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.