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Fruits, Nuts & Perennial Crop CalendarsNut Orchard Calendar
Nut trees are long-term crops, and each season has jobs that protect the next crop and the next decade. This calendar covers the main stages for pecans, walnuts and similar trees.
Key points
- Use a regional extension calendar as the template and adjust for your orchard.
- Prune in winter, scout through spring and summer, and harvest on time.
- Handle nuts promptly and store them clean and dry.
- Check state rules before selling.
What does a nut orchard year look like?
Winter is dormancy and a time for pruning and planning. Spring brings bud break, leaf growth and bloom, summer brings nut development and fall brings harvest and cleanup.
Details differ by species. Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts each have their own timing, and state extension calendars exist for several of them.
Use a calendar from a land-grant university in your region as a template, then adjust with your own notes. A simple chart on the barn wall with the months across the top and the jobs below keeps a small crew on track.
What do you do in winter?
Prune while trees are dormant, removing dead and crossing limbs and keeping a strong structure and good light. For older trees, work in stages and avoid removing too much at once.
Service equipment, repair fencing and tree guards and take soil samples if it is time. Plan spring work in writing.
Order new trees early, and make sure they match your site and climate. Large old trees may need a professional with the right equipment, because pruning tall nut trees is dangerous work.
- Prune dormant trees in stages
- Service equipment and fencing
- Order trees and supplies
What happens in spring?
Watch for bud break and late frost risk, and remember that frost can damage new growth and flowers. Manage weeds under the trees so young and mature trees do not compete.
Fertilizer decisions should come from soil and leaf tests and local recommendations. Nutrient rules vary by state, so check before applying.
Scouting for early pests and disease begins as growth starts. Use extension identification help if you are unsure. Young trees need training to a strong central structure, and cheap tree guards protect trunks from mowers and animals.
What does summer care involve?
Water is important during nut development in many regions. Irrigation scheduling follows soil moisture and weather, and your extension office can tell you the sensitive stages for your species.
Keep scouting for insects and disease, and follow label directions, pre-harvest intervals and pollinator protection rules for any product. Applicator licensing varies by state.
Mow or manage the orchard floor to make harvest easier and to reduce hiding places for pests. A soil moisture check and a leaf-color check on a regular day each week catches problems before they cost yield. Weed and grass control under the canopy also makes harvest cleaner and easier, and reduces competition for water.
How do you time and handle the harvest?
Nuts mature in fall, and the signs differ by species. Pecan shucks split, and walnut hulls loosen. Harvest when extension signs show maturity, and do not leave nuts on the ground longer than needed.
Clean and dry nuts promptly. Wet or warm storage leads to mold and rancidity, and the Oklahoma State and University of Georgia pecan calendars give guidance.
Plan labor, equipment and storage before the first nuts fall. Harvest equipment ranges from hand picking to mechanical shakers, and safety training matters with all of it. Mark harvest areas by block so you can track yield and quality tree by tree.
What about food safety and sales?
Nuts are a food product, and rules for cleaning, storing and selling vary by state. If you plan to sell, talk to your state department of agriculture about registration, labeling and food safety requirements.
Keep harvest equipment clean and store nuts in clean, dry conditions away from chemicals and pests. UC ANR and other extension publications give home-orchard handling guidance.
Keep copies of any inspection, license or sales records for as long as your state requires.
What fall tasks help next year's crop?
After harvest, clean up leaf litter and shucks where recommended, check for disease and take notes on yield and quality. Some nut trees bear heavily in alternate years, so note which blocks did what.
Plan any tree removal or replanting now and mark weak trees for review. A map with tree health and yield notes makes decisions easier.
Review the year with your extension agent or a grower group and update your calendar for next season. Give the year a short written review, and compare it with your notes from earlier seasons. Write down what you learn each season, since your own records are the best guide to your site. Review them with your extension office before the next season.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.