Part 1 Choosing a Variety and Planting Site Download Article
- Learn about the different varieties. Different pecan tree varieties grow to varying sizes and produce distinct nuts.
- Pick a sunny planting spot with plenty of room. Pecan trees can grow over 100 feet (30.5 m) tall, and they have root systems that stretch deep and wide.
- Make sure the soil is well-drained and deep. ...
How big does a pecan tree get?
This tree gets large, upwards of 70 feet, with a crown extending 40 feet or more, so give it plenty of room at planting time. The northern pecan tree is monoecious, meaning it has both female and male flowers on the same tree. The best nut production, however, is ensured when more than one pecan variety is planted.
How long does it take for pecan trees to grow nuts?
It will take six to eight years for nuts to begin growing on the trees. You need a lot of room for these types of trees. They need to be spaced between 35 and 50 feet apart and can grow as tall as 150 feet at full maturity. Start Pecan Trees From Nuts.
What are pecan nuts?
Pecan nuts are actually the seeds of the tree. They're not nuts in the botanical sense of the word and would be better called tree nuts. Pecan nuts need to be stratified. Stratification is the process of pretreating seeds to imitate the natural conditions they would experience in the soil during winter.
How do you plant pecan nut seeds?
The planting site of your pecan nut seeds should be spacious enough that the tree can grow big without being crowded, as pecan trees can grow up to 75 feet tall. It should be in full sun and have deep, well-drained soil with plenty of water. Plant the nuts in the ground on their side at a depth of around 1 to 1 1/2 inches.
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How long does a pecan tree take to grow?
Trees will begin producing a few nuts three to four years after planting. Significant production can be achieved in six to eight years. Good production will begin the ninth or tenth year. Trees can be productive for a 100 years or longer.
How much space does a pecan tree need?
40-60 feet apartIf planting only one or two pecan trees, space at least 40-60 feet apart so they have adequate space to grow. If you are planning an orchard and will be thinning trees as they grow, you can plant as little as 20 feet apart.
Where is the best place to plant a pecan tree?
Plant pecan trees at least 30 feet apart and 20 feet or more from buildings or other structures. Select sites with full sun and deep soil with good drainage. Pecan trees require a lot of water, but standing pools will damage or even kill developing trees.
What is the lifespan of a pecan tree?
200-300 yearsPecan trees reach maturity at around twelve years old, and they can live as long as 200-300 years (and continue to produce!) when grown in ideal conditions. Pecan tree height typically ranges from 70 to 100 feet, but some trees can grow as tall as 150 feet or higher.
Do you need 2 pecan trees to produce nuts?
For pecan trees to bare nuts you will need two or more different cultivars, as they require cross pollination for maximum productivity. Pecan trees do not bear fruit until they are between the ages of four and 12 years old and that is determined by the cultivar.
How many pecans will one tree produce?
Pecan Tree Harvesting: Technology and Equipment A healthy pecan tree, in a good year, can produce 200-250 pounds of pecans. Health and maintenance are essential to a good crop production. But they are slow growing trees. Starting from seedlings, they take an average of 10-15 years before they can produce pecans.
Do pecan trees need a lot of water?
The Recommended Amount of Water for Pecan Trees The typical water requirement for growing a pecan tree is one gallon per day. By the time your tree ages three, it should receive three gallons of water daily. During the hottest month from August to October, you should double the amount of water.
Should I plant a pecan tree in my yard?
If you decide to plant a pecan tree, you need to choose an area with soil that can drain freely and has a depth of about five feet. If the soil is too soggy, the taproot can become susceptible to disease. If you have a hilltop, then this will be the ideal location and placement for your new pecan tree.
How far from house should pecan tree be planted?
Pecan trees should be planted at least 20 feet (preferably more) away from homes, garages, driveways, etc.
What state has the most pecan trees?
GeorgiaThe United States is the world's leading producer of pecans, and Georgia is historically the leading pecan-producing State, typically accounting for about 33 percent of U.S. production.
Do pecan trees stop producing when they get old?
This cycle of heavy production followed by light production is called alternate bearing (source). Pecan trees can live for over 100 years, with some reaching over 300 years old. Some trees will produce good harvests well into their old age, but most begin declining after 50-60 years of age.
Are raw pecans poisonous?
Toxins In Pecans Pecans contain a toxin called juglone. If they get moldy, pecans can cause seizures and neurological symptoms due to their production of tremorgenic mycotoxins. More dangerous still, pecans are tree nuts that contain a natural poison called aflatoxin.
How far should a pecan tree be planted from a house?
20 feetPecan trees should be planted at least 20 feet (preferably more) away from homes, garages, driveways, etc.
How close do pecan trees need to be to pollinate?
150 feetResearch has shown that pecan trees need a pollinator within 150 feet. This is why we often recommend placing a pollinator at every 5th tree on every 5th row if you prefer planting a solid block of one cultivar.
How much is an acre of pecan trees worth?
Land is valued at $10,000 per acre and total investment in the orchard is fully paid off in 15 years. All cost estimates assume an average nut production of 3,000 pounds per acre, a $3.25 selling point, and an average 55 percent kernel, or $1.79/pound.
How many pecan trees do you need to make a profit?
The cost of nurturing and growing a pecan tree for up to 7 years is $63. Now when it is harvest time, a pecan tree can produce up to 50 pounds of pecans. The average retail cost for pecans is $3 per pound. After multiplying 50 X 3, we have $150 which is the profit.
How long does it take for a pecan tree to produce nuts?
If planted in the correct location, you can expect nuts from a 4- to 6-foot tall pecan tree that you bought at a nursery in 6 to 7 years. Be aware though that the crop is not the same every year. In pecan trees, years of heavy and light crops alternate.
What type of soil do pecan trees need?
While pecan trees can grow in a wide range of soils, they produce best in sandy loam with clay subsoil. The soil should be fertile and well-drained yet still be able to hold water, otherwise the tree will need more frequent irrigation.
What is the best climate for pecan trees?
The ideal climate for pecans is warm and humid. A factor that considerably limits the tree’s geographical scope is that it needs warm nights. While pecan trees can grow in cooler climate zones, nighttime temperatures drop too low and the tree won’t produce nuts.
What diseases can pecan trees get?
Pecan trees can be affected by a range of fungal diseases, such as pecan scab, downy spot, brown spot, leaf spot, and anthracnose. Treating these requires chemical fungicides and equipment that homeowners, unlike commercial growers, usually don’t have at their disposal. Therefore, your best bet is to plant disease-resistant pecan varieties.
Why is it important to water pecan trees?
Sufficient water is very important for pecan trees, both during the establishment of a young tree as well as to ensure a good crop in bearing trees.
Can pecans be propagated from seed?
It is not a good idea to try propaga ting pecans from seed because the nuts won’t produce a tree identical to the parent and it will have unpredictable nut quality. The pecan trees sold by nurseries are grafted, which means the rootstock is a variety selected for its strong root system and the upper part with shoots or buds (scion) for the quality of its nuts. The nuts from a grafted pecan tree are identical to nuts of the scion.
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What Does a Pecan Tree Look Like?
When you come across a tree that seems to be forming nuts, could it mean that you have pecans on your hands, or is the tree a different kind of nut tree?
Clues From Pecan Trees
Like all trees, pecan trees offer up unique characteristics for identification. You just need to know which distinctions to look for. The biggest ones are size, leaf shape and tree color and shape.
Identifying the Pecan Tree Nut
Not all pecan trees produce nuts year after year, depending on where the trees grow and how old the trees are. Trees that do produce nuts are ripe at the end of the calendar year, just in time for all those favorite holiday recipes like pecan pie and pecan cream cheese nut rolls!
Knowing Your Pecan Trees
Now that you know what a pecan tree and pecan tree leaf look like, you may think about growing one in your backyard. However, this tree needs lots of room. Most backyards can’t adequately support the needs of a mature pecan tree.
How to grow pecan trees from nuts?
Potting soil. Vegetable cage. Start Pecan Trees From Nuts. Growing pecan trees from nuts takes patience and some special care for the first few years. If you are growing them for the nuts and not just for shade trees, you will need more than one, as the nuts are grown from cross-pollination. It will take six to eight years for nuts ...
How long can you keep nuts in the refrigerator?
This should be damp to the touch but not soaking wet. Place the container in the refrigerator for three months, checking frequently to make sure it does not dry out.
Where do pecan trees grow?
Oconee Pecan Tree – A type 1 pollinator is native to the moist bottom lands of the southeastern United States
When do pecans fall?
Pecan nuts would ordinarily fall to the ground in autumn and get buried by natural processes such as liter-fall or rodents. The seed would then lie dormant through the winter (a process called stratification ), and germinate the following spring.
How to keep pecans from drying out?
Place a damp paper towel, saw dust, peat moss, or some wetted sand in the bag to keep the nuts from drying out. Some northern pecan growing states even start the soaking process now.
How to store pecans after they turn green?
Use a sharp knife to cut the hulls off of the nuts. Store the nuts in a plastic bag for 30 to 90 days at 37-44°F (3-5°C). An ordinary refrigerator works just fine.
What is a viable pecan seed?
A viable pecan seed (the nut) is the product of cross pollination (sexual reproduction) between two pecan trees. It has a genetic makeup that is different from either parent, and the potential to grow into a pecan tree that differs in unpredictable ways from either parent.
What is a scion pecan?
This is typically accomplished by grafting a cutting (called a scion) of the desired variety onto a growing and well rooted seedling (the rootstock) of any pecan type. The scion has the exact same genotype as the tree from which it was cut, and is therefore a clone of that tree and will have the exact same characteristics.
Can you grow a pecan tree from seed?
Not only that, the fun and educational experience of growing a tree from a seed cannot be denied. Starting from seed will take considerably longer to get a mature, bearing pecan tree, though.
How big do northern pecan trees get?
This tree gets large, upwards of 70 feet, with a crown extending 40 feet or more, so give it plenty of room at planting time. The northern pecan tree is monoecious, meaning it has both female and male flowers on the same tree. The best nut production, however, is ensured when more than one pecan variety is planted.
When do pecan trees mature?
The nuts mature around mid-October and are highly nutritious. From planting, northern pecan trees can start producing in as little as 6 years. The northern pecan is not fussy as to soil pH, being tolerant of alkaline as well as acidic soils.
What is the temperature of a pecan tree in the winter?
Native to southern Wisconsin and the northern parts of Illinois and Iowa and extending south to Texas, the northern pecan can handle winter temperatures as low as -35 degrees F. It has pinnately compound leaves that turn a beautiful yellow color in the fall.
Why is it important to buy a pecan tree from a nursery?
Since the northern pecan has such a wide native range, purchasing a tree from a nursery that collects seeds from the northern parts of its range will be important to assure winter hardiness.
When is National Pecan Day?
By Kathleen Cue, Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator in Dodge County. In preparation for April 14’s National Pecan Day, what better way to celebrate the day than planting your very own northern pecan tree, Carya illinoinensis.
How to grow a nut tree from seed?
Stratify the nuts for six to eight weeks before planting by placing them in a container of peat moss. Keep the moss moist, but not wet, in a temperature slightly above freezing. After that process is complete, acclimate the seeds to normal temperatures for a few days.
What is grafting a pecan tree?
Grafting is a process where you take a cutting from a cultivar pecan tree and allow it to grow on the rootstock tree, essentially blending two trees into one. The part of the tree with the roots in the ground is the one you grew from seed, the branches that produce nuts are from a particular cultivar pecan tree.
Can you grow pecans from seed?
Growing pecans from seed is not as simple as it sounds. While a mighty oak may shoot up from an acorn stuck in the ground, sowing pecan seeds is only one step in a complex process of growing a nut producing tree. Can you plant a pecan seed? You can, but you may not be able to get nuts from the resulting tree.
Do pecans grow from seed?
You do not know the seed’s “parents” and that means the nut quality will be variable. That’s why pecan growers only grow pecans from seed to use as rootstock trees. If you are wondering how to plant pecans that produce excellent nuts, you’ll need to learn about grafting.
Can You Plant a Pecan?
It is entirely possible to plant a pecan seed. However, it is important to realize that growing pecans from seed will not produce a tree identical to the parent tree. If you want a particular type of pecan nut, or a tree that produces excellent pecans, you will need to graft.
Overview
Growth
The pecan tree is a large deciduous tree, growing to 20–40 m (66–131 ft) in height, rarely to 44 m (144 ft). It typically has a spread of 12–23 m (39–75 ft) with a trunk up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) diameter. A 10-year-old sapling grown in optimal conditions will stand about 5 m (16 ft) tall. The leaves are alternate, 30–45 cm (12–18 in) long, and pinnate with 9–17 leaflets, each leaflet 5–12 cm (2–4+1⁄2 in) long and 2–6 cm (1–2+1⁄2 in) broad.
Name
"Pecan" is from an Algonquin word variously referring to pecans, walnuts, and hickory nuts. There are many pronunciations, some regional and others not. The most common American pronunciation is /piːkɑːn/. There is little agreement in the United States, even regionally, as to the "correct" pronunciation.
Cultivation
Pecans were one of the most recently domesticated major crops. Although wild pecans were well known among native and colonial Americans as a delicacy, the commercial growing of pecans in the United States did not begin until the 1880s. As of 2014, the United States produced an annual crop of 119.8 million kilograms (264.2 million pounds), with 75% of the total crop produced in Georgia, New Mexico and Texas. They can be grown from USDA hardiness zones approximately 5 t…
Uses
The seeds of the pecan are edible, with a rich, buttery flavor. They can be eaten fresh or used in cooking, particularly in sweet desserts, such as pecan pie, a traditional Southern U.S. dish. Butter pecan is also a common flavor in cookies, cakes, and ice creams. Pecans are a major ingredient in American praline candy. Other applications of cooking with pecans include pecan oil and pecan butter.
Nutrition
A pecan nut is 4% water, 72% fat, 9% protein, and 14% carbohydrates (see table). In a 100 g reference amount, pecans provide 690 calories and are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of dietary fiber (38% DV), manganese (214% DV), magnesium (34% DV), phosphorus (40% DV), zinc (48% DV), and thiamine (57% DV) (table). Pecans are a moderate source (10-19% DV) of iron and B vitamins. Pecan fat content consists principally of monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic …
Evolutionary development
The pecan, Carya illinoinensis, is a member of the Juglandaceae family. Juglandaceae are represented worldwide by between seven and 10 extant genera and more than 60 species. Most of these species are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere of the New World, but some can be found on every continent except for Antarctica. The first fossil examples of the family appear during the Cretaceous. Differentiation between the subfamilies of Engelhardioideae and Juglandi…
History
Before European settlement, pecans were widely consumed and traded by Native Americans. As a wild forage, the fruit of the previous growing season is commonly still edible when found on the ground.
Pecans first became known to Europeans in the 16th century. The first Europeans to come into contact with pecans were Spanish explorers in what is now Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico. These …