
JD Van Deventer's Kwekery/Nursery
Cultivar;Ferragnes -FR 604
Clone Number; FR 604
Origin; France, by crossing Ai and Cristomorto
Royalties/ Levies; R6.30 Levy
Yield; moderate to heavy (18kg per tree in good years, 6kg in poor seasons)
Fruit use; A large, pleasant tasting, elongated almond variety, with no doubles. Can be raw, roasted, processed
Type; Not enough data
Shelf-life; Approximately two years, depending on the type of processing used.
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 to 8 is best.
Sun requirements; at least 6 hours of full sun daily
Chill hours; about 1000 hours
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; All 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 almond varieties, Ferranges does not self-pollinate and requires another compatible variety of almonds to be pollinated.
Successful test-crosses; Nonpareil, Texas mission,Ferraduel, Ferrastar, Lauranne and other late pollenizers.
Bloom time; late August
Harvest time; Middle of February
Vigor; strong
Size and shape; Semi-open tree, final size is 5m
Tree age; takes 3 to 4 years before fruiting
Average life span; 20 to 25 years depending on the rootstock used.
Susceptibility to pests and disease; reasonably tolerant to fungal diseases, resistant to monilia, blossom blight resistant.
General notes; Shells are difficult to crack, kernels are easily split. Nuts are good quality. Ferranges has a better resistance to cold than other varieties, as other almonds can have bloom issues if exposed to temperatures under -2°C. Not recommended as the main cultivar.