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The Orchard
When a pecan grower decides to grow pecan trees, he or she needs
to have patience and be willing to make a long-term commitment.
The first step is to determine where to plant the orchard. While
pecan trees can grow in many places in the United States, the best
area to grow them is in the Southeast. The top three pecan producing
states are Georgia, Texas and Alabama. North Carolina is usually
in the top ten pecan-producing states, and is on the northern edge
of the commercial pecan-producing region in the US. Pecans like
a hot and humid climate, lots of water, and deep, well-drained,
sandy-loam soil. Because of the specialized climate necessary, most
pecan trees in North Carolina are grown in the coastal plain.
Planting the Trees
The best month for planting new pecan trees is
January. But, but before trees are planted, the orchard owner
needs to choose which varieties of pecans he or she wants to plant.
In order for the pecan nuts to be properly pollinated, at least
three different varieties should be planted. Though they are only
about five to seven feet tall when planted, pecan trees get very
big over time, so they need to be spaced about 70 feet apart.
About 6-9 trees are planted on one acre. Each year the tree will
grow about 10 to 12 inches, and pecans will only develop on the
new growth, so it's important to make sure that the trees are
well cared for each and every year.
Wait, wait, wait...
It takes several years before pecan trees start
producing pecans. Most new and improved varieties begin to produce
pecans within five to six years, but older, traditional varieties
take longer. During this waiting time the orchard owner isn't
just sitting around, there are a lot of tasks to be accomplished.
Pecan trees will need to be watered very frequently, especially
during the first year. They will also need to be pruned, fertilized
and monitored to make sure that insects and animals aren't damaging
them. There are four main insects that hurt pecan trees. They
are: pecan weevils, twig girdlers, stink bugs, and aphids. In
addition, deer, squirrels, crows and blue jays can also "steal"
the pecans and harm the trees.
The Growing Season
Once a pecan tree is mature, it will go through
different stages throughout the year. The growth stages are:
- The Dormant Stage: Pecan trees are dormant
during the winter months. This is kind of like a rest period
for the tree. During dormancy, the tree doesn't appear to be
growing, but many important things are happening. In order for
pecan trees to produce pecans during the next year they need
at least 200 chill hours during this period. (A chill hour is
an hour where the temperature is between 32F and 45F.)
- Bud-break/Pollination: During late April and
early May, pecan trees pollinate. Pecan trees are monoecious,
which means they have separate male structures (catkins,) and
female flowers (pistillates). The catkins are long, golden tassels
and produce pollen. The female flowers receive the pollen and
nut growth begins. During this time, the pecan grower spends
a lot of time making sure the trees are free of problems with
insects and diseases.
- Nutlet Stage: The young pecans continue to
grow in June and July and are called nutlets.
- Nut-Fill Stage: Pecans mature during the nut-fill
stage in September and early October. Some varieties of pecan
trees produce many small clusters of pecans, and others produce
fewer large clusters.
- Shuck-Split Stage: After a 200-day growing
period, the pecan shuck opens, allowing the nut to drop.
Harvesting
Pecan growers are very busy during harvesting time.
The size of a pecan orchard will determine how an individual grower
will harvest his or her pecans. Commercial growers with large
orchards have special machines that shake, pick up, and process
the pecans to prepare them for customers. Smaller orchards usually
just pick the pecans up by hand.
What's Next?
Once the pecans are harvested, the grower is ready
to sell them. Some growers sell their pecans to grocery stores,
some sell their pecans to food companies who will use them in
recipes, and some sell them at the Farmer's Market and roadside
stands. Customers buy pecans from those places, take them home,
and eat them all kinds of great ways! While people eat the most
pecans during the holiday season, they are available all year
long and are a super snack. In fact, many doctors and scientists
are learning that eating more pecans can help people stay healthy
too. So the next time you eat pecans, whether it's in Grandma's
delicious pecan pie, or a quick a handful as a snack, remember
that what you eat in two minutes took years and years to make
it from the tree to your table. |
