Three dead pines and a nasty poplar that was dropping limbs onto my driveway went away today. The drought was hard on the pines around here and the borers had a field day. There isn't a single one that isn't ready to fall over, but at 200 bucks a pop, only the ones that could hit the house are gone. To celebrate the removal I went and picked up a baby Stuart pecan from the local and planted it. Planting a tree that will get ginormous always takes some thought, today it's a one year whip, merely a stick in the ground but in a couple years it will shade out a huge chunk of my yard. I really wanted the tree but I really want the space to plant other things. Solution? Plant it on the north side of my lot, close to property line.
I am slightly concerned over pollination. Pecans are wind pollinated and need a pollinator. They aren't self incompatible, but they release pollen and are ready to accept pollen at different times. Stuarts are looking for pollen early and produce it later so having a tree nearby that does the opposite would be ideal. There are a ton to pecan trees in Oconee county (where I live) and decent spring winds so hopefully I can get away with just the single tree, if not I will end up buying one of my neighbors a compatible variety.
