Last time, we introduced the Pecan Trial, started in 2023 and continued by the Fort Bend County Master Gardeners (FBMG) Tree Team under the sponsorship of Fort Bend County Extension Agent – Horticulture, Jody Taylor. Today, we share with you the path we have taken to propagate our seedlings, from nuts to trees.

Getting our seedlings started for the trial: The propagation procedure used was as follows: The pecans (nuts) collected in the fall of 2023 were left outside on their own through the winter. They were not put in peat or soil. In late February or early March, the pecans were put into seedling trays with potting soil. The pecans were planted with the point down as the tap root emerges from the pointed end. By planting this way, you ensure that the tap root grows straight down into the soil. There were initially 108 pecans planted. Propagation (growth of pecan nuts into seedlings) was high, but alas squirrels like pecans. Of the 108 pecans planted, 78 survived.

Potting process: Initially, the pecan seedlings were moved from the seedling tray to one-gallon nursery pots. With the deep taproots characteristic of pecan trees, we knew that the seedlings would eventually need to be transplanted into larger, specialty pecan pots. This process of transplanting to a larger pot is called “bumping.”

When pulling the pecan seedlings out of the 1-gallon pots, we learned several things. 1) the soil had settled considerably. The pots were only about half full; and 2) the tap root in most of the pots had circled significantly. There simply was not enough soil or room in the 1-gallon pots for the new roots, especially the long taproot. To bump the seedlings into the new pots, we had to trim the taproot so that the circling was reduced; 3) some of the taproots had grown out of the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot, and into the soil under the pot. We learned that an airgap is needed between the bottom of the pot and the ground to prevent this. So, before bumping the seedlings, we obtained nursery pots that were twice the height of regular pots. Once bumped we placed the pots on wooden pallets to act as the necessary air gap. They are thriving now and in 2026 are about 3 feet tall and on their way to becoming the grafting candidates we planned.