When is pecan season in texas

Mature pecan trees only need to have dead, broken or diseased branches removed periodically. Proper fertilization is vital for Texas pecan trees. Without plenty of lime, nitrogen and zinc, pecan trees will not produce good harvests.

You should not fertilize pecan trees after July, however, as it can make them more susceptible to freezing during the winter months. Participating in our Thrive Tree Program or consulting our certified arborist about the best type of fertilizer to use will help you keep your pecan tree properly nourished.

One of the major benefits of having a pecan tree is the yearly harvest of fresh pecans. Pecan trees are usually ready to be harvested by early September, as the husks reach their full size by late summer. When these husks begin to split, the pecans will fall from the tree. Before pecan husks start falling, clear the space around your pecan tree of debris to make picking up the pecans easier.

This is especially true if you sell to a wholesaler, who grades his purchases carefully to insure the quality of his product. Some things to look for to help determine the quality of your pecans are these: Coloration. Good pecans should have a uniform color. Some varieties, like Stuarts and Donaldsons have stripes near the bud ends, and a good definition between the stripe color usually black , and the shells light tan are indicative of a good nut.

Shell shape. Pecans form inside the husk as nutrients are passed through the veins in the husk, then through the still soft shell, filling out from the bud end to the tip. If dry weather, depletion of soil nutrients, or insect damage to the husk interrupts this feeding process, the nut will taper toward the tip end, meaning the nutmeat has not continued to grow completely.

This may seem unusual, but pecans, when they are rattled or dropped together, make a distinctive sound. Hollow sounding pecans are likely not filled out, whereas good, full pecans will sound solid, even if just rattled together in your hands. As you gather the pecans, shake them, and crack a few suspicious sounding ones, and you will soon develop an ear for the sound of a good, full pecan.

Although individual pecans weigh very little, an experienced picker, especially when picking or sorting by hand, will soon notice a distinct difference in weight of full pecans, compared to lesser quality ones. Sack your pecans for storage. Generally, pecans can be stored in loose cloth sacks, in a cool, dry place for several weeks after harvest.

The nuts will actually improve in quality, particularly those harvested early, as they cure. Do not skip the curing step. Uncured pecans will not crack properly, and are difficult to shell. Freezing stops the curing process, so make sure the nuts are cured before you freeze them. Freezing will allow you to store the nuts even longer, with almost no effect on their quality. Remember that nature has provided the nuts with hard shells, an almost perfect storage container.

Shell your nuts. If you are fortunate enough to have a pecan processing facility nearby, you can take your pecans in and have them cracked by machine. You can also check with your local farm supply store, as many of them have cracking machines. Expect to pay 25 to 40 cents per pound for this service.

If you want to crack them yourself, you can purchase a pecan cracker for this task. If the pecans on my tree are falling with the green husk intact, are they still good?

Wind, rain or animal action may have caused them to drop. More than likely, most will be okay though some may be wormy. If you make a slice with a knife along a ridge and then twist the knife, it will usually split off a section of the husk. Continue removing sections of the husk just like you were slicing a peach. If the husk is fairly loose, that will remove the husk.

Yes No. Not Helpful 4 Helpful It's not recommended. The best way to prepare your pecans for use, is to boil your pecans in shells for 20 minutes. This will get rid of any worms that are inside. They will float to the top. Then drain and bake at until dry and then cool down. They are ready to shell after that. Not Helpful 12 Helpful Can I pick full sized green pecans off the ground in late August and still make use of them?

Normal harvesting season begins in early September, so late August wouldn't be too far off from that. Not Helpful 21 Helpful Kathy Minton. Using a knife, score down one of the four ridges and pry open. The other three sides should remove easily. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 6. Soak them overnight in water, then pour them out to dry in the sun.

Many are easy to husk right away, but let them dry in the sun first. Not Helpful 9 Helpful Make sure you pick them off the ground as soon as possible. There's greater risks of bug infestation if they're left on the ground. Not Helpful 7 Helpful Can I harvest the pecans when the husks have split, but the nuts have not yet fallen in order to beat the birds to them? Do what you need to harvest them, perhaps even before the husks split. Use a knife along the larger ridged areas to slice and spread the husks while they are still moist.

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 5. How do I shuck the green husk once the nuts have been picked by the squirrels and left on the ground? Not Helpful 2 Helpful 2. Horn fly numbers were high and caused problems. Wild pigs remained problematic. Local cattle markets were higher overall. Conditions were very hot and dry across the district. Most dryland cotton was in poor to fair condition.

Irrigated cotton was in good condition. Corn was starting to silk. A few ranchers were planning to wean calves early due to limited grazing. Crops and rangelands were suffering from plus degree heat with moderate winds. Wells were struggling to keep up with irrigation needs. Northern, central and southwestern parts of the district reported very short to short topsoil and subsoil moisture levels.

Southeastern areas reported short to adequate soil moisture levels. Pasture and rangeland conditions were very poor to fair. Corn was in fair to good condition. Cotton condition was mostly fair to poor.

Sorghum was poor to fair. Peanuts were in poor to fair condition. Topsoil moisture levels ranged from short to very short. Rain fell across most of the district but amounts varied. Strong winds were reported. Pastures and hay meadows were still holding on, and crops looked good. Cattle were in good shape. Humidity caused light stress on livestock.

Temperature highs were beyond degrees with lows in the upper 70s. No precipitation was reported. Pasture and rangeland conditions were holding up for the most part though some pastures were completely bare.

Grass fires occurred every day. Woody plants and succulents were the only green plants on some rangelands. Producers continued to feed livestock and wildlife. Livestock were in good condition overall.

Pecan producers were irrigating and managing orchards. Most dryland crop acres that emerged had failed. Irrigated acres were making progress but showing moisture stress in the heat of the day. Insect activity was very low. Corn was finishing up with most all acres in the dent stage. Sorghum acres were blooming or in the dough stage, but many acres were stressed to the point that heads were not likely to produce.

Watermelon harvest was in full swing. Scattered rain was reported.