Frequently Asked Questions
What are membership benefits of the Texas Pecan Growers Association?
In addition to receiving Pecan South magazine monthly, the Texas Pecan Growers Association offers monetary benefits to its members such as reduced registration fees for the annual conference and free recipe brochures to distribute to your customers. In addition, TPGA uses membership dues to support Dr. Leonardo Lombardini’s pecan research at Texas A&M University, Dr. Larry Stein’s pecan research and extension work, Bill Ree’s pecan IPM newsletter, the International Nut Council’s tree nut promotional and educational efforts, the annual Fred Brison scholarship awarded to a horticulture student at Texas A&M University, and more. TPGA was recently a major funding sponsor for 2 pecan health studies at Baylor Scott and White/Texas A&M University. And TPGA has funded a spokesperson for several years to carry out a multi-state television and radio campaign to promote pecan consumption.
Where can I renew or purchase my membership?
Where can I purchase pecan trees?
TPGA members who sell pecan trees are:
Womack Nursery, 2551 Hwy. 6
DeLeon, TX 76444
254-893-6497;
pecan@womacknursery.com
Texas Pecan Nursery
P.O. Box 306
Chandler, TX 75758;
903-849-6203.
Pecan Grove Farms and Nursery
Cedar Creek, Texas 78612
844-841-3655
www.pecangrovefarms.com
Sandy Ridge Pecans LLC
1460 VZ County Road 4134
Canton,Texas 75103
sandyridgepecans.com … sandyr.pecans@gmail.com
Should I buy bareroot or container trees?
Visit the following website for more information on this topic.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/commercial-pecan-orchards-in-texas/
Which pecan varieties are recommended for my area of the state?
Visit the following website to see which varieties are recommended by Texas Cooperative Extension.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/files/2015/04/pecans_improved_2015.pdf
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/files/2015/04/pecans_native_2015.pdf
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/commercial-pecan-orchards-in-texas/
Further description, as well as photos, of pecan varieties (cultivars) can be found at the USDA pecan breeding and genetics web site:
Where can I find information on grafting or budding?
The Texas Pecan Handbook includes instructions on grafting. You can purchase one through our online store at this website. You can also search the Pecan South index at this site for back issues containing information on grafting and budding. Also, Oklahoma State University has several fact sheets on grafting that you can access through the following link.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/texas-inlay-and-four-flap-grafting/
http://okpecans.okstate.edu/orchard-establishment-management
Where can I find information on pecan pest problems?
The following site provides real-time, interactive pest control information on a national basis, as well as a comprehensive toolbox for pecan growers and searchable functions on locating literature, assessing pesticides, etc. This site should be bookmarked by every pecan grower in the U.S. http://pecan.ipmpipe.org
There are several resources to help diagnose and deal with disease and insect problems. The following Extension web site contains a list of common problems, the probable causes and suggested solutions: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/homefruit/pecan/pecan.html
Texas A&M also has a pecan entomology web site that offers information on pecan insect pests and suggested controls:
http://pecankernel.tamu.edu/
Evaluating pest problems:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/fact-sheets/evaluating-pecan-problems/
Are there meetings or classes that a beginner or novice can attend to learn more about growing pecans?
Yes. Texas A&M University hosts a 5-day Pecan Shortcourse during the last week of January each year. Contact Kay Sanders at Texas A&M for registration information, 979-845-2604. Additionally, the annual Texas Pecan Growers Conference held each July offers an educational program and usually an orchard tour. See Annual Conference page at this web site for date and location. Many counties also host pecan field days. Contact your county Extension agent to find out if a county near you has a field day scheduled.
Where are pecans grown?
The United States produces at least 80 percent of the world’s pecans. The U.S. crop typically ranges between 300 and 400 million pounds. Other countries that produce pecans are Mexico, Australia, South Africa, Israel, China and Argentina.
Which state produces the most pecans?
Georgia is the top producing state in the U.S. in most years. Texas is second (but occasionally first) with an average crop for Texas being about 60 million pounds.
How did the pecan become the Texas State Tree?
In March 1906 just before he died, former Texas Governor James Stephen Hogg requested that a pecan tree be planted at the head of his grave rather than a traditional monument. He wanted the nuts from that tree to be given out and widely planted to help make Texas “a land of trees.” His wish was carried out. People began to take special notice of pecan trees and in 1919 the Texas Legislature made the pecan the state tree. Gov. Hogg is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Austin.
What is the best way to store pecans?
When stored at 0 degrees in the freezer, either shelled meats or inshell pecans will maintain quality for two years. Under refrigeration, pecans should maintain their quality for several months. Storing pecans at room temperature is not recommended. Shelled pecans do not have to be thawed before use in recipes. However, if you are grinding the nuts in a blender or processing in a food processor to produce pecan meal, the meats should be allowed to dry at room temperature when taken out of freezer or refrigerator.
Can I buy pecans directly from the grower?
Yes, many growers sell direct to consumers. See the Where to Buy Pecans list at this website to locate a grower near you. Some growers will mail order pecans year round and some sell only during the harvest season.
Where can I buy nut crackers?
Check the Where to Buy Pecans list. Some of the growers who sell pecan gift items also sell nut crackers. Also, you can purchase a back issue of Pecan South magazine which includes advertisements from some companies which manufacture nut crackers.
Where can I find statistics on the pecan crop?
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service provides crop production information by state and U.S. total, including estimates of the current crop and production from previous years. Visit the NASS website at the address below where you can search for information by crop. https://www.nass.usda.gov
I only have a few trees and would like to hire someone to spray my trees and/or harvest my pecans. Are there people who offer these services?
There are only a few such custom service providers in the state. Contact the TPGA office at 979-846-3285 to ask if we know of anyone in your area.