TuLare

The Tulare walnut (also: Tulara) was selected in 1966 at the University of California under the direction of UC Davis professors Eugene Serr and Harold Forde. The Tulare variety, formerly UC67-11, arose from controlled crossbreeding between the Tehama and Serr walnut varieties.

This relatively young Californian nut selection has the special characteristics of early production start, moderate tree vitality, high pest and disease tolerance and perfect nut quality. The Tulare walnut is also characterized by excellent production in dense spacing as a hedge plantation. Tulare walnut has been successfully grown in Europe since 1995.

Growth / crown

The Tulare walnut is a medium-growing, relatively small walnut tree, slightly taller than wide. It grows moderately vigorous and is upright. The branch angle is less than 45°, making it an upright tree suitable for hedge planting system or other high dense planting systems. Tulare typically reaches a height of 8-10 meters (40 ft.).

The bark is light grey. The new shoots have a green bark that turns brown as the season progresses. Tulara walnuts have pinnate leaves with 5 to 9 unpaired leaflets. The leaves are ovate, tapering at the end.

Tulare forms a spherical tree crown. The diameter of the crown is between 5 and 7 meters in width.

Flowering time / leaf sprouting

The Tulare walnut tree blooms late, which is a huge advantage in late frost areas, but still ripens in mid-season (averaging 12 days after Payne but earlier than Franquette). This is practically the same as Hartley. Since the Tulare variety is a late-flowering variety, it is particularly safe in late frost regions.

Tulare is a protandrous variety (the male flower ripens slightly before the female). This new walnut variety is characterized by good flower overlap. Male flowering overlaps in mature trees, covering an average of 80 percent of the total female flowering season. Almost all shoots from terminal buds and about 75 percent of shoots from axillary (lateral) buds produce pistillate flowers (female flowers).

Pollination

This walnut tree is self-pollinating. However, the proximity of other walnut trees increases the yield. The following varieties can be used as additional pollinators: Franquette, Lara, Fernette and Fernor.

Yield

The Tulare walnut is a very high-yielding variety that comes into fruition particularly early. It produces regular high and safe yields (but not as high as Chandler). With the grafted Tulare variety, fruit formation occurs from the 2nd - 3rd year of growth with the first harvest.

Tulare has a high yield security due to the lateral fruit setting. The rate of fruiting on the side branches is 72%. A walnut orchard in full production produces about 4-6 tons of dry nuts per hectare (with about 200 trees per hectare, 7x7 meters spacing).

The Tulare variety achieved record yields of 11.0 t/ha in Chile.

A key feature of Tulare is that it lends itself very well to hedge planting systems, ideally at 5m x 6m. Tulare is also very suitable for home gardens as it is self-pollinating and doesn't grow too tall.

Nut quality

The Tulare walnut produces huge, high-quality nuts with excellent walnut aroma and flavour. The nuts are almost round (36 × 40 mm) and slightly flattened at the end of the stem. They have a medium texture with a good seal. The nut reaches a size of about 14.0-15.0 grams and separates easy from the shell.

The shell is light - amber in colour and averages about 1.5mm thick. The furrowing of the shell is only moderately strong. It is easy to crack and the kernel can be easily removed.

The nut kernel is light (according to the scale, 86% in the degree of lightness) and fills the husk well. Average kernel weight averages 7.1 grams. The strikingly large kernels are light, accounting for over half of the total nut weight (53% kernel content) according to the US Department of Agriculture grading chart.

The excellent aromatic taste of the Tulare walnut has a more natural walnut flavour and will delight any walnut connoisseur.

Harvest period

The fruits ripen between mid-September and early October (September 18 – October 03). The best time to harvest walnuts of this variety is when 80-90% of the green shells have burst open.

Disease and frost resistance

The Tulare walnut tree tolerates large temperature jumps and humidity fluctuations but roots better in a temperate climate. The tree is insensitive to early and late frost and is also not very susceptible to bacterial rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. juglandis) and anthracnose (Gnomonia leptostyla).

Height & Growth	moderate growth, upright
Tree crown	the branch angle is less than 45%, making it an upright tree; suitable hedge planting system or other high density planting system.
Flowering	leafing is about 12 days after Payne, flowering 6-10 days after Payne, but earlier than Cisco and Franquette, Male bloom consistently overlaps pink female bloom in mature trees and covers an average of 80 percent of the entire female bloom period.
Flowering type	Protandrous
Self fertile	self pollinating
Pollination	-
Terminal or Lateral	72 % lateral bearing variety
Fruiting	enters fruiting early, good fertility of 80%.
Fruit	large -13 gr., almost round
Shell & pericarp	medium textured, soft, thin but thicker than Chandler, well-sealed, almost round (36x40 mm)
Kernel	large, well-sealed, high-quality nut, light to light amber color (similar to Vina), weight: 7 g, excellent taste, the nut is cleanly separated from the shell
Harvest	September 18th - October 03th
Oil content	high oil content
Kernel %	53%
Winter hardness	medium winterhard little susceptible to late spring frosts
Frost susceptibility	little susceptible to late spring frosts practically resistant to anthracnose and bacterial blight
Sensitivity to bacterial blight and anthracnose	practically resistant to anthracnose and bacterial blight

Walnuts Bulgaria has many years of experience in planting and growing walnut saplings. To help with your plans and goals, we provide you with this online calculator. Please note that it is recommended to use 3 - 10% (of the total amount of trees) of the pollinator varieties Lara or Fernette.

Please enter the land size in hectares below to calculate the number of trees you can plant.

Land size: (hectare)

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