The Latest Pecan Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial

The pecan is the fruit of the American hickory, native to the United States and northern Mexico on the North American continent. It has now become one of the world's nut tree species. It is also grown in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, and small-scale trial plantings have begun in Zhejiang Province. The fruit is rich in nutrients and delicious, a rare and tasty nut with high prospects for cultivation. Now let us take a look at pecan planting techniques together!

Pecan Planting Conditions

1. Temperature conditions: Pecans prefer a warm and humid climate, with an ideal annual average temperature of 15.2°C. They can tolerate a maximum temperature of 41.7°C and are relatively cold-hardy, suffering no frost damage even at -15°C. However, low temperatures during the flowering period will affect pollination and flower development.

2. Water requirements: Pecan growth requires a fair amount of water, and water needs differ across phenological stages throughout the year. Generally, moderate rainfall is required before flowering during the spring shoot growth period. From late April to mid-May during the flowering period, continuous overcast and rainy weather should be avoided. From June to September, during the fruit and naked bud development period, abundant and evenly distributed rainfall is required.

3. Light conditions: Pecans are not particularly demanding regarding light. Young trees require a shaded environment, so seedlings must be artificially shaded. Mature trees grow poorly on sunny, dry and barren south-facing slopes.

4. Soil requirements: The ideal soil for pecan planting is a loose, gravelly loam rich in humus formed from weathered limestone. The best soils are dark oil-black soil and yellow soil developed on limestone, as well as yellow soil developed on sandstone, slate and shale. Red soil and sandy soil are not suitable for growth.

Pecan Propagation Methods

1. Seed propagation: After harvesting, spread the fruit in a ventilated indoor area. Once most of the outer husks have split open, remove the seeds. Sowing can be done in both spring and autumn, but autumn sowing is less safe than spring sowing because the seeds are easily eaten by rats and birds, and sometimes winter drought causes the seeds to lose water, resulting in a low germination rate. Autumn sowing is usually completed before the soil freezes in autumn. Spring sowing should be done early, preferably in mid-March. If sowing in spring, the seeds must undergo sand storage treatment.

2. Grafting propagation: The rootstock used for grafting is generally walnut. In the cold regions of North China, Manchurian walnut is used; in the Yangtze River basin, wild walnut is mostly used; in Shandong and Shaanxi, Chinese wingnut is used. Scions are collected from superior individual trees, selecting plump and robust vegetative branches from the outer canopy, 30-40 cm long and 1-1.5 cm thick. Buds that are plump and full from the middle and lower portions of the scion are used as graft buds.

3. Cutting propagation: Pecan cutting propagation usually uses 1-year-old robust branches. The cuttings are 17-20 cm long. With standard cutting methods, the survival rate exceeds 90%.

4. Root cutting propagation: Roots are collected when nursery stock is lifted, then heeled in. Cuttings are taken in spring. The root pieces should be 1 cm in diameter and 10 cm long, preferably planted in beds. The upper cut end of the root must be buried 0.5-1 cm below the bed surface.

5. Layering propagation: During the dormant period, robust branches from the base of the parent plant are bent into the soil. After a period of time they will root, then the branch is separated from the parent plant and transplanted for further cultivation.

Pecan Planting Techniques

1. Land preparation and fertilization: For pecan planting, choose a plot with deep, loose soil, sufficient water sources, and shelter from wind and facing the sun. A spacing of 4×5 m to 7×8 m between plants and rows is ideal. Planting holes should be 1-1.5 m in diameter and 1-1.2 m deep. Keep topsoil and subsoil separate. First place a layer of straw at the bottom of the hole, cover with topsoil to 20 cm, then add 50 kg of organic fertilizer, 20 g of Jiadifen powder, and 500 g of superphosphate, and mix thoroughly with the soil.

2. Transplanting: Pecan transplanting is carried out after leaf fall or before bud break. Large seedlings should be moved with a soil ball. For 1-2 year old small seedlings, retain as many lateral roots and fibrous roots as possible, and dip them in mud slurry promptly to prevent root dehydration from affecting survival. During the young tree stage, especially before the first winter after planting, measures such as mounding soil and building soil piles should be taken to protect young trees from cold and winter dieback. Especially in the cold winter regions of North China and Northwest China, whitewashing the trunks of large trees (with lime) helps prevent frost damage to the trunks.

3. Pruning and training: Early pruning of pecans should be light, retaining appropriately more main branches to bring about early fruiting. When pruning, ensure the inner canopy is well-ventilated and receives light. In the early stage, branches in the upper canopy should be retained as much as possible, while the lower canopy can be gradually thinned. If necessary, excessively dense large branches can be sawed off. Saw cuts must be smoothed and coated with a protective agent to prevent decay. After entering the declining stage, all parts above where renewal shoots emerge on the canopy can be sawed off entirely to cultivate the already sprouted renewal shoots. All dead portions of the main branches of the declining canopy should be pruned away. When performing truncation renewal, it is best to combine it with deep plowing and fertilization.

4. Cultivation and weeding: Within 1-3 years of establishing a pecan orchard, crops such as soybeans, corn and Atractylodes macrocephala can be intercropped. During intercropping, the orchard should be cultivated and weeded, and appropriate amounts of organic fertilizers such as burnt mud ash, cake fertilizer and barnyard manure should be applied. Each year from July to August, weeds, shrubs, thorns and vines in the woodland should be cut 1-2 times, and the cut weeds should be spread over the woodland floor. In winter, the mulch should be plowed into the soil to increase soil fertility.

5. Fertilization and fruit retention: Each spring before bud break, apply about 30 kg of urea per mu. During the fruit enlargement period, apply 80 kg of special fruit tree fertilizer. In autumn, apply 3000 kg of base fertilizer. After entering the fruiting stage, increase fertilizer application according to the fruiting situation. Foliar fertilizer can be sprayed about once every 15 days in combination with pesticide spraying. Spray 0.3% urea in the early and late growth stages, and 0.3% monopotassium phosphate in June-July. In winter, water thoroughly for overwintering and at bud break. During the rainy season, drain promptly to prevent waterlogging. Fruiting trees are fertilized twice a year. In February, open radial trenches along the tree drip line and apply 20 kg of corn stalks and 5 kg of manure per tree. In July, fertilization is mainly with NPK compound fertilizer at 0.2 kg per sq m.

6. Pest and disease control: The main pests and diseases of pecans include hickory branch dieback, star longhorn beetle, greenish-brown slug moth, coffee wood borer, and others. Focus on winter orchard pest and disease control. During the growing season, carry out timely control based on the occurrence of pests and diseases. At the same time, strengthen tree vigor, prevent branch damage, and spray fungicides such as carbendazim or chlorothalonil during the disease onset period.