— COMMERCIAL CATALOG —
Almonds
Dave Wilson Nursery offers the best selection of high quality, commercially accepted almond varieties in the industry.
Rootstocks available for pre-bud orders: Atlas™, Lovell, Marianna 26-24, Nemaguard, Viking™
Farmers Market Favorite™: varieties with superior kernel and in-shell qualities recommended for farmers market/fruit stand distributiion.
Blooming with Nonpareil, the Aldrich almond is an excellent pollenizer. Harvest is 15 days after Nonpareil. Aldrich produces a plump nut of medium size and medium hard shell that is well sealed (62% crack out). The tree exhibits a growth habit similar to Mission, becoming an upright tree of large size and vigor.
Considered the highest yielding almond variety, Butte is a moderately vigorous spreading tree that consistently produces a heavy crop and is easy to shake. Having a later bloom and harvest time (bloom four days after Nonpareil; harvest 20 days after Nonpareil), Butte is ideal for planting with other late varieties such as Padre. The medium- to small-size kernel is distinguishably plump, similar to Mission; the shell is semi-hard and well-sealed.
The Carmel almond is a heavy, early producer and a good pollenizer for Nonpareil. Bloom is slightly after Nonpareil and the abundant harvest is 17 days after Nonpareil. The medium-size, elongated nut has a soft, but well-sealed shell. Carmel grows to a medium size tree that stands more upright than Nonpareil and may be susceptible to bud failure.
A newer almond variety offering bloom and harvest times with Nonpareil, Folsom is an excellent pollenizer for Nonpareil. The moderately vigorous, spreading tree produces a soft-shelled nut with a medium to large kernel. (U.S. Plant Patent No. 19555)
With a harvest date 40 days after Nonpareil, Fritz offers the latest maturation of commercial almond varieties. Since it blooms with Nonpareil and produces consistently heavy yields, Fritz is an excellent pollenizer for Nonpareil. The semi-hard shell nut yields a medium-small, ovate kernel. The tree grows with an upright but moderately spreading habit.
Dave Wilson Nursery is proud to offer exclusively the new high quality self-fertile almond Independence® (Alm-21 cv.). Growers are enthusiastic about this variety because it requires only one shaking and one harvest. Bloom is with Nonpareil, harvest can be two to three days before Nonpareil. Research shows that Independence® can set full commercial crops with fewer bees. The very large high quality nut has a light color, yields an excellent sweet flavor and blanches well. The tree is upright to moderately spreading and a prolific bloomer. (U.S. Plant Patent No. 20295)
The Livingston almond blooms five days after Nonpareil with varieties such as Butte and Padre. Unlike those varieties, Livingston matures early (about 10 days after Nonpareil). The nut has a medium size well-sealed kernel and a paper-thin shell. The medium to large size tree grows in an upright habit and consistently impresses with high productivity. With Livingston, expect a heavy crop that is easy to knock.
The Mission almond is also known as Texas Mission. Bloom is six days after Nonpareil with varieties such as Butte and Padre; harvest is four weeks after Nonpareil. Mission is a large upright tree, easy to train and historically a good producer. The medium-small plump nut is hard-shelled and very well-sealed, resisting worm damage.
A heavy and precocious producer, Monterey blooms two days after Nonpareil but matures later, harvesting 3-4 weeks after Nonpareil. The Monterey almond is elongated, large in size with a soft well-sealed shell and has a tendency for doubling. The tree grows vigorously in a somewhat sprawling manner to a medium size.
An early bloomer (five days before Nonpareil), Ne Plus is used primarily for pollination, but the early bloom is susceptible to frost damage. The nut has a large kernel with a soft, well-sealed shell and harvests 14 days after Nonpareil. The tree exhibits a spreading, slightly willow-like growth habit.
Nonpareil is the most widely planted almond variety in California due to the quality of the nut; it commands top position in the market. Bloom occurs approximately the third week in February, harvest at the end of August. The Nonpareil almond is a flat medium-sized kernel with a characteristically paper-thin shell that is poorly sealed. Nonpareil grows upright, spreading to a large size tree. It is productive and easy to harvest.
Like the Butte almond, Padre offers later bloom and harvest times, blooming five days after Nonpareil and maturing for harvest 23 days after Nonpareil. This variety is similar to Mission with an upright tree growth. The nut has a hard shell with a good seal and a medium-small kernel slightly smaller than Mission. Padre is a terrific producer with potential for high yields.
Leading in-shell almond variety. The hard, well-sealed shell is light-colored and attractive. Bloom is two days ahead of Nonpareil, harvest is 16 days after. The moderately vigorous tree grows semi-upright to medium size and is easy to knock.
With a bloom that overlaps the Nonpareil bloom almost perfectly, the Price almond is an exceptional variety. The nut has a medium size, plump kernel and a paper-thin shell. It matures for harvest about 7 days after Nonpareil on a hardy, upright tree of medium size. Like Sonora, Price has some tendency to alternate bear. In some years it may yield a moderately high percentage of double kernels.
The Ruby almond blooms eight days after Nonpareil with varieties such as Mission and Padre. Ruby offers a late harvest (31 days after Nonpareil) of medium-small, plump kernels in semi-hard, well-sealed shells. The productive, moderately vigorous tree has an upright growth habit.
Sonora blooms three days before Nonpareil, but is considered less frost sensitive than other early blooming varieties. Harvest is seven days after Nonpareil. The nut has a medium-large, elongated, light-colored kernel with a paper-thin shell that is often poorly sealed. Sonora may have a tendency to alternate bear, but produces high shelling percentages. The medium-sized tree has a slightly spreading growth habit.
A new variety from the University of California worth consideration is the Winters almond. Winters blooms alongside Nonpareil and Carmel, but harvests 14 days after Nonpareil. Like Nonpareil and Carmel, it offers good kernel qualities. The almond is medium-sized and elongated with a soft shell. The thin, moderately sealed shell provides excellent crackouts, but may allow higher levels of ant and worm damage as compared to Nonpareil and Carmel. The Winters tree is upright and vigorous. This variety has shown consistently high yields in test plots. (Patent No. 13286) [UC test selection 13-1]
With a moderately compact size, the Wood Colony almond is suitable for close plantings. Bloom coincides with Nonpareil and Carmel. Wood Colony matures for harvest 11 days after Nonpareil and is a consistent, heavy producer. Its kernel is medium size and elongated with a semi-soft, well-sealed shell. The tree is smaller than Carmel, but has a similar spreading growth habit.
Kernel size in number of kernels per ounce - Large: 20 or less/oz., Medium: 20-25/oz., Medium-Small: 25-30/oz., Small: 30 or more/oz.
Shelling percentage (proportion of inshell almond weight that is the kernel) - Paper Shell: 65%+, Soft Shell: 55-65%, Semihard Shell: 50-55%, Hard Shell: 50% and less.
Almonds have an estimated chilling requirement of 350 to 500 hours. In general, an earlier bloom indicates a lower chilling requirement.
Please note: Although diligence in evaluation and selection of budwood sources has reduced the incidence of noninfectious bud failure (crazy top), the following varieties are susceptible to this genetic disorder: Carmel, Jordanolo, Merced, Mission, Monterey, Nonpareil, Peerless, Price and Thompson. Due to limited occurrence of symptoms, noninfectious bud failure is not considered a potential production problem in Mission or Price. Noninfectious bud failure is not known to occur in Aldrich, Butte, Fritz, Ne Plus, Padre, Ruby, Solano and Sonora.
Packing Variety, recommended for new plantings in the Fresno area. Within their harvest season, these varieties have demonstrated superior overall quality with respect to size, color, firmness, flavor, yield, storage and shipping. Used for apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach, plum and interspecific fruit types.
Farmers Market Favorite™: varieties that have demonstrated, where adapted, consistent production of especially desirable, high-flavored fruit for local farmers market/fruit stand distributiion.
Zaiger Variety: developed by Zaiger's Inc. Genetics of Modesto, California. Dave Wilson Nursery is the exclusive U.S. licensor and primary propagator.
Note: Fruit and nut varieties in the Commercial Catalog are offered exclusively to commercial growers in commercial quantities for the purpose of commercial fruit and nut production. Products in this catalog are not offered for resale.
