# Planting "paper shell" pecans question



## blu_redneck (Dec 26, 2007)

Had a discussion with some friends last night and this question came up. If you plant "paper shell" pecans, will you get a "paper shell" pecan tree? Any info appreciated!


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2011)

Maybe.

Pecans are wind pollinated so it would depend on what other trees were in the area to share pollen. It also depends on whether one or both tree were hybrids. 

It's a crapshoot. We have some at the Hagan farm in Georgia that are seedling trees that make very good nuts. Others not so much.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

You can buy grafted pecan trees, and that's the way to go if you want a pecan tree. A pecan from seed will set nuts, but about 20 years after planting. A grafted tree will bear nuts in a about 5-6 years.

You'll get something if you plant that seed. It might be paper shell, it might not. If you actually have access to the paper shell pecan tree, you can grow the nut to get rootstock and then graft it from the existing tree that you know produces good nuts.


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

oregon woodsmok said:


> You can buy grafted pecan trees, and that's the way to go if you want a pecan tree. A pecan from seed will set nuts, but about 20 years after planting. A grafted tree will bear nuts in a about 5-6 years.
> 
> You'll get something if you plant that seed. It might be paper shell, it might not. If you actually have access to the paper shell pecan tree, you can grow the nut to get rootstock and then graft it from the existing tree that you know produces good nuts.


I you do graft a paper shell cutting to a tree grown from a planted pecan, thats about ten years old,would it produce the paper shell nuts the following year on that cutting??


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

Should be about 5 years after the graft, if the grafting material is bearing age.

Whatever you use for the graft the wood that grows from that will be at the same maturity level as the graft material. However, the new tree has to develop enough root system and leaf surface to support nuts. So, the wait is shorter, but you still have to wait.

Although, thinking about it, if the seedling was planted where you want the permanent tree, that might speed things up a little bit because the root system would be more developed than if you transplanted the tree.

I'd love to see you plant and graft a couple and come back and tell us what your experience was.

I've got a bunch of ultra hardy northern pecan tree seedlings planted. I figure I've got along wait for nuts. Or rather, someone somewhere on down the line will get pecans.


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