Cultivar; Butte Almonds

Clone Number; BT 5109

Origin; A cross between Texas mission and Nonpareil.

Royalties/Levies; R6.30 Levy

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Yield; Consistently produces a high yield. Considered the best yielding variety of almonds.

Fruit use; This is a hard-shell almond with a slightly bitter taste. The nuts are relatively short and plump, and due to their small size and hardness, they are often used in manufacturing other products. In addition, the nut is easily remove from it's shell.

Type; Categorised as both a California (easily processed) and Mission (short, wrinkled and flavorful) type of almond, the Butte cultivar can be blanched, roasted, salted and used in confectionery.

Shelf-life; Approximately two years, depending on the processing.

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Water requirements; 8.5 to 12 Mega-litres per hectare per year

Soil type; can be grown in almost any soil type, but a well-draining soil with a pH of around 6.5 is best.

Sun requirements; at least 6 hours of full sun daily

Chill hours; 500 hours below 7,2°C

Pruning; Can be done to reduce pathogens, keep the orchard tidy and create pathways for workers and farm machinery. In the developmental years, pruning helps prevent the trees branches from breaking under heavy yields, but after the first two or three years it is best to keep it to a minimum.

Soil depth; nut trees have long tap roots and thus require deep soil to thrive.

Care; Prefers long, hot summers in a climate with a low humidity.

Fertiliser requirements; Need lots of nitrogen and phosphorous for good growth

Pollination requirements; Like most almonds, Butte is not self-fertile, and requires another cultivar to help with pollination. Texas mission is a good choice for this purpose.

Successful test-crosses; Aldrich, Carrion, Fritz, Merced, Mission, Mono, Nonpareil, Norman, Padre, Thompson, Tokyo,

Bloom time; Mid-Late,

Harvest time; Mid-Late 

Vigor; Moderate

SIze; Moderate in size.

Tree age; takes 3 to 4 years before fruiting

Average life span; 20 to 25 years

Susceptibility to pests and disease; Is susceptible to brown rot, but resistant to navel orangeworm.

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General notes; requires a late blooming pollinizer such as Texas mission. Can be used to pollinate late Nonpareil, but commands a lower price than some of the other varieties.

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