Friday, January 11, 2013

an excess of pecans


mostly empty husks left up in the trees

This will be my last post this season about pecans. I think they have finally all fallen except for a stray one here or there. It's been an exceptional season this year, for us at least. All three trees, four counting the native, produced an abundance of nuts and, unlike years past, nearly all of them were good. At least all that I have shelled so far, about 15 pounds worth that are in the freezer or our stomachs or been given away.


the tallest box is 14”

I've already sold 40 pounds of pecans and will be taking at least half of what you see here down to the wholesaler to sell. I need to do that soon as the season is over in February. I'll keep some for the squirrels too.

Several weeks ago, I picked up a still mostly green husk that had it's pecan still enclosed. It broke open easily and when I exposed the nut, I discovered that it had already sprouted, in it's husk, on the tree. I have never seen that before!


imagine how long that baby tap root would be if it had grown straight

Mostly now my survey of the yard and the fallen pecans is to make sure there aren't any hidden in the flower beds under the leaves because if I don't find them now, I will find them several months from now when they greet me as sprouted trees. Usually by the time they are 6” tall, it's already too late to just pull them up because of the long taproot they send out so they must be dug up.

Just cutting the growth does not discourage the tree one little bit. I have some that sprouted right next to a couple of the rose bushes so it was impossible to dig them out. Every spring and summer I cut off the growth and every spring and summer they grow right back. The root just gets thicker.

Of course, I'm sure the squirrels have been busy planting some, like next to the roses, and will no doubt plant some of the ones I leave out for them. I see them scampering through the tallow with pecans in their mouths.




18 comments:

  1. i don't know of any pecan trees on our property. i guess i should be grateful (since i don't typically eat them and wouldn't want them sprouting all over.) :)

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  2. I remember sitting at my grandfather's picnic table shelling pecans for him so that he could store them. I didn't know they could be so troublesome.

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  3. Wow, quite a harvest! I bet you're sick of anything made with pecans. When I was little Mother used our grapes for grape jam and expected us to eat that jam all year long. Of course we ate it; but, after we left home we never purchased another grape jam. Ever.

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  4. Wow, that is a LOT of pecans.

    What would happen if you just let the trees grow? Having more pecans doesn't sound like a bad thing, though they might force you to relocate your rose garden. :)

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  5. I love your shot of the green pecan. Over here pecans are considered rather exotic so I must admit to be being fascinated that you have so many.

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  6. Amazing! And I do so love pecans!
    Neat photo of the sprout!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  7. I wish we had pecan trees here. I enjoy them very much and they are expensive to buy, as they come shelled and, I think, roasted. Or in pastry.

    What a glorious harvest, amazing.

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  8. now that's A LOT of pecans!!

    there are lots of pecan trees around here...well, not on our property...but here in north florida...
    what are they called...groves? orchards?
    i didn't know u could freeze them!!

    and i do love how the trees look...against the sky...with no leaves...like skeletons!!

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  9. I did not realize that pecans were so tenacious in their determination to grow. I get lots of maple and tulip tree seedlings in the spring...but they are easy to tend to. I do love pecans in chocolate chip cookies!

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  10. 9 bucks a pound for shelled halves make that look like a real treasure.

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  11. I love pecans, especially fresh from the tree. Use to have one of those shellers with a long handle. Popped those babies right out of there.
    gardening hint: for any small tree, clip it off near the ground, hit the trunk with Roundup. done

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  12. Wow! I mean really...WOW! I love pecans. More so as I have gotten older. I love them plain, in salads, in ice cream, with chicken,... I could go on. And they are so expensive (at least here in Indy).
    Lucky You:)

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  13. Funny how seasons vary, and pests. I've just finished harvesting my macadamia nuts from the one tree in our backyard. Last year i got a bumper crop (two or three buckets full) with not a sign of the wasps that lay their eggs in the hard shell - the pupae then burrow through and ruin the nut.

    This year there are fewer, and every second one is useless. Very dry year this year. Extremely wet last.

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  14. That is a lot of pecans. The one that grew a root is pretty cool.

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  15. I look at all those pecans & see pie! And about a 40 pounds weight gain for me - ha!

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  16. As I have told you in the past, the neighbors behind us have a pecan tree and every year at this time we have visitors....large mouthy crows who come to harvest the pecans left in the tree. I thought of you on Wednesday last when the crows were thick wondering about your pecans. Oma Linda

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