3 Year Pecan Cycle?

[woodsman]

Anybody know any hard science behind what years they should produce? My 90 year old great uncle had pecan trees most of his life and said they would make every 3rd year.

The squirrels are castrating my pecan trees again this year, and I was expecting this to be a production year. We bought our house in spring of 2010, and the previous fall (2009) was apparently a good year of healthy nuts, they were still everywhere.

The next two years the squirrels destroyed all the mast again in late summer.

2012 was a great mast year. Lots of pecan pies, pecan brownies, pecan fudge, candied pecans, pecans, pecans, pecans...

The next two years the squirrels went nuts on the pecan trees again.

Here we are in 2015, and the tree rats have just about already wiped everything out again. What gives? Really thought the inordinate amount of rainfall the first half of the year would have helped also.

[bowhunterchris]

Ours are loaded every year

[LemmeOut]

I don't know the science behind it but our local pecan expert here in Taylor said that pecans never have back to back bumper years. He said It doesn't matter how good of growing conditions there are, that they just won't have back to back bumper years. He said that doesn't mean you won't have consecutive years with some production. Kind of like farming cotton here in the black land, most farmers will only plant cotton every third year (sometimes longer) in a particular field because of how much it takes out of the soil.

[woodsman]

I don't know the science behind it but our local pecan expert here in Taylor said that pecans never have back to back bumper years. He said It doesn't matter how good of growing conditions there are, that they just won't have back to back bumper years. He said that doesn't mean you won't have consecutive years with some production. Kind of like farming cotton here in the black land, most farmers will only plant cotton every third year (sometimes longer) in a particular field because of how much it takes out of the soil.

Thanks LO, sounds kind of like what I've heard. Just surprised that this will be the 3rd consecutive year without much to show.

Beginning to think I've underestimated the impact from the squirrels. But it's odd that on the 'good year' they didn't prematurely prune any of the pecans at all.

Must figure out how to eliminate squirrels in July & August....

[LemmeOut]

Pellet gun and a dog that likes to eat squirrels will help. Traps too.

[poisonivie]

Years ago I worked on a pecan farm. THey told me that pecans run in 4 yr cycles. I only worked there 2 yrs so IDK firsthand.

[Patton]

Grew up with about 20 pecan trees between my house and the neighbors. Guarding the pecans with a pellet gun taught me how to hunt and a start on how to clean critters for eating.

[chunkinlead]

I don't know the science behind it but our local pecan expert here in Taylor said that pecans never have back to back bumper years. He said It doesn't matter how good of growing conditions there are, that they just won't have back to back bumper years. He said that doesn't mean you won't have consecutive years with some production. Kind of like farming cotton here in the black land, most farmers will only plant cotton every third year (sometimes longer) in a particular field because of how much it takes out of the soil.

That could be true but it has been a while since a "bumper" year. 2013 is the only "good" year we've had in quite a while, but definitely not considered bumper.

[LemmeOut]

That could be true but it has been a while since a "bumper" year. 2013 is the only "good" year we've had in quite a while, but definitely not considered bumper.

Well when you have a bumper year don't expect on the next year too. Like anything else, there are multiple factors that play into pecan trees making good pecans. Rain/water, soil conditions, insects/rodents, temperature and disease can all have an effect. A couple years ago we had tons of pecans on the trees and had tons come down but most of the nuts had little or no "meat" inside or what was there was all shriveled up.

[fishingsetx]

A scoped .22 will thin the squirrels out pretty quick if legal and safe to shoot. If legal but unsafe, a .410 with #7 1/2 or #6 might be an option. Otherwise, a pellet gun might be a better bet.

[woodsman]

A scoped .22 will thin the squirrels out pretty quick if legal and safe to shoot. If legal but unsafe, a .410 with #7 1/2 or #6 might be an option. Otherwise, a pellet gun might be a better bet.

I absolutely agree. Unfortunately, I'm smack in the middle of suburban Garland, so kind of limited on (legal) options.

One could use an air rifle on squirrels during the summer, but then there's the fact that they'd be using an air rifle on squirrels during the summer. Hmm... Time for some squirrel:30 predation management?

Think I have a blowgun somewhere I bought at a flea market as a kid...

[crawdaddct]

No science here, but we use to live in a old pecan orchard. Had fifteen sixty year old trees on the place. Our red soft shell trees put out every year as well as the little bitty ones they use to oil. I have forgotten the names. The big hard shell ones though that brought in the most money, seemed to be on a two year cycle. My wife hated pecans when we bought the place, but after she realized there was money to be made, she harvested a ton of pecans.

[crawdaddct]

Use to shoot the squirrel too, but they were so old and tough, you couldn't eat them. People in central Texas do a poor job of Squirrel population management.