Mulch Pecan Orchards with Limb Trimmings

Adding a layer of wood-chip mulch across a pecan orchard floor can improve soil and tree health.

Long-time Texas pecan producer Mark Friesenhahn started mulching his orchard three years ago and credits the practice for increasing soil carbon and other Haney soil test markers, reducing soil temperature and helping keep moisture in the soil even during dry periods. He believes mulching also helped stabilize his nut set from one year to the next.

Sourcing Mulch:

Instead of burning the limbs he hedges from his orchard, Friesenhahn began piling up the trimmings and chipping them into mulch. 
To supplement mulch from his own trimmings, he called to ask for more chips from local right-of-way tree clearing crews hired by utility companies to clear power line rights-of-way. The crews are usually eager to partner with producers who can provide places to discard the wood chips.

Finding or building the right tools:

Chippers: Friesenhahn rents a chipper to mulch limbs from his orchard. Most recently he used a 12-inch Crary Bearcat chipper. He stressed how important safety protocols are around chipper equipment and encourages users to review the safety manual before starting the engine.

Spreaders: He distributes the wood chips in an even layer around the orchard using a conventional manure spreader behind a tractor.

Application and Timing:

Friesenhahn spreads the wood-chip mulch soon after hedging in January or February to give the mulch time to decompose before harvest. If the wood chips aren’t decomposed enough by fall, they may get caught in the pecan harvester.
A thin layer across the whole orchard floor is all you need, according to Friesenhahn. “Just enough where you can see a bit of the ground through the chips,” he explains. Grass should poke through the mulch layer.
In 2025, he spread approximately 16 cubic yards of mulch on each acre of his orchard.
He estimates it takes him six to 10 days, spread across a few weeks, to chip and spread the mulch.

Pro Tips: Wood chips sourced from the right-of-way tree crews may have big chunks that don’t work well in a spreader, and there may also be plastic bottles and other trash mixed in with the chips. It’s important to ask the crews not to include logs and large limb pieces in the wood chips, as they may damage the spreader and would need to be hand-cleared from the orchard.