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chickencoupe1

What's the Right Time To Dig and Transplant Pecan?

chickencoupe
9 years ago

Hi there. I'm in Oklahoma with lots of native pecan seedlings springing up. For the purpose of permaculture I need some trees planted in the back area of my lot.

Three lovely pecan nuts have sprouted from my front planter this past spring (thanks to the squirrels). They are growing vigorously and are very healthy. I think they would make suitable transplants. I am not concerned with nut quality. Their location would be in full sun and away from structures and the area drains well and tests for high nutrition.

Oklahoma State University suggests transplants for Pecan seedlings to occur in December or January. But everything I read is referring to nursery-cultivated Pecan seedlings.

Considering the pecan has deep taproots when is the right time to dig these babies up and transplant them?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Comments (12)

  • devonhubb
    9 years ago

    When they are dormant.

  • scotjute Z8
    9 years ago

    If they were in a container you could plant them now. I have tried digging up seedlings and only had about 30% success. No longer do it. The longer you wait the harder they are to transplant. If they cannot grow where they are i would dig up now and transplant. One might make it.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    if they are popping up everywhere..

    then my suggestions .. it to experiment ...

    if i were to dig a fully leafed out tree ... in summer.. and it was small enough.. i would pot it ... maybe even a couple per pot..

    and then hold them until fall/winter planting time ... full bright shade.. and good TREE potting media ...

    and i would move some.. see what happens..

    and i would leave some.. so if i totally screwed it all up ... i could move them later in the season ..

    whats to lose ...???

    the key is.. in dormancy.. the leaves are either gone.. or lets just say.. asleep .. so when you interupt the root systems ability to pump water ... the leaves wont all die and fall off ...

    in summer.. that can happen.. as well as high heat.. warm nights when there is no recovery period etc ...

    if rather small.. you could also rig up some shade for a week or two ... like a lawn chair.. if under a foot tall ...

    ken

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Okay. Thanks, everyone.

  • blakrab Centex
    9 years ago

    They will die from transplant shock VERY easily..

    I think the key is to keep some dirt around its taproot when you uproot it so it doesn't dry out exposed to air - and then transplant it fast.

    That's the only way I was able to get one to survive. And due to their deep taproots, any plant larger than a seedling is going to be very hard to transplant! So, you should always move them when very young!

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Makes sense, blakrab. I moved a seedling before but it quickly died opposed to the slippery elm seedling that moved along with it. But I was careless with it and was just toying around. Now, I'm definite about transplant.

    Since it is comfortably growing in dappled shade and the new location is very sunny, I'll wait until dormancy. I'll compost atop the new planting area to ready the soil. Then I'll dig a swale and a berm where it will it. At that time it will have had full exposure to climate, too. I will dig very wide and deep and move the soil along with it. I'm with you on the need for speed.

    If that doesn't work, I'll move new spring saplings next year right after they sprout. At least, that's what I'm thinking. lol Can't hurt.

    We've lost a lot of trees from the drought. This year is pretty wet. I think the upcoming seasons will be the best opportunity. I'm loving the idea of beautiful pecan trees standing formidably in a clearing unobstructed by any buildings or other trees. Would be beautiful.

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Lousy picture, I know. Interestingly, although the seedling is accident it's planted on a berm and amongst alfalfa which is permaculture ideal. I guess it really works. I'll plant hairy vetch in the new plots to overwinter and stimulate the soil.

  • gardener365
    9 years ago

    You've a grip on it there ChickenCoupe.

    Getting as much of the tap-root is key. I know. My friend dug a lot of seedlings this spring that he grows for grafting rootstocks. These aren't small-caliper trees. The roots when completed were nearly as long as the tops. I'm speaking of 3' tall trees.

    Should your seedling's tap-root hit the bottom of the pot and grows sideways, be sure you cut it off straight when you move it. Additionally, you should do a quick over of the roots and clip back any that are twisted, growing in a "J" shape where they turn into the root-system or are growing upward from the "J." You want to prune malformities at a junction where they are again growing in the correct direction which is away from the root-system and toward the soil.

    Lastly and surely, wait until the weather is cool to do all this. A few good days ahead of rain and overcast skies is ideal. It's a good idea to soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour prior to planting, too.

    Cage them when you plant them.

    Dax

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    just experiment ...

    IMHO ... tap roots are not all that important.. its just a root ... do NOT fixate on it.. any more than any other variable ...

    you will learn nothing ... if you dont experiment ..

    that sized tree i would just sharpen a shovel.. dig about 8 to 12 inches around it.. straight down ... oops... dig new hole first .. same as described ... back to the tree ... try lifting it up.. if it comes.. move it to the new hole.. and drench the new hole.. no need to bare root... take the whole gob of soil ...the goal is to have a gob of soil.. that fits on your shovel ... so you can lift the whole and carry it to the new hole ...

    if possible.. shade it .. and try to save the leaves ...

    walk away.. experiment one down ... if it lives.. report back.. so what if one tree dies.. you said you have a yard full of them ....

    if it doesnt.. then do it in the proper season .... of which i dont know about OK ... probably oct/nov ... or later ...

    ken

  • blakrab Centex
    9 years ago

    "I will dig very wide and deep and move the soil along with it. I'm with you on the need for speed."

    Actually, a Pecan seedling of that size will have a taproot nearly twice as deep as its height (in your case, maybe a foot long) - but with maybe only a few thin lateral roots an inch long. So, there is no need to dig a wide clump around it. That would be a LOT of wasted effort..

    Honestly, ideally you would probably just uproot it with about a 1" (radius) core around the taproot. Or at the very least, keep some dirt clumped around it or maybe QUICKLY pack some wet, sticky dirt around the root as soon as you pull it out of the ground. And then transplant it ASAP!

    With many plants, you can be very leisurely with transplanting... But my hunch with Pecan trees is that their taproots may be VERY sensitive to air exposure? Which therefore then must be extremely minimized? So, DO NOT let any part of the taproot dry out at any time!!!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Post-Hole Digger

    This post was edited by blakrab on Wed, Jun 11, 14 at 12:21

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you so much for the breadth of wisdom. I guess I'm a bit nervous and feel really bad about the one I killed. Situation is so desperate I've allowed saplings, pecan, slippery elm and even walnut to tear up my fence line. They want to grow there not because of the fence line but because of ditches that act as swales keeping them watered through the drought.

    A 3 story pecan keeps our house cool. It's base is about 3 foot in diameter that sits about 5 feet from the side of the house. It's dying. Sad. Sad. Sad! I would imagine, by now, its taproot extends near or at the aquifer, but even the acquifer is very low on water.

    But part of the problem is insects capitalizing on the trees as they are weakened by drought. I'm not proficient. It's been a while since I looked it up. One type drops twigs from the trees. Haven't seen those in a while. But the other is persistent and that's the one where the insect buries its eggs and they form galls in the twigs and leaves and burst out in spring. These with extended drought and a couple of very harsh winters has decimated the population. As most of you know for trees such as pecans it takes a decade of harshness to kill. That elder pecan just might make it. Wish I had a bucket truck so I could help it by pruning. For now, I can only dig swales at its drinking line.

    Thanks, everyone. I hope I can make these work.

  • lucky_p
    9 years ago

    cc,
    You might successfully transplant these little 1st year seedlings right now - but post-transplant death is a strong possibility.
    If you can leave them in place through this first growing season, you can move them at any time after they go dormant.
    Digging and moving first-year pecan seedlings shouldn't be too tough to accomplish, and you should have GOOD transplant survival.
    Get as much taproot as is practical, but there's nothing magical about it - it's an energy reserve storage 'tank' to jumpstart next year's root and top growth.

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