Thanks, I will keep thinking it over see how I feel this fall or in the spring.
I really don’t need many nuts, so there is no good reason to go with three trees… but then that could be said about basically all my fruit/gardening projects.
Is a multi-graft single tree an option?
Multigraft can be done, but pecan tends to grow really big so it is difficult to maintain the varieties such that one does not outgrow the others. I would suggest grafting only 2 varieties if you try this. The tree I multigrafted had a naturally curved main stem which made it easy to set grafts about 4 feet apart horizontally on branches. This avoided making weak crotches. I’ve kept the grafts pruned so that neither has overgrown the other. Different varieties also have varying growth rates. For example, Lakota grows tall really fast where Amling tends to spread out wider instead of taller. I would not graft these two on the same tree. For your area, Hark and Kanza would be possibilities. If I were doing this, I would purchase a Kanza tree and after a year or two of growth graft Hark into the top.
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Can someone please recommend a few pecan cultivars for me? I live in eastern Washington near the town of Echo (just north of Colville). The USDA says this is a 6a-5b zone, and based on everything I had read, I thought the cultivars ‘Hark’ and ‘Mullahy’ would work for me.
However, Dax says ‘Hark’ needs 170 frost-free days to ripen, and according to Dave’s Garden my area only gets 141 frost-free days. So now I’m wondering if ‘Hark’ won’t be happy to be this far west.
In case you’re wondering, I’ve got several acres of space and am willing to plant 3-4 pecans. (All the other space I’m reserving for walnuts, chestnuts, and other fruiting trees.)
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Campbell NC4, Iowa, Lucas, Warren 346, and maybe Witte (the original, not Martzahn)
Rootstock is going to be a problem. You really need an ultra-northern pecan as rootstock to get the cold hardiness needed.
Thank you for the help!
I’ve never grafted anything myself, so I’m going to have to buy grafted seedlings. I can’t find ‘Iowa’, but ‘NC4’, ‘Lucas’, and ‘Warren’ are available at Grimo Nut Nursery (though out of stock). Anyone know if Grimo’s rootstock is of the suitable “ultra-northern” variety? Also, if I were to buy from a nursery, would I buy one of each cultivar, for a total of four pecans?
If I had a choice, I would much rather buy grafted seedlings from forum members than from a nursery. Dax?
Yep, those are the correct cultivars that Fusion is suggesting.
Pecans work pollen-wise 1 per 5 will be adequate. So you need different flowering pecans: a type 1 known as protandrous and a type 2 known as protodynous. I am so tired this morning and unsure I have that information, but, I’m sure I do… and I have to get busy. In the meantime @J316, look to find which type of pollen they are and buy them when you can.
Iowa you won’t find in the trade. It’s a tree my friend has and I don’t have any grafted right now. I do have some NC-4 / Campbell’s NC-4 grafted, however. NC-4 btw @Fusion_power has awesome vigor.
J316, check with Rock Bridge Trees in Tennessee. He grows awesome pecan trees for sale. His roots are in RootTrapper bags which makes them very good for planting and survival and to become established very quick.
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Lucas is protogynous, Warren 346 not certain but think it is protogynous. NC4, Iowa, and Witte I show as protandrous. NC4, Lucas, and Warren from Grimo will give a reasonably good pollination combo.
Depending upon whether pecan scab will be an issue, I’d throw Peruque into the mix as well - earliest ripening cultivar I’ve grown here… Usually splitting shuck and dropping nuts by Sept 15. Small nut (90/lb), but exceedlingly thin shell and 60+% kernel, which is bright and tasty. Weevil and bird (jays, crows) depredation is a problem with it, as is often the case for early, thin-shelled pecans.
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Barkslip, will the Rock Bridge Trees be grafted to sufficiently hardy “ultra-northern” rootstock?
Right now it looks like I’ll be buying three pecans, one each of ‘Campbell NC4’, ‘Warren 346’, ‘Lucas’. If I buy a fourth tree, I’ll go with ‘Ohio’ if someone can sell a grafted seedling to me, otherwise maybe ‘Peruque’.
Also, anyone know anything about walnuts or chestnuts? If you do, I’d appreciate some cultivar suggestions for my area. Thanks.
Black Walnut named varieties has a good bit of black walnut information. For your area, Cranz and McGinnis are the best choices with S127 and Sparrow as possibilities.
Thank you @Fusion_power, you’ve been really helpful!
I contacted Rock Bridge Trees to ask them about the hardiness of their pecan rootstock, and they said all their pecans are grafted to Giles, Kanza or Major. I wonder if I’m better off ordering from Grimo.
You’re fine. I never heard of Giles but anything on Kanza or Major in 5b is fine.
Kanza has lousy vigor as an F1 seedling so many will be culled to get the ones that have vigor.
Dax,
Here’s bundle of Bill Reid’s blog posts on Giles: Northern Pecans: Search results for giles
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Does anyone know where to find seedlings of “Major”?
Pecan rootstock in general seems to be a pretty obscure or nonexistent market- far more than pecan trees themselves. By contrast, It’s so easy to find readily available rootstock selections for fleshy fruits. Is there a reason for this other than the comparatively weaker popularity of nut growing?
I used to buy Major nuts to eat off eBay. You might check. Plop them in a raised bed and you’ll have super caliper seedlings in 1-year.
Pecans in raised beds require 24" of depth. I read a study one time. It was stated at that university that white rubber mulch in 24" raised beds w/o fertilizer is all it takes.
Or, grow in Treepots 12" tall or thereabouts. There are a few 4 x 4 inch (x) 11 or 12 or 12.5 sold thru Stuewe & Sons.
It doesn’t answer your question, however, I can confirm that no-one have I seen sells specifically Major seedlings.
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What pecan cultivars would this group recommend for Burnsville, NC 28714? This is a 6b hardiness zone with high humidity and a heavy clay soil. I would prefer trees that do not need sprayed. Is that possible? I bought several large hican trees from Nolin river nursery many years ago. In the 5 years I have had the hican trees, they have struggled each year and have never grown in size. I am hoping to have better luck with pecans.
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Gets pretty cold in Burnsville…I’d pick some of the IA or KS cultivars…but I’m no pecan expert.
Even your valleys are 3,000+ feet above sea level I think
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Yep, if that type of weather, you’d be best again with my two favorites for zone 5b IL. which are Hark & Kanza. You cannot go wrong! @Fusion_power is the one to say yes or no for sure though.
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Thanks for the recommendation. Do you know of a good supplier of these cultivars that would use an appropriate rootstock for my area?
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