Pecan varieties recommended by the University of Georgia for home-gardens. LINK
"Pecan trees are everywhere in the South, and many years they provide a bountiful crop. This gives the impression that pecan trees are carefree yard trees. Unfortunately, this is not the case. It can be very difficult to get a good crop of pecans without spraying your trees, and this is especially true if you plant commercial cultivars which lack disease and insect resistance.
Probably the biggest mistake a home orchardist can make is to go down
to the local hardware store and pick up a 'Desirable' pecan tree"
"Below is a list of our favorite cultivars for yard trees, and some information on how to take care of your new tree."
Recommended by the University of Georgia (listed in alphabetic order)
- Amling - My favorite home cultivar, high quality medium sized nut.
- Elliot - A proven scab resistant cultivar, a top choice.
- Excel - Good pest resistance, large nut with thick shell.
- McMillan - Nice vigorous tree, good overall pest resistance, medium sized nut.
- Kanza - Similar to Elliot but cold hardy, good choice for north Georgia.
- Sumner - Moderate scab resistance, black aphids will be a problem, easier to find.
Pecan Nursery List - Where to get pecan trees
ERJ notes that disease pressure is higher as you move south and east. For example, disease pressure is higher on the Coastal Plains of Mississippi and Alabama than it is on the Texas Cross Timbers or Blackland Prairie regions. Consequently, most growers in those regions of Texas have more flexibility in their choices of varieties.
Hey Joe,
ReplyDeleteWhat pecan varieties thrive in the Midwest?
For the Midwest, in USDA zones 5&6: Major, Posey, Greenriver, Kanza, Hark, Oswego, and new releases from the Kansas State U. breeding program. These all have good to excellent resistance to pecan scab disease, as well as excellent kernel quality.
DeleteThere are far/ultra- northern selection that will ripen nuts in colder areas with shorter growing season.
Rock Bridge Trees nursery is the best source for grafted northern pecan varieties.
Dr Bill Reid, retired pecan specialist from MO/KS has a great Northern Pecan Blogspot.
Exercise caution in buying grafted trees from Southern nurseries, as the Southern pecan rootstocks they use may not be fully winter-hardy in colder parts of Z6, 5, 4.
DeleteRock Bridge and Grimo both use northern pecan rootstock.
Deer pressure was strongest on the 3 young trees I planted 2 years ago. Bastards killed 2 of them! I let a friend hunt on our property this year, tagged out. Think I might try planting some more!
ReplyDeleteI’ve planted Ellis and Ocoee pecans in my backyard food forest; you could go a few hundred miles south but much farther east and you would be offshore. I picked them from a local nursery that generally chooses good plant varieties for the area, so fingers crossed we will all be happy when they come into bearing in a few years.
ReplyDelete