Norman:

Mind telling me your plans to control pecan weevil organically? That's my major problem and I think it will be serious anywhere in OK.

I've never intercropped but do know that young pecan do better when mulched. Water, weed control, and nitrogen are keys to early growth.

according to this book
http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Gardeners-Handbook-Natural-Disease/dp/1605296775/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2VNBMEXUKZTHC&colid=2NJ561Y8SWMC
under "pecans"
it says that weevil infected pecans dont fall from the tree so the infected branches must be jarred with a padded stick with a drop cloth under the tree. (after getting the infected nuts that did fall off the ground)

it says to do this every two weeks until midsummer when the nites no longerr drop. thats it

but last night I talked to an organic grower in okmulgee for a long time about organ pecans and he said the main problem in our area is casebearers. and the above book says to inundate casebearer infected trees with a certain kind of wasp (5k peer tree)

Norman,

Have you talked with Bill Reid? He's pretty much the pecan Guru for KS and OK. I think he could help answer a lot of your questions.

My wife's uncle owns an 80 acre pecan grove in Coffeyville KS. Casebearer is his biggest insect problem. Scab has also been a problem on some varieties (some years worse than others). His favorite variety is Kanza (for it's production and scab resistance).

As mentioned, water and N are pretty important to pecans. The 80 acres took 17 years before they could start mechanical harvesting because early on no N or water was applied.

I know of one guy who grows pecans organically in southern MO, so maybe it will work in OK as well. His pecan grove is a wild one with the small wild nuts (not the commercial varieties).

Your problem is that most of the fruits popular for local sale are not going to be able to be grown organically in your area on a commercial scale. Watermelons might be a consideration. They like sandy soil and plenty of moisture. You'd obviously want to stay away from fruits that take several years to get into production, since you'll likely remove them when trees mature.

The organic pecan guy is also growing organic elderberries (for their juice in the Kansas City area) so maybe that's something you could consider. He just organized an elderberry association of which I believe he is president. He is trying to get more people to plant them commercially. His name is Joe Wilson. If interested, you can get his contact info by Googling his name and elderberries.

Excell very good variety for organic growing no disease so for I'm picking up 10 trees tomorrow morning hopeful I'm on list.
Saturday bought 10 pounds nuts very thick shell so hull out 51% perfect meats color and filled out.

Search Excell pecans turn up a lot info.

the ones I was ordering were from oklahoma forestry services
pecan, native carya illinoensis
any opinions on that one? its all they have I was buying 800 bare root

I will look into elderberry I was looking at goji also. and even some papyas (not as an intercrop as much as border hedges

I talked to an organic grower in okmulgee yesterday he said that some years it doesnt pay to sell them as organic because he has to haul them to MO to do so.
how muc are the excell going for? (trees)

Excel in Georgia bare root are $15.00 each that size 3 to 4 feet all 5&6' are gone. I'm thinking you getting better deal buying as wild life feed plant right?

slightly. Bare root are 50 cents a piece over 400 ct

olpea

my father told me that watermelons grown in eufala before they put the lake in (in the area that is now the lake) were some of the biggest in the country. The farm is within a couple mles of the lake cant be too different

GatorRider,

Where are you getting your Excel from?

Thanks

From guy that found the variety if want any I try help you but close to end season. He comes to my home town everyday like monday through saturday lunch.

you need hurry get name on list if want this year.

Clough Pecan Company
3417 Highway 84 West
Blackshear, GA 31516
912-449-4585
912-288-4895
912-288-1947
(patent-holders & suppliers for "Excel')

Call anytime my number 912 237 5218

link below show trees this not good location to grow pecans but Excell does find no spray no water guy name Andy Clough.

Here is a link that might be useful: Excel pecans

"the ones I was ordering were from oklahoma forestry services pecan, native carya illinoensis any opinions on that one? its all they have I was buying 800 bare root"

Norman,

You do understand the native pecans you're buying are entirely different than commercial varieties? While there are plenty of growers that harvest native pecans, I think it's fairly uncommon for someone to start a pecan orchard from scratch using native stock. The native groves harvested are indigenous, hundreds or perhaps thousands of years old. Most people going to the trouble of starting a pecan orchard would start out with improved varieties. That said, native pecans may have a some advantage of insect and disease resistance.

My in-law started his pecan grove with native rootstock and then grafted all improved varieties on top. Maybe you're planning the same? That was the cheapest way to get the orchard established. He got his scionwood from Bill Reid (Kansas State Ag Experiment station at Chetopa). I think he planted the rootstock one year and started grafting on top the next.

The folks from the Ag station even came out and grafted a couple acres of pecans. They are always looking for a few acres to do trials on new varieties. The disadvantage is the new varieties are untested, so it's kind of potluck, but you do get to keep all the nuts harvested.

Thanks Gator, I will probably try and pick a couple up next year, I doubt I will make it down that way this season.

Opera and gator
I am figuring this out as I go along. Gator I realized mine were wild life feed after I answered you. Opera there are over 100 stuarts out there already my wife's great grandfather planted them over 50 years ago. The local extension mgr is going to help me take bark from them next month to graft onto the native orchard I plant. So between gators olpeas and the ext mgr comments I put them together and understand exactly what and why I am doing what I have planned. Please anyone reading my posts dont hold back on any comments or suggestions nd thanks for the input so far

strudeldog Bass pecan nursery had thousand of Excel they selling off at about 35.00 each.

norman2012 sound like good plain you have I'm going this week pick some 18-46-0 fertilizer (DAPP) to grow small trees faster.

Gator I'll look into that fertilizer. I am going to post some new threads since I am new to farming and have a lot of questions