Pecan Trees

[TroyC]

My question- am I wasting my time or will my trees produce again? Trees are in central Georgia.

I have about 15 older pecans that were neglected for the better part of the last 20 years. They were orchard trees for the first 30 or so years of their life. Trees are probably 50-60 yr old. About 5 years ago, I started trying to rejuvenate them. I cleared out all the underbrush, been applying fertilizer, even added some extra zinc last year. Keep grass mowed under them. The trees are looking healthier but haven't started producing nuts yet. They bloomed out but last year but what they produced dried and fell off before ripening. Couple years ago the squirrels ate pretty good but not last year.

I read somewhere they don't produce every year. I'm not expecting much, but I always enjoyed picking some nuts off the ground to snack on while hunting. Think I'm wasting my time?

[mike_belben]

im curious how many years it takes for walnut and pecan to produce first fruit. 20.. 30?

[WDH]

No for pecan, but this applies to orchard trees planted from genetically improved stock.  These produce nuts in less than 10 years but have been bred for fast nut production. 

[TroyC]

The trees I have did produce back in the '90s, used to pick up a few nuts while hunting. I think they were orchard trees planted in the late '40s or 50's as the property still has 20-30 of them. Most of them have become overgrown, a few died, but I've cleaned up around 8-10 of them and started to try to rejuvenate them. They are looking better but still not producing.

[beenthere]

im curious how many years it takes for walnut and pecan to produce first fruit. 20.. 30?

Planted 800 black walnut seedlings 1971, and the first nut noticed was 1988.. 17 years. 
Steadily has increased since then, and now most of the remaining 500-600 are producing. Have not kept track, as leaving that up to the squirrels.
Pic shows some spring toms strutting among the walnut trees. And today, March 1, there were several trail cam pics of toms strutting. Along with 30-40 other turkeys moving about. 
 

  

[Walnut Beast]

Very nice 👍 

[mike_belben]

wow.. that is something to be proud of BT!

[WDH]

Kent, have you thinned the walnut plantation yet?

[beenthere]

Yes, have thinned to some extent. Will need to do that for the next 30-40 years.. Well someone should.  

Planted 800 black walnut seedlings Spring 1971.
On 10 x 10 spacing and tilled both ways like cross-checked corn. Had tandem disk and kept weed-free for first 20 years. No loss of any trees in first 20 years. Pruned lower stems. About 1/4 of the trees remained runts and have been removed. Thin others out as they either die from competition or compete with other trees doing well (or they restrict my view from deer blind   ). Now I just keep it mowed twice a year. Have kept a tight spacing to force height growth and to prevent or slow adventitious branch sprouts. Seems to be working pretty well.

Have observed bark splitting on the southwest face near the ground. Believe from sun warmth during the day and freezing at night. Thought that I should have planted a cedar or small arborvitae on that sw facing side of each tree to shade from sun during cold season.  Next time !!

Trees do not do as well IMO as the natural ones on rest of property. Not sure if it is a nursery variety selection, or my other suspicion that there is hard pan under this 3 acre "field" that was cleared in the 40's for crops.
 Also possible that planting technique was faulty. Some seedlings had long roots and I think some were "stuffed" in the planting hole and even possibly twisted into the hole where the fine roots were left to try to grow twisted. The roots can choke each other off if left like that with long term effects, I believe. Should have trimmed the roots as the seedlings were planted.

But tending it has been fun over the last 50 years.

[Clark]

That’s impressive beenthere! My in-laws are in SE WI and it does appear that hardwood growth down there can be very good if managed properly. I don’t see that many places that have installed a walnut plantation but it is largely corn country. I’m sure closer to the Driftless area it becomes more common. 

Obviously, you’re not growing the trees for money in your pocket and you’ll do what you want to do with them, as you should. But taking a cue from WDH, have you thought of thinning them? With the current price of black walnut logs stems anything, it seems like a good time to take the poorest looking/growing trees.

Clark

[beenthere]

Thanks Clark
Thinning will continue, taking out 5-10 trees a year. They add to the firewood pile or to a wood turner for his projects. 

Removal of trees is delicate to not tear up the "leave" trees, as most already know. 
Stumps cut off at ground line with the TurboSaw.