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| Hello everyone! I live in Center Italy, near Pescara at about 10km from the shore. I would like to plant some Pecan trees because I love their nuts. I would like to grow up some Pecan trees for my family. I found a nursery in Italy that sells Pecan trees at good price so I'd like to buy a couple of plants. I would ask to you if you can help me to choice the varieties. I can choose among Kiowa, Cheyenne, Shoshoni and Cape Fear. I'm watching the pollination schemes of these varieties. I know that Cape Fear and Cheyenne are type I, Kiowa and Shoshoni are type II. I tought that the best choice was Cape Fear+Cheyenne because the times of pollen shed and receptivity are almost the same. According to Kiowa I thought to don't choose it because the pollen shed is beyond receptivity. But I read that Cheyenne is not a good cultivar because it is a brittle tree and it makes low quality nuts and that Cape Fear and a Kiowa are used in orchards. But I read also that Cape fear is subject to scab and also its nuts are of low quality. About Shoshoni I read that it also makes low quality nuts. So I don't know if I have to buy Cheyenne+Kiowa, Cheyenne+Cape Fear or Kiowa+Cape Fear. So I cannot make the point. What can you tell me about it? What's the best couple? Here in my place we have a temperated climate. We have a not very hot summer with max temperature of about (30�-35�C. 86�-95�F) and not very cold winter with min temperature of about (-2�C -3�C, 28.4�-26.6�F) the last frost is usually in February and during winter we could have a bit of snow. I don't really know the last lower temperature we had, but according to web weather datas I can tell that we use to have a heavy frost and lower temperature every 10 years and I read the lowest temperature of -6�C (21.1�F) some years ago. We use to sultivate grapes for wine, olives and Mediterranean fruits but we grow up also lemons, oranges and tangerines and they make good fruits (not like Sicilian ones but they are good). According to usda zone this should be a 9a or 9b zone and according to Koppen this is a Cfa. We have a not very low relative humidity. I would like to plant Pecans in a medium texture soil qith 7ph (probably it could be a little bit clayey) in full Sun (faced to south/south-east). I would like to know what do you think about it and if is possible to have a sort of manual of cultivation where to learn about Pecan cultivation, watering, fertilization, pruning, pest and diseases! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| annual precipitation is 30 inches or so, right? |
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| It is more than 30 inches...about 35 inches according to weather datas! |
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| uhmmm I'm searching for more datas but they are discordant, anyway, it is surely more than 27.5 inches! |
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| Pecan trees here in Z8 Texas like bottom land that is well-drained. Rainfall here is 32" average. East of me, the diseases are more of a problem and disease resistance is very important. West of me drought tolerance is more important. You will need at least one tree from each type to insure good fertilization. Generally the smaller nuts are considered the better quality, but nearly everyone likes the larger papershell nuts better due to ease of shelling. The Cheyenne variety has been raised around here and is generally liked. Attached is a nursery website with additional information : http://www.womacknursery.com/index.htm |
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| Thank you scotjute! I read that Cheyenne is a wake tree, brittle and it grows not a lot. Is it true? I'll buy one Kiowa, but i don't know if I have to buy a Cape Fear or a Cheyenne! I would like to know a USA climate closer to mine to buy the cultivar they cultivate there... |
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| The main limitation of your climate is lack of summer heat. The best growing areas in USA average 35C high temperatures and 20C low temperatures during summer. As a result we don't grow pecans in areas with mild summers like yours. That makes it hard to give variety recommendations. I'd think shorter season varieties like Pawnee and Kanza would suit your mild summers better. Those may not be available in your area. Cheyenne has good nuts in this area and survives some pretty bad weather. Pecans need lots of water or nuts are poorly filled. Same result if not enough heat. You may be growing shade trees, not nut trees. |
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| fruitnut, are you kidding me? Pecans grows well in North Carolina, where, as I can see there is not a very hot summer, maybe my summers are hottest than NC summers! There is a commercial orchard at not more than 200km southern and another one at about 300km northern than me in Italy!!! So that Pecans can grow there is totally true! We are talking about Pecans, not Pistachios! Pecans can be grown among 5 to 9 usda zone, so it can't be cultivated in hottest summer. I live in a 9a or 8b zone, so there are not a lot of problems about summer heat. |
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| I read Pecans needs 2000 heat hours, I have about 3600 heat hours, so no problems! |
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| hereistay: USDA zone tells nothing about summer heat. Zone 8 in coastal Washington state has way less summer heat than zone 6 of north Texas. What base temperature are your heat units? What are your average summer high temperatures? Pecans are native to Texas. It's our state tree. Average summer high temperatures are 35C. |
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| We have an average of 29°C. I know that it's the Texas state tree but I read that it is cultivated also in NC and Georgia. I read that in NC and Georgia there is a temperated climate and there are not very hot summers. I calculated chill hours and heat units by using standard formulas and I had these values. Anyway I didn't read that Pecans need so many heat units and different Texan farmers and the Georgia University, contacted by me, told me that mine could be a good place to grow Pecan. Anyway, as a friend of mine tells "agriculture books can be rewritten in 50 years by a only man", namely, only if you try you can say that it is that way! So, I don't mean to build up a commerce of pecan in Italy but only I want to have few nuts for my family. |
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| NC and Georgia are a little hotter in summer than 29C. But you have a long frost free season and are warm enough to give it a try. Your climate is similar to that on the central coast of California say San Luis Obispo. That's not commercial pecan country. In California they are grown further inland where summers are as hot as Texas. |
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| For example, in Southern Italy (but not in the dyest and hottest place in Italy), there is a commercial orchard, they cultivate only Shoshoni, Kiowa and Wichita, they have an average max temperature during summer of 31°C, 2°C more than me...would 2°C make the difference? |
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| 2C won't make enough difference to matter for home production. Wichita is grown near here often with Western Schley also called just Western. The later is known as a reliable producer under difficult conditions. |
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| Whether you can grow - and fruit them - successfully in your spot, I do not know. Nor, do I know how much of a problem, if at all, pecan scab disease is in your country. But...due to scab susceptibility, none of the varieties you've named would be great choices for a home or low-input planting. If you have the equipment available for scab-control spraying, that's another matter. On the pollenation issue - pecans are dichogamous; both male and female flowers are present, but at different times. You need a mix of Type I and Type II (protandrous and protogynous) varieties. Planting only members of one group will assure poor to no nut crop. |
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| @ fruitnut: Wester is a rielable producer under difficult conditions? @lucky_p: Yes I know, in fact Cape Fear is a Type 1, Kiowa a Type 2. |
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| Lots of varietal information at the USDA pecan breeding website, linked below, including susceptibility to pests/diseases; applicable for US growers... Italy... I don't know. Most home growers do not have access to 'airblast sprayers' - but commercial orchardists, etc. might have one like this... |
Here is a link that might be useful: USDA Pecan Breeding
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| I have something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p75q-A7gPAE this one model is produced in my city. |
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| Pecans grows well in North Carolina, where, as I can see there is not a very hot summer They don't even get snow in the winter, it's blazing there! OK, they may get a 1/2 inch that melts in a day once in awhile. |
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| That'll work! |
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| Drew: I won't call NC weather awesome. I'd be more on board with blazing hot and sticky humid. No doubt the winters are better than the snow belt!! |
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| Drew51, here too we have a bit of snow, not all the years but after 1 or 2 days it goes away. I'm 26 and I only remember 2 great snowfalls but they are were the exception and during those years we had problems with citrus that are very sensible to frost and starts to have problems with a temperature of 4°C (39.2°C). I read that pecans can resist until -10°C (14°F) or more, is it false? If 14°F is true I have no problem, never had lower temperatures! |
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| Pecans if fully dormant and depending on rootstock are hardy to as low as -20F. In Texas hardy to at least 0F. We were 18F this week! |
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