We’re often asked this question. Butte is the earliest blooming variety in the late variety category and may be considered as long as a secondary pollinator is used to cover the early Nonpareil bloom. Varieties most often used in order of popularity are Carmel, Aldrich, Fritz and Wood Colony. Use caution in selecting the right variety to ensure optimum bloom coverage and pollen compatibility.
Note: Do not get caught in a situation similar to the old Nonpareil, Neplus, and Mission combinations, where bloom can be spread too far apart.
The Butte variety is considered the most consistent and historically the highest yielding variety in the Central Valley. Butte is often planted with Padre one-on-one.
Again, the size of the planting and harvest timing can determine whether or not you should consider a third pollinator. Data has shown that the third pollinator will enhance overall pollination and increase your production.
Example: 50% Butte, 25% Padre and 25% Mission. Replace either Padre or Mission with Livingston or Ruby. These varieties are all considered hard shell with the exception of Livingston, which is often ignored due to its soft shell and earlier harvest compared to the Butte, Padre, Mission, and Ruby varieties. Carmel or Wood Colony has been used as a pollenizer for Butte with good success.
The consistency of high yields on the Butte combinations emphasize the importance of diversifying a certain percentage of your total operations to hard shells, thus will help increase your average production in those poor pollination years on the early blooming varieties.
- Butte – blooms 5 days after Nonpareil, harvest 14 days after Nonpareil; considered the most productive and consistent almond variety in the Central Valley; small to medium kernel with semi-hard, well-sealed shell; vigorous spreading strong structured tree similar to Neplus in growth habit.
- Livingston – blooms 5 days after Nonpareil, harvest 8 days after Nonpareil; medium sized kernel; well-sealed paper shell; very productive, upright, medium to large sized tree.
- Mission – blooms 6 days after Nonpareil, harvest 28 days after Nonpareil; kernel is medium-small and plump; very well sealed hard shell; consistently productive; susceptible to injury by salt in soil or irrigation water; tree is large and upright.
- Padre – blooms 5 days after Nonpareil, harvest 26 days after Nonpareil; hard shell, medium-small kernel similar to Mission though slightly smaller; good producer with potential for high yields; upright tree similar to Mission in growing habit.
- Ruby – blooms 8 days after Nonpareil, harvest 30 days after Nonpareil; medium-small, plump kernel with semi-hard well sealed shell; productive, moderately vigorous tree with upright growth habit.