Do you need 2 pecan trees to produce nuts?

For nut trees to produce nuts, you'll need two or more different cultivars, since they require cross-pollination for maximum productivity. Walnut trees don't bear fruit until they are between four and 12 years old and that is determined by the cultivar. Why do walnuts have this type of bloom? The simple answer is to maximize crossing, which increases genetic diversity in native stands. Greater genetic variation leads to better pecan tree survival, continuous evolution and better adaptation to the climate.

Trees with full dichogamy must be cross-pollinated by another tree to bear fruit. Cross-pollinated nuts are usually larger and of higher quality than self-pollinated walnuts. Self-pollination leads to poor nut growth and development, resulting in poor quality kernels and an increase in nut abortion. Pecans have male and female flowers, but they don't bloom at the same time.

Basically, this means that a single nut tree cannot pollinate itself and will not produce nuts. To avoid this problem, at least 2 trees must be planted and they cannot be of the same “type”. You have to have a guy who has his male flowers first and a guy who has his female flowers first. Your local tree nursery should be able to explain this in more detail to make sure you have the right trees.

If there are already pecan trees growing in your area, you may be able to get away with just one tree. Usually, an individual nut tree blooms and sheds pollen at different times. Naturally, this method helps to promote the diversity of nuts, which become new nut trees in nature. For adequate cross-pollination between nut trees, it is strongly recommended to grow at least one of each type.

Walnut trees bloom and give off pollen at different times, making the pollination of walnut trees different from that of fruit trees. My nut tree is about 40 years old, it's huge, it has nuts every year, but there are never any good ones, the flesh is rotten or never develops. Prothandric nut varieties (type I) usually have short, thick segments (Pawnee, Oconee, Desirable), while protogynous nut varieties (type II) have long, thin segments (Sumner, Schley, Stuart).