Things You'll Need:
- Young pecan tree
- Shovel
- Water
- 5-gallon bucket (optional)
- Tree growing sleeve
- Pruning shears
- Mulch
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Step 1
Make sure that your environment is conducive to pecan trees. In general, if you live in the southern United States or another area between garden zones five and nine (minimum annual temperatures between 0 and 25 degree Fahrenheit) and have hot, humid summers, you can probably grow pecans.
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Step 2
Transplant during the winter, ideally between December and March, when the tree is most likely to be dormant.
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Step 3
Dig a hole at least 3 feet deep and 1 to 2 feet wide, large enough to comfortably accommodate the entire root structure.
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Step 4
Prepare the tree for transplant. If it's a bare-root tree and the roots look dry, soak them in water for several hours before planting. If it's a potted tree and the roots seem to be root-bound (compacted in the pot), gently try to loosen the root ball and separate the major roots.
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Step 5
Hold the tree in the hole at the same depth it was previously planted at for the greatest stability. You should be able to determine this depth by looking for a color change on the trunk of the tree.
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Step 6
Pour water gradually into the hole until it's more than halfway full. At this point, start pushing in dirt while continuing to add water. When the hole is almost completely full, finish filling it with dirt. If the soil sinks as it dries, you can fill it in with additional dirt later.
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Step 7
Remove any branches and trim the trunk to slightly more than half of its previous height. This reduction compensates for roots that will die during transplant.
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Step 8
Place a layer of mulch around the trunk and cover the transplanted pecan tree with a tree sleeve to protect it during its first two to three growing seasons. During this same period, make sure that the tree receives 10 to 15 gallons of rainwater or irrigation every week.
