JOIN NOW LOG IN
iVillage GardenWeb iVillage GardenWeb THE INTERNET'S GARDEN & HOME COMMUNITY ADVERTISEMENT
Blogs
Garden Voices
Forums
Garden Forums Home Forums Nature Forums
Photo Galleries
Garden Galleries Home Galleries
Ask The Experts Tools & Directories
Organization Directory Events Calendar Hortiplex Glossary Zone Finder Garden Bazaar
       
Return to the Botany Forum | Post a Follow-Up

o
Sequential Hermaphroditism in Pecan Trees

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings
Posted by joanie_pomseed 8 (My Page) on
Mon, Jun 8, 09 at 20:19

Someone told me that my pecan tree would take two years to complete its sexual cycle. I thought pecan trees usually had male and female flowers at different times of the same year. Was this person implying that the tree changes sex each year (don't juniper bushes do that?) or that it would take a year for the female flowers to develop into pecans?

I suppose what I'm asking is: (1) since all the male flowers have fallen except three shriveled catkins, should I continue to look for female flowers, or am I wasting time? and (2) should I expect an overlap between male and female phases?

Follow-Up Postings:

o
RE: Sequential Hermaphroditism in Pecan Trees

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

First Wild Pecans are monoecious(Both sex flowers occur
on same tree). The grafted varieties need two or more tree's for pollination to occur.Because these
tree's are wind pollinated.Some pecan tree's have early pollin (before females are receptive)others have late pollin(after Females are receptive) this applies to grafted varieties.Your neighborhood tree's are usually mid season. If you have a grafted tree but no neighboring
Pecans you may need to get another variety to ensure good cross-pollination. So if planting a Kiowa(Great
for pie making because of higher oil content)you will
need a Desireable to pollinate.Hope I explained that well
enough./
Art

o
RE: Sequential Hermaphroditism in Pecan Trees

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings
  • Posted by brandon7 6b (like 7b now) TN (My Page) on
    Wed, Jun 10, 09 at 12:11

I think the link I'm providing below will explain it pretty well. See the 'Pollination' section near the middle of the page.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Art,
Grafted varieties are no different than non-grafted varieties in this aspect. All pecans are dichogamous to some degree. Wild trees (non-cultivars/"neighborhood trees") will also vary and aren't any more likely to be mid season pollinaters or mid season pollen recipient than any random grafted variety.

Here is a link that might be useful: See Pollination section of this link.

o
RE: Sequential Hermaphroditism in Pecan Trees

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings
  • Posted by brandon7 6b (like 7b now) TN (My Page) on
    Wed, Jun 10, 09 at 13:10

Oops, somehow my link got messed up. Here's the correct one:

Here is a link that might be useful: See Pollination section of this link.

o
RE: Sequential Hermaphroditism in Pecan Trees

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Thanks for your help. I think I know what caused the confusion: the implication was that the tree would take two years to reproduce, and this was a reference to alternate bearing. It had a few pecans last winter (which is why I was sure of cross-pollination--that, and the long catkins on other neighborhood trees :) but I don't know if that means it was an "off" year or the tree was just too young.

  
 

 

 


Click here to learn more about in-text links on this page.



iVillage GardenWeb: The Internet's Garden & Home Community
Join | Garden Forums | Home Forums | Exchanges & Trading | Member Pages | Contact Us
© 2006 iVillage Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Policies FAQ | Advertising
  
  iVillage Home & Garden Network