How Long Does it Take a Pecan Tree to Mature?

Pecan trees serve both as home landscaping trees and as food production. The time to maturity depends on a number of factors, and some trees may never produce quality nuts if not cared for well.

Time Frame

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A grafted pecan tree can produce a small crop as soon as two years after its grafting, although it will typically take closer to five years to mature enough to produce a large crop. Some pecan trees may take 10 to 12 years to move beyond vegetative growth into fruiting maturity.

Considerations

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The exact time to maturity for any given pecan tree depends on a number of factors. These include the climate, how much sunlight the tree receives, soil quality and the presence of another tree for increased pollination.

Size

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Pecan trees can grow to 70 feet tall have trunk diameters of 6 feet at full maturity. Trees can be spaced as close as 30 to 40 feet apart until they are about 15 years old, at which point they should be thinned. At 30 to 40 years old, pecan trees grow to a width of closer to 60 feet.

Pecan Tree Care

Most pecan varieties need long a long growing season of 270 to 290 frost-free days to produce a good crop of nuts. They don't tolerate salty soil. Pecan trees grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9. When rainfall is scarce, water pecan trees deeply and thoroughly about ever other week. For each 1 inch of diameter, give the tree 3 or 4 pounds of 13-13-13 fertilizer. Spread it evenly over the root zone. Pecan trees need little pruning other than heading back overly vigorous side branches. Black aphids cause yellow, angular spots on the leaves and premature leaf drop. Narrow-range oil is the usual treatment for aphids, but spraying a mature pecan tree is likely more than you can manage. You can use a long, sturdy pole to strike the branches or a pole with a hook on the end to shake them. Nuts left on the ground become infested with mold and insects, so gather them quickly.

Pecan Tree Care

Most pecan varieties need long a long growing season of 270 to 290 frost-free days to produce a good crop of nuts. They don't tolerate salty soil. Pecan trees grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9. When rainfall is scarce, water pecan trees deeply and thoroughly about ever other week. For each 1 inch of diameter, give the tree 3 or 4 pounds of 13-13-13 fertilizer. Spread it evenly over the root zone. Pecan trees need little pruning other than heading back overly vigorous side branches. Black aphids cause yellow, angular spots on the leaves and premature leaf drop. Narrow-range oil is the usual treatment for aphids, but spraying a mature pecan tree is likely more than you can manage. You can use a long, sturdy pole to strike the branches or a pole with a hook on the end to shake them. Nuts left on the ground become infested with mold and insects, so gather them quickly.