Pecan Trees: School Me

[perfectstorm]

As some of you may know we moved into our new home in February and we have some beautiful pecan trees in the back yard. I guesstimate them at 8-10 years old (?). They do not produce pecans yet. I've heard of the word grafting but don't really know what all that entails... What do I need to do to them?

[Boss Buck]

I'd google it .. I've never heard. Is it like a stick you water and it feeds them?

[kd8jgu]

I can inform you
I hunt a pecan orchard
Hogs will invade when they do produce

[macoop]

I don't know about grafting but if you are going to plant them bare root be sure and take your pocket knife and sharpen the root end to a point so when it dies you can just walk by and pull it out with one hand.

[doghouse]

Trees that old should be producing a few pecans. IMO. Water and fertilizer are the answer.

[macoop]

Trees that old should be producing a few pecans. IMO. Water and fertilizer are the answer.

I agree.

[perfectstorm]

I agree.

Could too much water be problem? They are planted in the lowest spot in our back pasture area. if it rains, it will have standing water for days. That's one of the reasons why there is fresh sand in the picture- we are trying to build up that spot slowly.

[Buck-Chaser]

They are to big to start grafting now. Grandpa used to do it when trees were smaller.he used to do it with plum trees. he would have one tree with four different kind of plums.

[Boomerang]

A lot of spraying required. Dormant spray before bud break. They also need zinc for the fruit to stick, that is combined with some sprays. Then tons of insects all year long. May require spraying every few weeks but contingent on the appearance of the threats. fertilizer around the drip line in the fall and 50 gallons a day for water. Some of the Indian names for pecan varieties have huge nuts and soft shells. Makes it very easy to shell. Grafting is excellent onto native Texas pecan stock.

[TimH]

Do your research if you really want to maximize their production. Trimming, spraying with various things(zinc), fertilizing properly etc are big factors with these trees. They love water!

We grafted one of our pecan trees about 20 years ago and it was very cool to do and see it actually work.

[Slew]

Ones at our old house only made every other year or so but when they did they were loaded.

[Geezy Rider]

My trees only produce every other year.
Grafting is taking the limb or trunk of a desirable tree and adding it to the base or trunk of a hardier tree. Most paper shell pecan have root systems of native trees or so I've been told.

Found this on the web.
There are numerous variables that influence how soon a pecan tree will start producing nuts. The genetics of the tree has a major influence on how long it takes to begin production. Some trees are very precocious (bearing at a young age) while other trees take much longer. Cape Fear, Cheyenne, Chickasaw, Creek and Shoshoni are very precocious varieties. Stuart, Schley and Elliott are examples of varieties that generally take longer to begin producing nuts.

Grafting has an effect on the earliness of nut production. Young seedling pecan trees go through a juvenile stage before producing nuts. Juvenile trees usually grow straighter with a dominant central trunk. Grafted trees skip much of the juvenile stage because the scion wood grafted on the seedling is from a mature tree. Young grafted trees tend to be bushier with a lot of branching similar to the branching pattern on older trees. Grafted trees usually require training to develop a dominant central trunk.

Growing conditions can affect earliness of production. Trees that are planted in good soil with adequate moisture, good weed control and not overcrowded will start producing at an earlier age than trees growing in more stressful conditions.

A grafted pecan tree 4 to 6 feet tall planted in a good site and properly maintained will generally begin production in 6 to 7 years. The more precocious varieties may sometimes start production in 4 to 5 years. The less precocious varieties may take 8 to 10 years to bear.

Non-grafted seedling and native pecan trees often take 10 to 15 years to begin production.

The earliest-bearing pecan varieties are not necessarily the best varieties to grow. They start production at an early age and generally produce large crops. However, overproduction leads to poor nut quality and alternate bearing as the trees age.

Question answered by Dr. John Pyzner, LSU AgCenter pecan and*fruit extension specialist.*

[M.E.B.]

I have two in my backyard in a residental neighborhood. They are two different types. I don't remember the names as I bought them years ago. The nusery owner said to plant two different types as sometimes one would produce, sometimes the other, sometimes both so I would have a better chance of having pecans.

During the drought year before last was the first time since producing that we had zero pecans.

They drop TONS of leaves. Had I had it to do over again I would plant only one tree in my yard, maybe. They are brittle and drop a lot of limbs in a wind so do not park your vechile under it.

I really like the trees but wished I lived on some acreage.

[seeing reds]

I have about 10 pecan trees of various ages. I have lived here 3 1/2 years and have yet to see a single pecan. The neighbor's property across the road from me is a former actual pecan orchard. So they have TONS of pecans. No idea why my trees dont produce. My neighbor did tell me my younger trees should be grafted, but the bigger ones are too old already.

Not sure it that helps.