When to Plant Pecan in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide

Plant June to July. Right now in September it is out of season. The next planting month is June.

Published · Last reviewed · By Garden Buddy
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.

This Pecan guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth

Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.

Pecan

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Large deciduous nut tree native to the Mississippi River valley in the USA. Gets very large (15-30m) and needs ample space. Produces thin-shelled nuts with rich, buttery kernels. Needs warm summers, cold winters, and LOTS of water. Cross-pollination between varieties is essential for nut set. Long-lived (100+ years) but slow to reach full production (8-12 years). Pecans do surprisingly well in Australia's irrigated inland zones.

Best Planting Window for Arid / Semi-Arid

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- - - - - P P - - - - -

P = Planting window

Plant bare root June-July with irrigation.

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How to Grow Pecan in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia

When to Plant

Plant bare root June-July with irrigation.

Soil
Deep, fertile, well-drained alluvial soil. Originally a bottomland/riverbank tree. Likes rich deep soil with good moisture-holding capacity. Tolerates some clay better than most nut trees. Deep taproot needs minimum 2m soil depth.
pH Range
6.0-7.0
Sunlight
Full sun. Needs high heat units for nut maturity.

Companion plants: Grass (orchards often grassed), Legume cover crops

Avoid planting near: Buildings, infrastructure (massive tree)

Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Pecan

Recommended Varieties

  • Wichita
  • Western Schley
  • Pawnee
  • Desirable
  • Choctaw

Key Challenges

  • Enormous water requirements
  • Zinc deficiency in alkaline soils

Pro Tips

  • EXCELLENT pecan zone with irrigation. Mildura, Sunraysia, Riverland are prime.
  • Hot summers + cold winters + irrigation = ideal conditions.
  • Dry climate virtually eliminates scab. Can grow any variety.

Harvesting Pecan

When ready: Shuck (outer green covering) splits and separates from shell. Nuts fall from tree. Shell colour darkens.

How to harvest: Collect fallen nuts from ground (shake branches to accelerate). Remove shuck remnants. Dry in single layer in shade for 2-3 weeks.

Where to next

Also worth sowing in the arid and semi-arid zone this September: Ginger, Chilli Peppers, Lemongrass and Beetroot.

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Common Questions About Pecan

When do you plant pecan in Australia?

It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:

Which zone am I in?

Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.