Pecans hold a significant place in Florida’s agricultural landscape, offering an autumn harvest highly anticipated by consumers and local markets. Early settlers grew the nut for personal use, but cultivation has since evolved into a commercial endeavor across the northern regions. Florida contributes millions of pounds of pecans annually to the U.S. market. Understanding the specific timing of this harvest is important for both buyers seeking the freshest nuts and for growers managing their crops.
The Primary Pecan Harvest Window
The primary harvest window typically runs from late October through December, beginning in late fall and extending into early winter. The exact start is not dictated by a specific calendar date but rather by natural triggers that indicate the nuts are fully mature.
The most noticeable signal for harvest is the splitting of the pecan’s outer shuck. The shuck turns from green to brown and cracks open, allowing the mature nut to drop. Cooler weather, associated with the first significant cold fronts, aids this natural splitting process. Once the nuts have dropped, they are quickly gathered to maintain quality, preventing damage from moisture and pests.
Understanding Pecan Varieties and Ripening Stages
The length of the pecan season is due to the cultivation of numerous varieties that mature at different times, extending the availability of fresh nuts. Growers utilize this difference in maturity to ensure a staggered supply that lasts well beyond the initial October drop.
Early-Season Varieties
Early-maturing varieties, such as ‘Pawnee,’ may be ready for harvest as early as mid-to-late September, capturing the beginning of the fall market.
Mid-Season Varieties
Mid-season varieties, including the popular ‘Desirable,’ mature in mid-October and provide the bulk of the harvest, coinciding with the broader late-fall window. These nuts are prized for their size and flavor, but may require intensive management against pests like pecan scab.
Late-Season Varieties
Late-season varieties, like ‘Stuart,’ push the harvest into November and December, sometimes into January in warmer regions. The selection of these cultivars is a deliberate strategy by farmers to manage labor and equipment needs while providing a steady supply of pecans through the end-of-year holidays.
Florida Pecan Production Zones
Commercial pecan production is concentrated in the northern part of the state, primarily across the Panhandle and North Florida. All significant commercial acreage is located north of Interstate 4, with the highest concentration near Tallahassee. This geographical focus is due to the pecan tree’s requirement for sufficient chilling hours during the winter for proper nut production.
Climate variation between the deep Panhandle and central North Florida influences the localized start of the harvest. Areas further north experience cooler temperatures earlier in the fall, meaning the shuck-split on early varieties may occur sooner than in orchards located slightly further south. This localized timing ensures that fresh, newly harvested nuts appear at farmers’ markets in the Panhandle before they are widely available elsewhere in North Florida.