I don’t know much about pecans. I have a few natives in the yard. What type of graft did you use on the kanza ? I think pecans may be difficult to graft.
Hi, Jerry. Welcome to the forum. You’re the second person from upper NC to join in today. I can’t say that I know much of anything about growing pecans. I’m really just trying to learn, myself. I have also heard that they are more difficult to graft successfully than some other types of trees. So, don’t feel bad about not succeeding the first time you tried. First time grafting success had better not have anything to do with the age of the person attempting it. If it does, I’m doomed before I try. 
At the risk of asking a dumb question, would it be possible to grow Pecans in my location (Z5a, 8300’ elevation in the Eastern foothills of the Rockies). Apples do fine here, stone fruit is a maybe, all with some additional irrigation. Min temps are -20F (as per the zone), and lately we have not been getting that cold. More of an issue is our somewhat dry winters and winds, as well as rapid up and down of temps in the spring and fall.
Anyhow, in reading this thread I see some thought that it might be possible to grow pecans into Z4b. Being in 5a that gave me hope, but I was curious if folks really thought they could make it here?
If you do, which varieties would you recommend and where might I buy them?
Thanks
Steve,
I have a cyberfriend - though I haven’t heard from him in a year or two - who was growing pecans at his place(along with some other nut trees and pawpaw/persimmon - from seed I’d sent him)…I guess on the western side of the Rockies…outside of Las Vegas, NV.
I know nothing about much of anything west of the Mississippi & Missouri Rivers…
I know he had some pecans from Garfield Shults (Homedale, Idaho)… not sure what other varieties… or whether they were showing any evidence toward bearing any nuts.
Suspect that moisture levels will be the limiting factor; some of the ‘ultra-northern’ varieties, like Carlson, Snaps, Frisbie, the Green Island selections, etc. might well be able to stand your winter temperatures - nut size on those will be small… probably in the range of 100/lb.
It was not my first attempt at grafting pecan… I think my hands are not all that adept anymore.
I am trying to send a photo of Fairbank Hican. I have not used this system b4. Note the branching. I think with adequate pollen , it bears annually
Jerry
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Thank you for the Scions offer of Hark Pecan. If you can spare a couple scions I’m very interested in that or whatever you feel would do well in Pennsylvania.
You bet. Shoot a message when you’re ready and I’ll get some stuff sent.
Dax
Dax
I f hark is good enough for Gary, I t should work In NC.I do not have your email. I believe you have mine Cam send you slomail then . I have Fairbanks which bears well with adequate pollen Make that pecan pollen
Meistersenger
Jerry, I sent a message to get the ball rolling. Let me know when you email what you’re asking for? Did you want me to send a graft of Hark to you? I re-read this thread and see your hands are not as nimble as they once were.
Dax
Dax
I would like some scions of hark. Small diameter because I’ll be trying to rework a portion of a tree so I’ll get nuts sooner.
Jerry
That’s fine, Jerry. I’m been getting enough requests that I’ve lost track who I’m to send to. I need to start a new topic and get all this fixed.
I’ll do that now.
Dax
S omewhere in all these blogs I saw a picture labeled Rubys major the claim was earlier ripening …It was not shaped like Major
jerry
I am dumb enough to have planted a few so-called Northern Pecans here at the edge of 4a almost at zone 3. I have plenty of room, so won’t be out much if they fail. I also didn’t pay much for the trees. I figure even if the trees just survive and then I get a crop only very occasionally, I will be happy. I got spoiled by home-grown pecans while caring for my late father in California and have happy memories of sitting alongside him in his easy chair while I cracked nuts. Homemade pecan pie… Yum! The best! I had a difficult time trying to get zinc-sulfate fertilizer for the trees. Suppliers wouldn’t ship it to Wisconsin for some reason. We finally found some while traveling in Texas recently. Well, I’ll let you know if anything ever comes of my experiment. (I also planted Carpathian walnuts, butternuts, and pinenuts).
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I am guessing you are north of Oshgosh a bit. Your best chance is the butternut if you have a northern source. try to get pecan seed from trees as far up as you can find… There are bearing pecan trees in Milwaukee County but that is along distance from you
jerry
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We lived in Oshkosh for many years, but where we are now near the MN border along I-94 the winter is much longer, though not necessarily that much colder. My orchard is actually near New Richmond, WI.
Shagbark hickory might be a consideration… tougher nut to crack, lower production level than pecan , but should be hardy to zone 2 (IIRC). Ernie Grimo probably has good varieties, grafted onto hickory understock, available.
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New Richmond is just north of River Falls,where Karl Weschke an early member of NNGA had an orchard. He grafted his hickory onto bitternut. That is bitternut not butternut. I understand there were still a few pecans on the property maybe twenty five years ago.Unfortunately there is no access to that property. I have a tree grown from a scion from the Weschke place, The nuts are not very big but do ripen early here in NC
jerry
I am going to graft some pecans this spring and I was wondering if anyone here has experience grafting them onto caucasian wingnut (pterocarya fraxinifolia). Are they compatible?
I have few pecan seedlings that I am going to use primarily but once I run out of them I got only caucasian wingnut seedlings. The “carya” in the name gives me slight hopes, but not sure.
Somehow I overlooked your reply earlier. Do you know if the River Falls pecans ever produced a crop? To be honest, I don’t know anyone in Wisconsin or Minnesota who has ever grown them, but I decided to chance it, since I have some extra space on my property to play around with.
I had an answer typed when imust hit the wrong key and wiped out. Here goes. I have one of the scions provided before the place was closed .It ripens in sept in NC.I can send scion. Reply to
Jerry May
dpotts44@yahoo.com