How to grow Pecan in Australia
A large tree for full sun in deep, fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of room to spread. Water young trees deeply and regularly to establish and during nut fill, as drought drops the crop.
At a glance
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Sun: Full sun
- Water: 25 litres a week, watered every 3 days
- Spacing: 1000 cm
- Time to harvest: 1825 days (about 5 years)
- Time to germinate: 1 days
- Soil pH: 6 to 7
- Frost tolerance: Frost hardy
When to sow by region
| Region | When to sow | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland | June to August | |
| Northern Rivers NSW | June to August | |
| Sydney & Coastal NSW | June to August | |
| Melbourne & Victoria | June to August | Marginal. Plant bare root Jun to Aug with a second variety for pollination. Pecans want a long hot summer to fill nuts, so crops are light near the coast; warm inland Victoria does better. |
| Adelaide & SA | June to August | |
| Perth & WA | June to August | |
| Tasmania | Not suited | Not suited. Pecans need a long hot summer to fill their nuts and Tasmanian summers are too cool. Grow hazelnuts or walnuts instead. |
| Canberra & ACT | Not suited | Not suited. Pecans need about 200 to 220 frost free days to fill the nut and Canberra has about 160. Grow walnut, chestnut or hazelnut instead. |
| North Queensland | Not suited | Not suited. Pecans need 200 to 300 hours of winter chill and a dry spring. Grow macadamia instead. |
| Darwin & Top End | Not suited | Not suited. Pecans need 200 to 300 hours of winter chill and a dry spring. Grow macadamia instead. |
Varieties
- Wichita
- Western Schley
Harvest and storage
Harvest tip
Gather the nuts once the husks split open and the nuts fall to the ground. Collect promptly, hull them and dry the nuts in shell before storing.
Storage
In-shell nuts for months in a cool dry place; shelled kernels best frozen.