Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - August 26, 2008
From: Elgin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Compost and Mulch, Transplants, Trees
Title: Pecan tree transplant in Elgin, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Hello, Mr. Smarty Plants, I have a question about how to encourage a very young pecan sapling to grow, and whether I should use mulch to do so. I live in Elgin (Bastrop County) and the soil is extremely sandy. In the heat of the summer, the soil becomes as hard as cement. This sapling is a transplant, which originated from a 65+ year old pecan tree that is growing in central Austin in good soil. Apparently squirrels buried the pecan in one of my hibiscus planters and the hibernating pecan moved with us from Austin to Elgin last year. The tree surprised us by coming up in the planter this past spring, and in July, when the tree was about 10" tall, I planted it in the yard in full sun, allowing a wide berth for growth. With the extreme temperatures we experienced this year, I have been deep watering the tree every few days to keep it alive. There are new leaves on the tree, and it seems to keep growing taller, although it was faring better in the planter before. I'm afraid that I may have transplanted it too early in its life? Please let me know what else you suggest that I do to keep this tree alive and encourage its growth. Thank you!ANSWER:
Carya illinoinensis (pecan) is the native Texas pecan, and squirrels burying nuts and forgetting where they were is one of the ways the wild pecans were spread. It's a little hard to say if you transplanted it too soon, but pecans are difficult to transplant because of their deep taproots. You probably did well to get it out of the pot before that taproot got to the point that it would break off, or get tangled up with the roots of your hibiscus. If it was faring better in the planter, that could be because of the rich potting soil and perhaps fertilizer that had been put in the soil for the benefit of the hibiscus. Highly alkaline soils (which lots of Central Texas areas have) may require some zinc added to the soil for the pecan. The sandy soil is all right. The pecan requires a rich, moist, well-draining soil. Sand drains well, but maybe too well. An organic mulch, like compost or shredded bark, would add some texture to the soil and help it hold some water. It would also shelter the roots of the tree from the hot Summer sun. The last recommendation is to fertilize it three times a year with a nitrogen-heavy lawn fertilizer, 3:2:1 ratio. It would probably be best to wait until cooler weather to fertilize, and do it very carefully, so it won't burn the tender roots. It appears to us your little pecan baby has had the right kind of care. Just try to keep from mowing it, and hope no animals come along and nibble it. After a few years, the pecan can grow up to 3 feet a year, and live a very long time.
More Trees Questions
Growth rate of trees
August 20, 2007 - What is the growth rate of the following plants. (How wide and tall each year? They are all in 1 gallon pots right now.)
1. Agarita 2. Anacacho Orchid 3. Silk Tassel.
Is there anything that can be ...
view the full question and answer
Trees to replace some non-native invasives in Deltona FL
February 02, 2012 - I would like to replace 3 large ChinaBerry & 3 large Chinese Tallow trees in my good sized back yard with some local wildlife friendly trees native to the Deltona area(first area.) What do you recomme...
view the full question and answer
School children planting trees native to Oklahoma and North Texas
December 07, 2009 - Hello, I'll be going into grade school classrooms to teach children how to plant trees. Perhaps they will each plant a seed in a cup to take home to plant in their yard. I may even be able to get see...
view the full question and answer
Need suggestions for plants for a privacy screen in Long Beach, NY.
August 10, 2011 - I have recently added 1500sq.ft. to my backyard. My backyard faces a busy road. I would like to place native trees and bushes along the fence for added privacy, shade and to protect my house from the...
view the full question and answer
Tree with taproot for Jodhpur India
July 05, 2013 - I am a resident of India. I need information of a tree with tap roots to grow in my backyard. We have moderate to hot climate here. It needs to be as small as possible due to lack of space. It'd be g...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |