Cultivar;Carmel -CA 5108

Clone Number; CA 5108

Origin; In 1966, in Le Grand California,  the Carmel variety was labelled as a separate cultivar to the California variety, however, it is still one of the types of California almonds.

Royalties/ Levies; R6.30 Levy

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Yield; Heavy

Fruit use; Blanching, baking, dicing, roasting, processing. The fruit is sweet-tasting, of moderate size, flat and elongated and found in a light-coloured shell that is soft, but well sealed.

Type; California Type Almond (good for blanching or making almond products).

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

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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; 400 hours at 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; 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, Carmel does not self-pollinate and requires another compatible variety of almonds to be pollinated.

Successful test-crosses; Ne Plus Ultra, Nonpareil, Montery, Aldrich, Fritz.

Bloom time; Mid-season

Harvest time;  Late Mid-season

Vigor; Low

Size; Medium

Tree age; takes 3 to 4 years before fruiting

Average life span; 20 to 25 years

Susceptibility to pests and disease; Low, but is very susceptible to bud failure.

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General notes; Bud failure occurs easily if the trees are exposed to high temperatures or other extreme stressors. The fruits are easily harvested (knocked off). Good pollenizers, especially for Nonpareil.