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Pecan harvest just around the cornerBy Tara McKnight CEA- Hort. Texas AgriLife Extension Service Wichita County With fall coming upon us fast, most residents of Wichita Falls are wondering when the next city compost giveaway is. Well, mark your calendars for Oct. 4. The giveaway is from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. This compost is free to residents of Wichita Falls. The only requirement is that you bring a tarp to cover your compost with before you leave. The compost is given away at the landfill west of town on Wylie Road. With pecan harvest just around the corner, I have received several calls lately about pecans. It seems that several people out there have pecans falling off of their trees. This can be happening for several reasons. --Poor pollination can result in the pecans falling off prematurely. Planting several varieties of pecan trees can help reduce this problem. --Insect damage can also cause your pecans to drop. The pecan nut casebearer is normally the main insect that causes this problem. Pecans falling because of insect damage normally happen at three main times in the year; mid-May, July and sometimes in August. You can normally tell if you have insect damage on your pecans. Look closely at the pecans that are falling and check for insect holes. This is the main sign that you have insect damage. --Water stress is the third reason that pecans may fall off of your tree. Even though we had rain last week does not mean that your pecan tree got enough water before that or even after that. You should still be watering your trees. Pecans trees use a lot of water to make a good crop. (Sometimes the tree can use more than 100 gallons of water a day, depending on evapotranspiration.) In clay soils, you should water 3 inches every 14 days. Sandy soils will need more water. They need 1 to 2 inches every 8 to 10 days. Your pecan tree needs this type of watering schedule until the shuck splits at ripening. Even though you may be watering your grass, you may not be giving your pecan tree enough water. You will need to slowly soak the drip line of the tree. --Nutritional problems can be another reason that your pecans drop. This can result from shallow soil or poor fertilization. --Also, as nuts move in size development into the kernel formation the pecan can fall off easily. Any stress that is put onto your tree can cause major pecan drop. Some trees have lost up to half of their crop as a result of stress during this time. --With all of that said, there are some varieties that can shed naturally; one of these varieties in 'Desirable.' I hope this gives a little insight on why your pecan tree may be dropping pecans all over the yard. If you are concerned about your pecan crop, be sure and try to manage your trees next year through insect and water management. It is hard to start "saving" your pecans this late in the game. Your garden and landscape questions are always welcome. You may either contact me at our County Extension office, 716-8610, or by e-mail, tcmcknight@ag.tamu.edu. You are always encouraged to visit the Wichita County Master Gardner website at www.overthegardengate.org. Another great website to visit for very useful garden hints and answers is http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/. This article, along with every article, will also be featured on www.joetomwhite.com 24 hours a day under county agents. 9/29/08 Date: 9/22/08 Advertisement
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