How to Trim Pecan Plantation Trees
- 1). Trim pecan trees in early spring just before bud break. Begin training trees when they are young. Remove suckers as they arise and any broken wood. Branches that cross or grow closer than 3 to 5 inches need to be removed to give the next branch room to grow.
- 2). Head back the main stem by one-half. Select five to six evenly spaced scaffold branches and remove competing wood. Cut these back by one-third. In the next year, tip prune all the branches to a healthy bud node. In the first three years remove the second strongest shoot that is competing with the main stem or leader.
- 3). Make proper pruning cuts that consist of removing the wood 1/4-inch outside the branch collar or the swelling from the parent wood to the newer wood. Never remove more than one-third of the wood in one season. Use hand pruners for wood that is 1/2-inch in diameter and graduate to loppers or the saw for larger diameter pieces.
- 4). Cut out any main branches that create a narrow crotch. Thin the center of the tree annually by removing extraneous or unproductive wood. Keep lower branches cut off to facilitate machinery under the tree.
- 5). Prune off annual growth that faces downward. These branches may be laden with pecans, and the weight will snap them off. Remove water spouts or directly vertical growth. Continue to remove suckers and keep the trunk clear.
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