Greg Grant

Lots of folks want to know how to get their pecan tree to produce a crop each year. Unfortunately, it’s not practical or even realistic. Afterall, commercially produced pecans are mostly grown in drier climates plus irrigated and sprayed regularly for insects and disease.

However, there are some things you can do to help improve your chances of picking up a few pecans in the fall.

Pecan trees (Carya illinoinensis) are Texas natives and our official state tree. Their size and longevity make them valuable legacy trees for parks, pastures, and patios alike. But when it comes to reliable production, even improved cultivars can be finicky. Many variables like rainfall, disease pressure, and alternate bearing cycles make consistent harvests a gamble in the home garden.

To give a pecan tree its best shot, Earth-Kind principles suggest working with nature rather than against it. That means choosing a good site to begin with. Pecans do best in deep, well-drained soils with adequate water and full sunlight. Without enough light, you’ll get fewer and smaller pecans, lower-quality kernels, and more disease problems. In crowded neighborhoods where trees shade one another, productivity can drop off dramatically.

You’ll also need to be realistic about irrigation. East Texas receives over 40 inches of rain per year, but our summers are still hot and unpredictable. Mature pecan trees that are actively producing need 1 to 2 inches of water per week during the heat of summer, especially during June, July, and August as the nuts are filling out. If you aren’t irrigating thoroughly during dry spells, don’t expect a crop. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension pecan specialist Dr. Monte Nesbitt, the volume of water needed to support a crop-bearing pecan tree is believed to be as much as 150 gallons of water per day or more on large, bearing trees in the hot, mid-summer months.

Disease can be a major issue, especially pecan scab. This fungal disease thrives in our humid climate and can be devastating on susceptible cultivars like ‘Western,’ ‘Wichita,’ and ‘Pawnee’ unless fungicides are applied multiple times throughout the season. That’s simply not practical for most homeowners. Instead, consider planting disease-resistant varieties like ‘Elliott,’ ‘Forkert,’ or ‘Kanza.’ Even scab-resistant types aren’t immune and can also fall victim to other pests and diseases, especially when stressed by poor site conditions or neglect.

Another key practice in pecan care is keeping competition at bay. Grass and weeds around the base of the tree rob moisture and nutrients, so maintaining a weed-free coarse organic mulch zone helps young trees establish faster.

Fertilization is also important in nut production. If the lawn surrounding the pecan tree is being fertilized, this could add some nutrition; however, it may not be enough to satisfy the nutritional needs of the tree because most of the fertilizer will be used by the grass. One-half pound of ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, or urea per 100 square feet can be applied under the dripline of the tree. This should be done around the starting time of budbreak (March/April) and again in late spring or early summer (May/June). Some simply double the amount of lawn fertilizer applied beneath their pecan trees.

It’s also important to manage your expectations. Pecan trees are alternate bearers, meaning they often produce a heavy crop one year and little or nothing the next. A dry summer or a pest outbreak can shut down a crop. If you enjoy the shade, watch the wildlife, and happen to get a few pecans now and then, consider yourself fortunate. Fore detailed information on producing pecans in Texas visit the “Improved Pecans” publication under Fruit and Nut Resources on our Aggie Horticulture website.