Training Young Pecan Trees

Guide H-605 PH 4-600
Esteban Herrera, Extension Horticulturist
College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences New Mexico State University
This publication is scheduled to be updated and reissued 4/05.

The first five years of growth are the most important in developing a central leader and scaffold branch framework of the pecan tree. Structural developments in the trees during these years will be evident 30 or 40 years later. Pecan growers will exert few influences that will be effective longer than those exercised in developing the framework of a young pecan tree. This development should be done carefully with a minimum amount of pruning. Considerable planning is required to properly train and prune young trees. Mechanical equipment used for orchard management will influence the training program chosen. Keep in mind the ideally structured tree and always try to shape each tree to this pattern. No two trees are alike and only a few will conform exactly to your picture, but it will serve as a standard.
The type and amount of training and pruning that should be used can be determined, to a considerable extent, by the ultimate use of the tree. Early nut production is directly related to the amount of pruning, with the earliest production being on trees subjected to the least pruning. Backyard growers may be willing to sacrifice some early production in order to have an aesthetically well-shaped tree. However, commercial growers with a large number of pecan trees are more likely to compromise some structural development and form to obtain early production from their trees.
There are several pruning methods commonly used for training young pecan trees. Heading back, branch selection, tip pruning, and pinching are all good methods and need to be practiced during the first few years when establishment of new pecan trees and proper training is critical.

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