   Get Ready for the 2003 Camp Verde Pecan Show - January 15, 2003 Jeff Schalau, County Director, Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County On February 8 and 9, 2003, the Town of Camp Verde will host its Third Annual Pecan and Wine Festival. The Festival runs from 9 AM to 6 PM on Saturday the 8th and from 10 AM to 4 PM on Sunday the 9th. The Festival features locally grown pecans, Arizona wineries (wine tasting), a pecan show, a pecan-baking contest, and antique vendors and displays. Other attractions at the Festival include: bluegrass music (a personal favorite), hayrides to Dick Tinlin's pecan orchard on Quarterhorse Lane (The Summer Place), a pecan shelling contest (Sunday), food vendors, and lots of pecan pie. Dr. Michael Kilby, University of Arizona Fruit, Nut and Vine Specialist (retired) will be giving presentations on pecan and grape vine culture. Yavapai County Master Gardeners will also be on hand to answer gardening questions. Now is the time to collect and prepare pecan contest entries. Entries should be submitted in a paper bag with exactly 40 high quality, uniform, unshelled nuts from one tree. Each entry must be labeled with the entrant's name, address, phone, and pecan variety (if known). The fee is one dollar per entry. Bring pecan entries to the Camp Verde Chamber of Commerce (corner of Main St. and Holloman) by 5:00 PM on February 6, 2003. Judging will begin on Friday February 7 at 9 AM. Two years ago, I published some guidelines to help contestants prepare the best possible entries (see the November 29, 2000 Backyard Gardener on the web site listed below or call the Cottonwood Cooperative Extension Office and request a reprint of that column). These guidelines were developed by Dr. Kilby and I strongly recommend reading this material before collecting and submitting your sample(s). Pecan trees make an excellent shade tree and will produce a good nut crop in several areas of the Verde Valley. In fact, Camp Verde has close to 200 acres in pecans that produce approximately 200,000 lbs of pecans annually. Pecans are relatives of the hickory and native to the southern United States. Deep alluvial soils found on river and stream terraces are the best sites for pecans in the Verde Valley. Whatever the soil conditions, good drainage is the most critical factor when selecting suitable sites. Caliche layers should be well broken up before planting. In addition, sites above 3,500 feet in elevation are not suitable for pecans. They may experience spring frost injury, freeze damage and produce poor crops. This includes the cooler, higher elevation sites in Sedona. Pecans should be planted between January and mid-March. High quality, grafted, bareroot trees of a suitable variety are best. Appropriate varieties include: Apache, Burkett, Choctaw, Cheyenne, Mohawk, Sioux, Wichita, and Western Schley. Never let the roots dry out (not even for one minute). This is the major cause of tree death after planting. When planting, dig a hole at least three feet deep and two feet wide. Fill the hole half full with water, place the tree at the same depth as it was grown at the nursery, then add soil. The soil should force all air pockets out. After 24 hours, check to see if the soil has settled further. If so, add more soil and water again. If you are not interested in growing your own pecans, then come to the Camp Verde Pecan and Wine Show or buy them direct from grower, Dick Tinlin, at the Summer Place, 213 E. Quarterhorse Lane, Camp Verde, call 520-567-5202 for availability. Come and celebrate our agricultural heritage. I hope to see you at the festival. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has publications and information on gardening and pest control. If you have other gardening questions, call the Master Gardener line in the Cottonwood office at 646-9113 or E-mail us at mgardener@verdeonline.com and be sure to include your address and phone number. Find past Backyard Gardener columns or submit column ideas at the Backyard Gardener web site: http://ag.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/. |