The annual pecan drop brings the promise of fresh nuts, but collecting them from a large yard can feel like a daunting chore. Pecans naturally fall when they are fully mature, typically between late September and November. Collecting this bounty efficiently requires planning and the right equipment. The following methods focus on maximizing your yield while minimizing physical effort and time spent bent over the lawn.
Preparing the Yard for Collection
Efficiency in collection begins before the first nut is picked up by focusing on clearing the harvest area. Wait to begin collecting until a substantial portion of the husks have split open and the nuts have fallen naturally. The goal is to create a clean surface where the nuts are highly visible and accessible to collection tools.
Start by mowing the grass to a low height, which prevents the pecans from being hidden and allows collection devices to roll smoothly. Use a leaf blower or rake to remove all leaves, sticks, and old hull fragments from beneath the tree canopy. A clean, firm surface drastically reduces the amount of non-pecan debris gathered, saving time during the sorting process and preventing jams in collection tools.
Manual and Low-Tech Collection Strategies
For smaller yards or under a single tree, several ergonomic, low-investment tools can replace the back-straining work of hand-picking. The simplest low-tech solution is a long-handled grabber, such as the “Stab-A-Nut” tool, which uses flexible tines to capture a single nut without requiring you to bend down. Another popular option is the wire cage nut roller, a push-tool featuring flexible wire loops that scoop up the pecans as you roll it across the ground.
The wire cage roller provides a quick, hands-free method for covering ground, collecting nuts, and depositing them into an attached or separate bucket. You can also employ a simple raking technique using a garden rake with closely spaced tines to gently sweep the pecans into manageable rows or small piles. Once concentrated, the nuts can be transferred to a bucket using a hand scoop or a dustpan and broom, which is much faster than picking them up individually.
Utilizing Specialized Nut Gathering Tools
For properties with many trees or extensive coverage, dedicated mechanical harvesters offer the greatest efficiency and speed. The most common specialized tools are rolling basket harvesters, such as those made by Bag-A-Nut, which are large, heavy-duty versions of the wire cage rollers. These models feature a wide, rotating basket that forces the nuts through flexible wires and into a collection bin as the unit is pushed or pulled.
Larger commercial-style sweepers and vacuums are also available, which use rotating rubber fingers or brushes to sweep the nuts and debris onto a conveyor belt. These advanced machines typically use an integrated air-separation system to blow away lighter material, like leaves and hulls, before the pecans are funneled into a hopper. While faster, these mechanical sweepers are more expensive. They are most effective on flat, well-maintained surfaces like a closely mowed lawn or bare dirt, as uneven ground or excessive debris can reduce their effectiveness and cause jams.
Cleaning and Storing the Harvest
After collection, the pecans must be cleaned and cured before long-term storage to preserve their quality. Initial cleaning involves separating the nuts from remaining debris, which can be done by hand-sorting or utilizing a coarse screen to sift out small sticks and dirt. A common method to remove “pops”—undeveloped or insect-damaged nuts—is the float test, where the in-shell pecans are submerged in water. Good, fully developed nuts will sink, while the lighter, bad nuts will float and should be discarded.
The next step is curing, or drying, the pecans to reduce their moisture content to an ideal range of 4% to 6%. This process usually takes about two weeks and is accomplished by spreading the nuts in a single, shallow layer in a warm, dry area with good air circulation. A simple test for dryness is to shell a nut and bend the kernel; if it snaps crisply, the moisture content is low enough for storage. For long-term preservation, pecans should be stored in airtight containers under refrigeration or in a freezer to prevent the oils from turning rancid and absorbing odors from other foods.