When to Plant Pecan in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide

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

Planting window
A very large tree for big blocks only, and slow to reach full crop. Scab is worse in coastal humidity, so the drier inland valleys suit it...
Sunlight
Full sun. Needs high heat units for nut maturity.
Soil pH
6.0-7.0

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

This Pecan guide is written for the Subtropical zone, which takes in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs 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.

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Best Planting Window for Subtropical

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

P = Planting window

A very large tree for big blocks only, and slow to reach full crop. Scab is worse in coastal humidity, so the drier inland valleys suit it best.

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This month in Subtropical

In October the Subtropical zone normally runs 27°C by day and 15°C overnight, with about 77 mm of rain over 7 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -0.2°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 33 postcodes, SILO.

The full twelve months are on the Subtropical zone page.

How to Grow Pecan in Subtropical Australia

When to Plant

A very large tree for big blocks only, and slow to reach full crop. Scab is worse in coastal humidity, so the drier inland valleys suit it best.

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)

Subtropical Growing Tips for Pecan

Recommended Varieties

  • Wichita (Type I, scab resistant)
  • Western Schley (Type II)
  • Shawnee (scab resistant)
  • Pawnee (Type I, early)

Key Challenges

  • Scab in humid conditions
  • Need scab-resistant varieties
  • Cross-pollination essential

Pro Tips

  • Plant ONLY scab-resistant varieties in SEQ humidity.
  • Wichita + Western Schley is a classic Type I/Type II combination.
  • Trees get enormous. Allow 12m spacing minimum.

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 subtropical zone this October: Lemongrass, Ginger, Basil and Climbing Beans.

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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 Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.