My favorite tree is the pecan tree. It brings back great family memories, I like its form, and I’m a big fan of eating it.
It is also a tree that causes me the most frustration in local landscapes. I hear it from others frequently, “I’ve planted this pecan tree years ago and I still haven’t gotten the first crop!”
Pecans are a wonderful native tree whose nuts are highly prized in all kinds of dishes or by themselves. Each year I look to purchase a few pounds of pecans that are locally grown. I east them like candy and look forward to them in holiday dishes.
Pecans were named the state tree of Texas over 100 years ago in 1919. Commercial pecan production existed in Texas in the late 1800’s. San Antonio, Texas was the hub of the nation’s pecan processing during the first half of the 20th century. Years later during the 1950’s, several more shelling plants sprang up across the state. The closest to us was Tyler.
But about the pecans in Angelina County, we have a couple difficult obstacles to overcome. This year, and more often than not, a lack of water late in the growing season will cause the pecans to fail to fully develop and drop prematurely. Pecans use a goodly amount of water as the pecan kernel finishes developing. If rainfall or irrigation are lacking in the final stages of growth, then you’ll see a significant crop loss.
Next are limitations with our soil. Much of the land that lays between the Neches River to our west and the Angelina River (now Lake Sam Rayburn) to our east is not a deep, well drained soil.
It’s true that you’ll find some well drained sites, but much of our county has a decent sandy loam topsoil that covers a grey clay in the southern end and red clay to the northern end of the county. However, pecans love well drained soil. And having a shallow topsoil over a clay simply is not a well-drained site most of the time.
Besides finding the right soil for pecans to thrive, we have a common disease called scab. Scab is a fungal disease spread by spores. Spores can be spread by wind or rain and cause new infections throughout an orchard. Scab is capable of several infection cycles throughout the growing season, which can contribute to greater disease severity.
The fungus needs wet conditions to initiate an infection on leaves or shucks, and young developing leaves are especially susceptible. If we have a wet spring (and we do most every year), we can anticipate problems with scab.
Scab will eventually infect the kernel and can greatly reduce the number of pecans that are edible in the fall.
While scab is here to stay, there are some things we can do to manage it. First plant pecan varieties that are resistant. No tree is bullet proof but try varieties such as Caddo, Oconee, Prilop, Elliot, Forkert and Kanza. Others have been planted and have worked but those I just listed show the most scab resistance in a number of trials.
Thinning and pruning pecans trees to allow for better air circulation will allow leaves and kernels to dry out faster to reduce fungal problems. Planting trees on windy sites is also much better than plating in a low-lying area that clings to moisture longer.
There is not really a good spray for homeowners to combat scab. Commercial growers do use some products, but they must be applied with an air blast sprayer into the canopy.
All in all, I think it’s worth a try on well-drained ground. It’s our wonderful, deciduous state tree. And perhaps you’ll get some pecans from time to time. If you want more information about the care for pecans, please give me or any other county agent a holler. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has worlds more information on what it takes to produce pecans.
