Skip to main content
FRESH NEW CROP PECANS WITH FAST SHIPPING!

Royalty Pecan Farms

  • Shop
    • Flavored Pecans
    • Artisan Oven
    • Gifting
    • Store Favorites
  • Fresh Pecans
  • Tours
  • Gifting
  • Superfoods
  • Log In
0
Login
  • Shop
    • Flavored Pecans
    • Artisan Oven
    • Gifting
    • Store Favorites
  • Fresh Pecans
  • Tours
  • Gifting
  • Superfoods
  • Log In
Home News

News

June 2024 Orchard Update

June 2024 Orchard Update

June 23, 2024

Andy Sherrod, Orchard Manager, takes a few moments to give us an orchard update for June. Texas has been experiencing a lot of weather lately, and one of the questions we've received lately is how that will impact our crop this season. Read on for more info...

Continue reading

Pecan Harvesting: From Shuck to Table

Pecan Harvesting: From Shuck to Table

October 19, 2023

Ever wonder how the pecans from the orchard to your table? Harvest is an exciting time around here, and we love sharing it with folks. Read on to get a glimpse of harvest in the pecan orchard, and then join one of our monthly tours to see it in action!

Continue reading

The Good Guys

June 12, 2023

 

Our orchard really bugs me, thousands of them do.

What I mean is thousands of insect species call our orchard home. And that’s a good thing, really. It indicates a healthy ecosystem. Most of them do no harm to the pecan trees but a few do and it’s my job to monitor the population of those damaging pests. They will almost certainly be present in the orchard at some level, but their numbers are almost certainly held in check by the Good Guys.

And who are these Good Guys?
Let me introduce you... 

First, the queen of the Good Guys, ladybugs. I saw their population explode this spring beginning with the egg masses on  the underside of the leaves (photo 1). They hatch into nymphs, creatures that look like tiny alligators with an appetite to match (photo 2). They feed on anything with six or eight legs. Then they pupate and undergo a magical transformation. Check out the picture with two pupae and one nymph (photo 3). Now that’s a beautiful sight. The resulting adults (photo 4) are just as carnivorous as they were when they were nymphs.
photo 1
photo 2
photo 3
photo 4

The next Good Guy to begin populating the orchard are the lacewings. I’m seeing more and more of these single eggs elevated on a silken stalk waiting to hatch (photo 5). Once they do these adults will feed on aphids and other soft-bodies prey (photo 6).
photo 5
photo 6
Spiders are the next big family of Good Guys. Not necessarily the ones that spin the webs to capture airborne prey, though they fit the Good Guy profile, but also the hunting spiders. Here is a picture of a hunting spider and a fly.

The fly lived to see another day, but it brings up a pretty good point. These predators don’t discriminate. They are equal opportunity killers. Spiders will feed on ladybugs and lacewings in addition to flies and aphids. Lady bug nymphs will feed on ladybug eggs as well as aphids and harmful moth larvae. Good guys, bad guys, neutral guys. It’s one big web of predatory life going on in the tiny world of bugs. Eat and be eaten…. It’s tough being an insect in our orchard. But that doesn’t bug me at all.

 

- Andy Sherrod
Orchard Manager

Continue reading

“So, what do you do the rest of the year?”

“So, what do you do the rest of the year?”

May 24, 2023

This is one of the questions we get most often, and Andy Sherrod, Orchard Manager, took a few minutes out of his day to explain what we do this time of year. Read on for more info! 

Continue reading

Health Benefits of Pure Pecan Oil

May 19, 2023

This natural edible oil is extracted from pecan kernels and is primarily used for cooking. Pure cold-pressed pecan oil tends to have a mild or neutral odor and flavor that allows it to blend well with any recipe. Pecan oil also has important health benefits ...

    Continue reading

    What is Regenerative Agriculture?

    What is Regenerative Agriculture?

    April 21, 2023

    Regenerative Agriculture has been practiced in pastures and rangeland for a long time but not in pecan orchards. The regenerative component refers to a renewal (regeneration) of soil health, more fungi (beneficial) than bacteria (detrimental) and a stronger microorganism population....

    Continue reading

    Practicing Sustainable Agriculture

    Practicing Sustainable Agriculture

    April 14, 2023

    Learn more about how Royalty Pecan Farms practices sustainable agriculture from water management to fertilization. Our belief is to steward the land in an environmentally responsible way so future generations can enjoy it in  the years to come. Read more...

    Continue reading

    Pecan Orchard Update August 2022

    Pecan Orchard Update August 2022

    August 10, 2022

    Orchard update for August. Have you seen what the inside of a pecan looks like?

    Continue reading

    June Orchard Update

    June 20, 2022

    We've been enduring a heat wave and drought conditions here at the farm, but our trees are growing and thriving and nut expansion is underway! Read more about what's new in the orchard this month...

    Continue reading

    In the Pecan Orchard - May 2022

    In the Pecan Orchard - May 2022

    May 26, 2022

    What’s Happening on the Pecan Farm

    • Pest Control
    • Irrigating
    • Monitoring the trees

    Natural Pest Control

    Starting in April, we noticed an increasing population of ladybugs in the pecan orchard. As a result, there are virtually no aphids. If you have your own garden or orchard, it would be good to familiarize yourself with ladybug larvae and other beneficial insects. If you see any of these, don’t panic.

    Since ladybugs eat aphids and other soft-bodied insects, they can be a natural form of pest control. Some people even buy ladybugs and release them in their environment at home as a way to naturally control aphids.

    Lacewings can also be helpful. A lacewing is a green bug with clear wings. A characteristic you might look for is the lacewing eggs: a stalk with a glob on the end. We expect a huge influx of lacewings in our orchard soon.

    Why Are Aphids a Problem?

    Aphids puncture the leaf tissue and suck out the sap. Not only are they depriving the tree of moisture and all the nutrients that flow with it, they’re also creating a sticky substance on the leaves, called honeydew, which allows sooty mold. That’s bad. Aphids don’t just target pecan leaves, so keep an eye on your other plants, too.


    Irrigation & Watering

    Our irrigation system is a complex network of buried pipes and lines designed to deliver water and nutrients where the trees need it most. Drip tubing is buried fifteen inches deep placing the water exactly where the trees need it: the root zone. Buried drip is useful because we end up using less water, and there is no unnecessary waste through percolation or evaporation.

    In addition to our irrigation, rainfall is still so important to nurturing pecan trees and producing quality pecans. A mature pecan tree, in the peak of summer, uses 150 to 200 gallons of water each day. One inch of rain falling on one acre of land is equivalent to 27,154 gallons. That means one inch of rain will provide a one-week supply of water to a mature pecan tree in the heat of the summer.

     

     

    Monitoring the Trees

    During this time, it's essential we continue to monitor the trees. We're checking to make sure the beneficial insects are able to maintain a checks and balances on the harmful pests, making sure the trees get enough water to mitigate the stress of the Texas summer, and the orchard has everything it needs to continue its growing season. Soon we'll see nutlet form where the pecan flowers used to be, and we'll begin monitoring their growth, too. Check back next month for another update, or join us for the last tour of the summer. Book tickets here. 

    Continue reading

    Popular Texas Pecan Varieties to Plant

    Popular Texas Pecan Varieties to Plant

    May 20, 2022

    We often get asked about the best varieties to grow at home, so we put together this list to show you differences in some popular Texas pecans. You might already have some of these in your own backyard. If you’re trying to decide which varieties to plant, check it out... 

      Continue reading

      Orchard Update - April/May

      April 29, 2022

       

       

      The orchard has been in the "Budbreak" phase since about mid-March. During this time, the buds swell and break out of their protective covering, and a short time after tiny leaves begin to unfurl. If you've been following us on Instagram, you've seen the bright green leaves begin to dot the trees and our orchard team spraying nutrients onto the new leaves.

      farm equipment spraying trees

      Between budbreak and pollination, catkins (pollen-producing flowers growing on stalks) begin to appear, harbingers of a bountiful crop. If no catkins are seen it is very likely the nut crop will be light. You can see many of our trees are loaded with catkins. Any day now, the catkins will burst open and release pollen into the orchard.

      catkin


      Right now, the orchard floor is thick with ryegrass and wild flowers, and the trees have burst out with new pale green leaves and lots of FLOWERS.

      “Flowers?” You may ask. “On a PECAN tree?”

      Many people don’t realize that pecan trees flower, but they do. In fact, pecan trees produce two types of flowers. The pollen-producing male flowers that grow in long tight clusters called catkins develop first. The female flowers, or nut-producing flowers, emerge a few days later.

      pecan flower

      In pecans, both types of flowers are found on the same tree, unlike cottonwood and mulberry which have separate male and female trees. (When you buy a fruitless mulberry or a cottonless cottonwood at the garden center, you are actually buying a male tree.)

      But even though both types of flowers are found on the same pecan tree, most varieties are not very efficient at self-pollination. Every variety is classified into one of two categories. Protandrous varieties are those which shed their pollen before the nut-producing flower on the same tree is receptive. Protogynous varieties are just the opposite. The nut-producing flowers are receptive before the pollen on that same tree is shed.

      As a result, we at Royalty Pecan Farm have planted both types of varieties in close proximity to each other to ensure adequate pollination. We'll have more orchard updates, including how pecan trees are pollinated over the next week or so as things progress in the orchard. Spoiler: pecan trees are not pollinated by bees.

      bee on yellow flower in orchard

       

      Learn more about our tours

      Follow us on IG @royaltypecans

      Continue reading

      • 1
      • 2
      • 3

      Contact Us

      • Customer Service
      • FAQs
      • Blog
      • Search
      • Privacy Policy

      Main Menu

      • Shop
      • Flavored Pecans
      • Artisan Oven
      • Gifting
      • Store Favorites
      • Fresh Pecans
      • Tours
      • Gifting
      • Superfoods
      • Log In

      Our Farm

      • Farm Family
      • Farm News
      • Orchard Tours
      • Pecan Recipes
      • Job Opportunities

      Howdy!

      We're so excited to share our farm-fresh pecans and pecan treats with you! Feel free to reach out to say "Howdy!" or let us know how we can best assist you!

      American Express Apple Pay Diners Club Discover Google Pay Mastercard PayPal Shop Pay Venmo Visa

      © 2025 Royalty Pecan Farms. Powered by Shopify

      Products

      View all