Each year, as summer fades and pecan season approaches, growers across Louisiana begin to notice a familiar sight: pecans falling from their trees. For some, it’s a few scattered nuts. For others, it’s a concerning carpet of green shells beneath the canopy. Whether you’re tending a single tree in your backyard or managing a small orchard, nut drop can raise questions—and sometimes alarm.

Is it normal? Is it a sign of stress? Could it have been prevented?

Understanding when and why pecan trees shed their nuts is key to interpreting what your trees are telling you. Some nut drop is natural and even beneficial. Other times, it’s a symptom of deeper issues like drought, nutrient imbalance, or pest pressure. Knowing the difference can help you respond wisely and plan for a better crop next year.

Understanding Nut Drop: What’s Normal and What’s Not

Pecan trees shed nuts at several points during the growing season. Some of this is natural and even beneficial. Other times, it’s a sign of stress, imbalance, or pest pressure. Here’s how to tell the difference:

1. June Drop (Self-Thinning)

• Timing: Late spring to early summer.
• Normal: Yes. This is the tree’s way of shedding excess nuts it can’t support.
• When to be concerned: If drop is unusually heavy or paired with poor leaf color, it may signal drought stress or nutrient deficiency.

2. Mid-Summer Drop

• Timing: July to early August.
• Normal: Sometimes. A few nuts may drop due to natural thinning or minor stress.
• When to be concerned: If green nuts are dropping in large numbers, especially if they’re poorly filled or undersized. This often points to drought, boron deficiency, or poor pollination.

3. Late Summer/Early Fall Drop

• Timing: August to September.
• Normal: No. This is typically a sign of trouble.
• When to be concerned: If large green nuts are falling before shucks begin to split, especially if kernels are blackened, shriveled, or missing. Common causes include:
  • Insect damage (pecan weevils, stink bugs)
  • Disease (pecan scab affecting shucks)
  • Overbearing (trees shedding nuts they can’t finish developing)
  • Severe drought or nutrient stress

4. Pre-Harvest Drop

• Timing: Late September to October.
• Normal: Yes. This is part of the ripening process.
• When to be concerned: Only if nuts are dropping before they’re fully mature or if kernel quality is poor.

What You Can Do

If your pecan trees are dropping nuts and you’re unsure why, there are several practical steps you can take to assess the situation and support your trees moving forward:

1. Observe Leaf Color and Nut Fill

• Leaves that are pale, yellowing, or show tip burn may indicate nutrient deficiencies—especially nitrogen, zinc, or boron.
• Poorly filled nuts or blackened kernels often point to stress during nut development.
• Take note of whether dropped nuts are mature or green, and whether shucks are splitting normally.

2. Water Deeply During Dry Spells

• Drought stress is one of the most common causes of premature nut drop.
• Trees benefit from slow, deep watering that reaches the root zone—especially in sandy soils or during extended dry periods.
• Mulching around the drip line helps retain moisture and reduce competition from grass or weeds.

3. Consider Soil or Foliar Testing

• If nut drop is severe, recurring, or accompanied by poor leaf color, testing can help identify nutrient imbalances.
• Foliar samples taken in July can guide next year’s fertility plan, while soil tests can be done in fall or winter.

4. Monitor for Insect and Disease Pressure

• Check dropped nuts for signs of stink bug or pecan weevil damage—such as puncture marks or internal rot.
• Watch for scab symptoms on shucks, especially in wet years or on susceptible cultivars.
• If pest or disease pressure is high, consider adjusting your management plan next season.

5. Plan Ahead for Next Year

• Trees that overbear one year often struggle the next. Thinning heavy crops early in the season can reduce stress and improve nut quality.
• Evaluate pollination partners if nut fill is consistently poor—isolated trees may need compatible cultivars nearby.
• Keep records of drop timing, leaf condition, and weather patterns to help identify trends over time.

Closing Thoughts

Nut drop in pecans is a natural part of the tree’s life cycle—but it can also be a signal that something’s off. By learning to recognize the difference between normal shedding and stress-related drop, growers can respond with confidence rather than confusion.

Whether you’re managing a few trees for family harvests or a small orchard for local sales, the key is observation. Pay attention to leaf color, nut fill, and drop timing. Keep records, ask questions, and don’t hesitate to dig a little deeper when something seems off. With each season, your understanding grows—and so does your orchard’s potential.

Late summer and early fall pecan drops are usually a sign that something has gone wrong—often due to pecan scab. This photo shows how affected nuts appear while still in the tree.

Photo by Dr. William Reid, featured on the Northern Pecans Blog. Used with permission.

Late summer and early fall pecan drops are often caused by issues like pecan scab. This photo shows what scab-damaged pecans look like after they’ve fallen to the ground.

Photo by Dr. William Reid, featured on the Northern Pecans Blog. Used with permission.

This chart illustrates the major pecan drop periods.

• I: Drop from poor pollination
• II: Traditional June drop
• III: Mid-summer drop
• IV: Pre-harvest drop