If you will fertilize the tree now and at bud break in the spring you will increase your production and can help trees from becoming alternate bearing. Have some Sevin SL for the pecan weevils and couple of fungicide for scab and your set.
I have one similar to this one. I have three trees that are getting ready to drop a good crop of pecans. The cracker does a pretty good job overall if you don’t want to pay someone else to do it.
An automated cracker by someone who knows how to adjust it is money well spent.
Professional crackers strike the nuts from the ends at high speed, shattering the shells.
The stroke is controlled to prevent crushing of the meat. The hand crackers I have use of similar design work well.
Tips -
Sort your nuts by tree as you gather them. That keeps the size consistent and lets the cracker dial in the machine a bit better.
Crack a few nuts by hand and see how it goes. As the nuts dry the meat separates from the shell more easily and the shells get more brittle. If you don't have the moisture right when you start cracking you get a mess. Get it right and they crack easily, the meat falls out of the shells and you get full halves almost every time. It can take a few weeks of sitting in a paper bag in the corner of the house for them to dry. You will see the difference. Don't take your nuts to a cracker until the samples are cracking well.
Professional crackers strike the nuts from the ends at high speed, shattering the shells.
The stroke is controlled to prevent crushing of the meat. The hand crackers I have use of similar design work well.
Tips -
Sort your nuts by tree as you gather them. That keeps the size consistent and lets the cracker dial in the machine a bit better.
Crack a few nuts by hand and see how it goes. As the nuts dry the meat separates from the shell more easily and the shells get more brittle. If you don't have the moisture right when you start cracking you get a mess. Get it right and they crack easily, the meat falls out of the shells and you get full halves almost every time. It can take a few weeks of sitting in a paper bag in the corner of the house for them to dry. You will see the difference. Don't take your nuts to a cracker until the samples are cracking well.
I know someone that has a pecan orchard on their property with several different varieties and they don't harvest any of them. The pecans just go to the bugs and occasional deer.
It about drives me crazy seeing all those pecans go to waste. I've offered to take care of the trees and harvest them but they have no interest in it.
I had a chance to buy 80 acres with 300 large pecans trees when I was a young man for $1000 an acre. It came with a barn full of processing equipment including a tractor with the shaker attachment and an old small but livable farmhouse. I've always regretted not buying that place.
It about drives me crazy seeing all those pecans go to waste. I've offered to take care of the trees and harvest them but they have no interest in it.
I had a chance to buy 80 acres with 300 large pecans trees when I was a young man for $1000 an acre. It came with a barn full of processing equipment including a tractor with the shaker attachment and an old small but livable farmhouse. I've always regretted not buying that place.
There is a cracking business in El Reno if you are interested. Does good work..
We had those as a kid...they work pretty good
Natives are definitely tough to crack. : )
So, a Cracker with a cracker
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That is for sure. A drying time will allow the bitters to separate from the meat. The shells will crack easier and provide full halves. I have a small fan to help the process.
