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Thursday - July 13, 2006

From: Vienna, Austria, Other
Region: Other
Topic: Propagation
Title: Propagating Carya illinoinensis in Vienna, Austria
Answered by: Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

I'm interested in growing and propagating the pecan, Carya illinoiensis for my area (Austria). Northern pecans are the better choice. Are trees grown from seed (no northern pecan origin) also as hardy as northern pecans? (zone 5?) Are northern pecans just ripening earlier? I would grow the seedlings as rootstocks for grafting northern pecans onto, so the hardiness is more important for my intended use. Are there better choices than C. illinoiensis rootstocks for northern pecans (where enough hardiness is required)? Maybe the shagbark hickory, Carya ovata?

ANSWER:

One of the important factors in grafted trees is compatibility of the scion with the rootstock. Problems associated with scion/rootstock compatibility often manifest themselves years after grafting. In general, it is a good idea to match rootstocks and scions as closely as possible. This means that interspecific grafting of a Carya illinoinensis scion onto a C. ovata rootstock might be technically possible, but is probably inadvisable.

Similarly, matching a northern-origin scion to a northern-origin rootstock is more likely to yield success than mixing the origins of scion and rootstock. Further, it is quite possible that southern-origin rootstocks might suffer in your climate.

With those principles in mind, growing conditions might be an important factor though. Pecan trees naturally grow in bottomlands which receive frequent moisture. If you wish to grow your trees on higher ground, then you might consider attempting grafts on Carya ovata rootstock, which requires less moisture.