Warren 346 ripens early

Warren 346, 10 Sept. 2014

   I was taking a small tour group on a walk through the Pecan Experiment Field when I was surprised to find some fully ripe pecans on one of our Warren 346 trees (Photo at right). Warren 346 normally splits shuck in early September but with the cooler-than-normal summer we've had, I was expecting pecan ripening to be delayed. However, it looks like things might not be as far behind as I originally thought.
  Warren 346 is an interesting pecan cultivar based strictly on its early ripening date. The original tree was found in a native pecan grove near Wheeling, MO down in the Grand River flood plain. The native trees in this area of Missouri are growing in the extreme northwestern corner of the pecan tree's native range. 
    Warren 346 nuts are small, averaging 4.72g/nut (96 nuts/pound). Pecan kernel is above average for a native pecan, averaging nearly 51% nut meat. The tree has an upright growth habit and is prone to developing branches with narrow crotches.