Why are pecans falling from my pecan trees?
I have received a number of calls from concerned pecan tree owners.
The short answer is that too much or too little moisture, disease and insects can all abort nuts from trees.
We can’t do much about the moisture of course.
This time of year is when the nut is filled. Too little moisture and the nut will not fill correctly and can drop from the tree.
Too much and too fast and the tree has a hard time controlling the fill and again will drop the nut.
Weevils and stink bugs can also abort some nuts, spraying is the option to control the bugs, which I spoke of last week in this column.
A disease called scab can be the culprit for nut loss this time of year. Years of high moisture and humidity increase the incidence of this disease.
Putting trees on a fungicide spray schedule in the spring and continuing through the growing season is the option to control this disease.
At this point in the season, however, there is nothing you can do about this problem. You will need to start next spring with any preventative controls.
For more information contact the OSU Extension Center, 14001 Acme Road, corner of MacArthur and Acme Road in Shawnee or 273-7683
Oklahoma State University, U. S. Department of Agriculture, state and Local Government’s cooperating. The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, or status as a veteran and is an equal opportunity employer.
