Pecans and More...
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The Pecan - Flowering and Fruiting Habit
The pecan is monoecious, that is, the male (catkin or staminate flower) and female (pistillate flower) flowers are borne separately at different locations on the same tree. The female flowers are borne in clusters near the ends of current season’s shoots in the spring. The catkins are borne on the base of the shoot and along the length of the supporting 1-year-old wood.
Pecans are pollinated by the wind. When the catkins mature, huge quantities of pollen are shed, which increase the chances that the windblown pollen will land on the stigmas of the female flowers. Should the catkins mature before or after the female flower is receptive, pollination does not occur. The fruits develop only after the female flowers are pollinated and the ovules are fertilized by male cells from the pollen.
Usually, within a pecan cultivar, pollen shedding does not closely overlap the period when the stigma is receptive. This condition is called dichogamy, which tends to ensure cross-fertilization. Pecan cultivars differ in the order that the staminate and pistillate flowers mature. When pollen is shed early, before the female flowers are receptive, the cultivar is called protandrous; when the pollen is shed late, after the female flowers are receptive, the cultivar is called protogynous. Protandrous cultivars are commonly referred to as Type I and protogynous cultivars as Type II. As might be expected, the catkin growth of protandrous cultivars occurs before shoot growth; in protogynous cultivars, shoot growth precedes catkin growth. Despite dichogamy, some self-pollination can be expected. Plant pecan trees within 200 feet of one another for adequate pollination. Plant at least three varieties together for maximum pollination and production.
Harvesting Pecans
Prevent nut loss by harvesting early. Harvesting the nuts as soon as they mature ensures better quality. One of the quickest ways to lose nut quality is to let them lay on wet ground. Harvest early and store nuts in a clean, dry place.
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