How To: Bigger Pecans on a Tree

Spread nitrogen fertilizer on the soil surface under the pecan tree. Nitrogen will help the tree grow quickly. Use 1 cup of ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate in June for trees in their first year of growth. Give 2-year-old trees 1 cup per month in April, May and June. Pecan trees that are 3 or 4 years old need 2 cups per month for those three months. Give trees that are 5, 6, or 7 years old 4 cups of ammonium sulfate per month. Water it in, and keep it away from the tree trunk.

Apply zinc spray frequently. A deficiency of zinc will result in small-leafed trees with unhealthy branches. Apply the spray every two weeks of the growing season (April through August) in the first seven years of growth. Use 2 to 4 teaspoons of liquid zinc nitrate per gallon of water.

Provide enough water to the pecan tree. Soak the soil at least once a week between March and September. Give the tree an inch of water at each session. Increase water in the hot days of summer. Water the entire root area, which is at least twice as wide as the leaf canopy.

Kill or remove weeds. They can cause the pecan tree to grow poorly or even die. Keep a 6-foot diameter circle around the tree free of weeds. Use a glyphosate herbicide or pull the weeds. If you want grass and flowers around the tree for appearance purposes, give the pecan tree extra fertilizer and water to compensate. Mow the grass often.

Add more water to the pecan tree if you notice premature nut drop in the summer or poorly-filled kernels. Water more often, and water slowly and deeply.

Harvest pecans in October or November. Wait until the shuck splits or loosens from the shell.