Lucky, got any pictures of your nut harvests this year? I just want to be jealous.
Dax
No photos at present. Still picking up pecans every day⌠climbed up in a couple here in the yard and shook out what I could, this morning.
Major, Kanza, Posey, and GreenRiver are oldest grafted trees here, and producing the best.
Have gathered probably 15-20 gallons of Major nuts, but there are still a bunch hanging in the oldest (20yr) tree, the one Posey tree in the yard produced about 5 gallons of nuts, the Kanza in the yard also produced 5-7 gallons. Greenriver⌠fewer, and Iâm saving them and Converse Major nuts for rootstock and outplanting purposes.
Couple of young grafted Simpson #1 shellbark trees produced about 3 gallons of nuts, and Iâve gathered about 7 gallons each of Sinking Fork and Morris #1 shagbark nuts. Graft of Garnett shellbark, about 4 years old, produced a half-dozen nuts this year.
A number of younger grafted pecans planted flanking the driveway and in the second phase of the nutgrove here at the house bore nuts for the first(or second) year. Oswego, Jenkins, Mullahy, Chetopa, Jay Ford, Mohawk, Pawnee, Farmerâs Bank, Syrup Mill, I-10, Nacono, Hickoryâs Major, NC-6, and Shults all produced small crops. Mohawk and Jay Ford probably the most disappointing; poor fill on Mohawk, severe scab on Jay Ford. Jenkins probably the most productive and something of a surprise(to me) for this group, all grafted and planted at the same time (Iâve forgotten when they went in).
Ran across a big productive seedling pecan on the campus of Western State Mental Hospital and Long-term Nursing facilty (wife and I are weekly âfriendly visitorsâ for residents at the long-term nursing care facility) yesterday. Tree still carrying full green foliage (dropping rapidly after freezes this week) and dropping a good crop of nice nuts somewhat resembling Jenkins, or the local âWittyâ(not Witte) pecan, with thin shell and bright kernel. No evidence of scab. May have to graft a copy of this one next spring⌠Iâll see if I can wrangle a photo of nut, and maybe the tree next time Iâm there.
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Awesome harvest.
I ended up buying 10 pounds of Shepherd and Peruque for my Dad and I to split. No hickories hardly at all here this year. In fact the only one I ever get a few dozen from are Selbhers.
Burton hican produced okay but I only collected 50 or so.
This year was a poor year for production. I think I found one good Selbhers.
Thanks for the update/info. Congrats on your first round of bearers this year, Lucky.
Dax
Thatâs awesome you make time to visit those patients. You set a good example for many of us.
How would you rate the flavor and scab resistance of Syrup Mill? My tree is a baby, but Iâm considering grafting one or two more for backups. With all the rain this year, I worry about the spot itâs in.
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I gathered a gallon of Syrup Mill pecans while at Raymond MS a month ago. The nuts are very good quality for eating. They are not very large which is a detriment in a market that favors large pecans. I did not see any problems with scab but Bill Goff had scab on trees in South Alabama.
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As F_p indicates, Syrup Mill nuts are small - first crop here, so Iâm hoping theyâll size up as the tree gets a little more age on it - theyâre small compared to almost all of my northern/midwestern varieties⌠comparable to Peruque in size, and itâs about as small a nut as I grow(intentionally). Kernel is bright, but it doesnât crack out as well as many of my pecans, and I didnât have a large enough âsampleâ to really comment on flavor.
Vivipary (premature sprouting, while still on the tree) was a problem; no scab on this one here. yet. It may be a little bit late-maturing for my location, but I think itâll be OK.
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Syrup Mill is smaller than some others, but quality has been excellent for us. We harvested 14,000 lbs this year. Nuts were smaller due to weather during sizing in late June and July. Our grade was 62 nuts per pound and 48% kernel. While it is not considered a commercial grower nut, it has many good qualities. We have never sprayed for scab on Syrup Mill and and tree structure is excellent to withstand storms and ice. Kernel color is excellent being a very bright golden color. For us, Syrup Mill has been as excellent sheller yielding normally 80-85% halves. We sell halves as Jr Mammoths in retail. For small growers it is a very profitable nut because it is very low input and acceptance by the buying public and commercial shellers is excellent. We retail for $4 per lb in the shell and $4 per point for the balance that was wholesaled this year. We got $4.85 per point in 2017 for nuts that were 57 per pound and 50% kernel. Prices are being down due to Chinese tariffs negative effects on the market. Like all pecans soil type, fertilization, mineral applications, lime, etc. can effect quality and size of pecans.
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Suppose those are Pawnee?
Dax
Pawnee
Thatâs killer, suppa cool.
Dax
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I have Bean and there is probably no way it will ripen here.
You have quite the collection. Itâll be worth propagating to sell⌠thatâs for sure!
Dax
That tree is way too old to be Pawnee. Looks like Forkert to me.
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Two different things, Darrel. The tree is at Davidâs in-laws. The nut is from his Fianceeâs neighborâs yard. I think David wouldâve mentioned if the nut and tree were related for lack of a better word.
Dax
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Figured that out Dax. But the nut still looks like Forkert.
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I wouldnât know, so thank you. Iâm sure David appreciateâs it, too.
Dax
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I agree the kernels look like Forkert. Took a look at both in Wesâ book. I cracked a lot of Pawnee last winter and my memory of the kernel was bubbly like that on the side of the kernel. Clearly not from Wesâ photo of Pawnee but clearly yes from Wesâ photo of Forkert.
Dax
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