ARS | Publication request: ESTABLISHING PECAN ORCHARDS

Submitted to: HortTechnology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 15, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Pecan transplants often die or grow poorly in yards and small orchards where commercial-like irrigation is unavailable. A variety of conflicting transplanting recommendations exists; however, there are little data available to judge the relative value of conflicting strategies. This work determined that transplants performed best as size of the nursery tree increased, as the amount of shoot removal at transplanting increased, and as the planting date approached early December. Practices such as lateral and tap root pruning, subsoiling, and containerized vs. bare-root trees were without influence on tree growth or survival. This work provides extension agents, home owners, and small orchardists with information needed to insure greatly improved performance of transplanted pecan trees and identifies the most important factors to focus on during transplanting.

Technical Abstract: The growth of pecan [Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] nursery transplants was enhanced using taller trees and by planting earlier in the dormant season. The growth or survival differences between bare-root vs. containerized trees and between augured vs. subsoiled plus augured planting sites within 6 years of transplanting were equivocal. The survival and shoot growth characteristics of trees receiving severe tap- or lateral-root pruning indicated that the effect of root pruning may be neutral under nonirrigated conditions in the southeastern U.S. The practice of reducing the height, or heading-back, of transplants at planting did not improve survival of bare- root trees and did not adversely influence tree growth compared with unpruned trees after the first 3 years in the field; however, the vigor of growth was stimulated during the first few years.