can prune away dead branches at any time.
First year, prune stems back to near the ground; subsequent years, hard prune all stems.