Pecan trees
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What part of the country are you in? I have three huge pecan trees (40-50 feet) in my backyard. Because of the squirrels, I have to pull up new pecan trees every year. They even grow in the gutters of my house. I've never had to feed them.
I've found that they don't produce pecans consistantly from year to year. Depending on the rain I think. Some years there are so many that it sounds like its raining as they fall (mostly on my car). Some years there are so few that the squirrels eat them all while they are still green.
Good luck.
I've found that they don't produce pecans consistantly from year to year. Depending on the rain I think. Some years there are so many that it sounds like its raining as they fall (mostly on my car). Some years there are so few that the squirrels eat them all while they are still green.
Good luck.
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We also have one that must be.....o....50ft or so. I don't believe it has ever been fed in it's life.
However if I was wanting to feed anything organically there are a couple of things I would consider doing.
1)Make a soup from the contents of your compost heap in a 3ltr juice container or bucket, find some Comfrey and rip the large leaves up and add them. Wait for a week or so, agitating the mix whenever you walk past and when it all looks nice and decayed....feed.
2) Blood and Bone mix. Should be readily available at garden centres or landscaping yards. Buy it by the bag or the bottle(in liquid form).
3) Mulch your trees.
Hope that sort of helps.
However if I was wanting to feed anything organically there are a couple of things I would consider doing.
1)Make a soup from the contents of your compost heap in a 3ltr juice container or bucket, find some Comfrey and rip the large leaves up and add them. Wait for a week or so, agitating the mix whenever you walk past and when it all looks nice and decayed....feed.
2) Blood and Bone mix. Should be readily available at garden centres or landscaping yards. Buy it by the bag or the bottle(in liquid form).
3) Mulch your trees.
Hope that sort of helps.
A serious grower would have a soil test performed. The state agricultural schools will usually test samples or private labs.
On thing that helps transplants is injecting mycorrhizal fungi into the root ball. Make sure you get the right species of fungi for your tree. This will greatly improve root growth. I've personally had much success with these beneficial, biological supplements.
On thing that helps transplants is injecting mycorrhizal fungi into the root ball. Make sure you get the right species of fungi for your tree. This will greatly improve root growth. I've personally had much success with these beneficial, biological supplements.
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745 Posts
The low nut production could come from lack of zinc.
When I was a kid, my grandfather used to drive nails into the trunks of the pecan trees in his yard.
http://www.plantanswers.com/garden_column/may04/3.htm
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I know a guy who used to have over a hundred pecan trees in his orchard.
He would sell pecans to a large grocery chain every year.
He would go buy iron shavings from a place that turned brake drums. He would let the iron rust some and then sprinkle a little around each tree in the late winter.
He said too much would be bad for them but a little every year would double the size of the pecans.
Not sure if it was what did it but he always had HUGE pecans. So big you couldnt close your hand over two of them.
He would sell pecans to a large grocery chain every year.
He would go buy iron shavings from a place that turned brake drums. He would let the iron rust some and then sprinkle a little around each tree in the late winter.
He said too much would be bad for them but a little every year would double the size of the pecans.
Not sure if it was what did it but he always had HUGE pecans. So big you couldnt close your hand over two of them.
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Most pecans will do well in a wide range of soils.
They do have a cycle of high and low nut production.
Zinc is the most common defienceny and can be corrected with zinc galvanized nails or better yet, zinc sulfate.
A spray schedule to control pecan case bearers will increase production.
Iron and Zinc replenishment
I enjoyed reading your information on Pecan trees. Please give me a clue as to the amount of iron shavings per inches of diameter trunks used. I would also like to know how much of what kind of zinc nails should be used per diameter of trunk. Could we also use rusted nails?
I enjoyed reading your information on Pecan trees. Please give me a clue as to the amount of iron shavings per inches of diameter trunks used. I would also like to know how much of what kind of zinc nails should be used per diameter of trunk. Could we also use rusted nails?
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It's a lot easier, overall, to tend to the health of the soil than to tend to the health of the trees. You can plant Bocking 14 at the future drip line and alfalfa inside the circle. Graze every time the alfalfa get taller than 18". Graze it down to 6".
The only thing you should have to add is, maybe, zinc. Every year, cut a 1983 or more recent penny in quarters and push them into the soil.
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OP asked his question about six years ago and it was his first and only post. I'm thinkin he's not still around to give a reply.
Thank you very much so far. The pH level of my soil is 7.4. Thus, my fertilizer advisors reckons that Zinc applications into the soil is ineffective because the soil reacts with it so the plant can't use it. That is why I am requiring about people writing about Zinc nails in the trunk. Will do the penny thing though. How much Zinc will be in such a penny? (We in South Africa don't have those). Spraying of leaves also helps, but our grandpa's used nails. If I could only know how much and how much for each inch of trunk size and what kind to use. Writers also mention using nails (another kind maybe) to replenish iron deficiency in this way.
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