We have an excellant pecan crop (1 tree) this year. They are bigger, fuller and more plentiful than we've ever had. Only problem is that they leave a little bitter aftertaste. I'm careful to get the llittle inside shell parts out from the creases in the meat, but most times I still get that bad taste. I'm wondering if spreading them out to dry more would help. Please advise.
2014 Pecan Crop
I wonder what makes them " bigger, fuller and more plentiful?" No advice, just wondering.
Appropriate water at the right time. Have you tried freezing them? Bitter is usually a still green attribute, the freezing MIGHT help some. In shell freeze...
Do you use the Red Devil lye cans under your tree? Its a pecan tree need...
Carrie, I don't know, but my dad (who knew everything ;)) said we get a good pecan crop about every five years. ???
Thanks, Kitt. I will for sure try freezing them. And I have never heard of Red Devil lye. When do you put it out, or do you leave cans of it around all the time?
Red Devil lye is manufactured in Hannibal, Mo on Red Devil Road. You bury can and all at ttips of branches. I always put 1can for every 8' of tree in a circle around it.
1 in every 5 yrs is a great avg for bumper crops, because the nuts are formed at least a year before they grow.
ONLY Red Devil lye- other lyes arent the same, can Google this, but its needed for the tree as an essential, uh, mineral? Vitamin? One of those....
I forgot to ask a very important question, sybram. Is the meat of the pecan solid and full, or is it kinda thin and flaky?
Kitt, it's full.
Ok, filled out then, thats good. Do you know what kind of pecan you planted? Or were told you had?
No, I don't, Kitt. We've been here about 17 years, and the tree was here already. My husband says it's a native, but the nuts seem too big and not very thick shelled to me to be native. Just don't know.
Its a graft, looks like the Burketts I had, birdseye natives are tiny, but meat is better. My main tree was 40' tall and I could pull 100# every 2yrs from it. Back then, I had access to ammonium nitrate and broadcast a40# bag under the 4trees abt 3x a yr. Added the red devil lye cans every fall and watered in both of them. Had to prop the branches up on 2x4's to keep them from snapping off. Ammonium nitrate dissolves into the air if not watered in, it was 11% N. I have been told it has never produced as many pecans since I sold that house. My poor pecans. Hopefully being in the freezer a day or 2 will help...
Wow! Thanks, Kitt. I'm trying that stuff.
You cant find ammonium nitrate 11% in the granular form anymore- not sure what replaced it. Since at that time I lived in Eichita Falls I also would deepsoak the tree at leadt 1x a month like they do for the nut orchards in Las Cruces...
I've been reading this thread and find it very interesting. I'm wondering exactly how you use the lye, at the drip line? And how deep do you bury it? I've got a huge old pecan tree in by back yard I need to TLC a bit.
sometimes you can find hardware stores or feed stores that will carry the Red Devil Iye, yes I walked out to the tips of the branches stuck a shovel in the ground and buried Can and all-about once a year. I would always deep soak the tree each area -move the hose and deep soak again the same as we did our irrigating in the fields, then broadcast the nitrogen, and sprinkle it in after all the deep soaking was finished. that way the small roots would come back up to the top for the water, and the nitrogen would soak in and the tree would get benefits.
Nice, thanks for the tip. I think I can get Red Devil here, if not I can always order it.
Kitt, did you open or make holes in the can before putting it in the ground?
Why did you use lye? that seems too strong.
Jo, Red Devil lye has an ingredient in it that seems to be candy to pecans- as well as necessary... I believe you can google the scientific name that I didn't know back then- we simply passed the information down like a passalong plant, but there's our scientists edumacating the farmers now, chuckl.
The can will be cardboard, no holes needed, moisture in ground handles the release. What I wonder tho, is there now a scientific dosage for size of tree? And how would I replace the ammoniun nitrate granules... gotta go research this while I watch the weather here in Maine...
Hmmm, I see its now out of prod so the chemists in the meth labs struck again. It is sodium hydroxide in a very pure form. Apparently whats on the shelves is the end of the product. Candlemakers appear to use it as well. You could get by with 1or 2 cans, but my internet isnt smart enough to give me pecan feeding ingredients, i do see some folks checking out ingredients in the plumbing aisles found replacement brands, so if I get timeI am writing a note to self to find a good library manual.
Yeah. kitt, the meth labs got my favorite decongestant too. Bums!
Nyquil nighttime, chuckl. Ahhh for the good ol days? Well, maybe.
I take back the type of pecan, it does look like a native, just maybe not the birdseye variety. Did the freezer help the taste?
How long are pecans good kept in a dark cool place in the shell?
Always froze mine to keep the oil from going rancid- but those who kept their hulls were usually damaged and never developed or rotted. Cracked or uncracked didnt make a difference, but they didnt last past summertime anyway as they got used up...
Yes, it did help the taste, Kitt. Sorry I didn't get back to you with that report. I put a Ziplock bag of them in the freezer and actually forgot about them until I noticed them just recently. Thanks for your tip.