Pecan growers tour orchard

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

Hal Berdoll discusses the pros and cons of owning and operating a pecan orchard to a group which toured his farm, as part of the Texas Pecan Growers Association Conference. -- Staff photos by Montgomery

August 4, 2005 - Topics ranging from tree crowding to hedging and thinning to the pecan nut casebearer were discussed during the 84th Annual Texas Pecan Growers Association (TPGA) Conference, July 18-20, in Austin.

Growers from all over the United States attended the three-day event, which included a tour of the Berdoll Orchards in Cedar Creek, 15 miles east of Austin.

The orchards are owned individually, side-by-side, by five brothers ... Hal, Sebe, Phil, Dan and Kellis and consist of over 600 acres of pecan trees.

The inherited land, long and narrow, was divided up by the brothers long ago.

Hal, who has over 150 acres of trees and 6,000 trees, has a nursery of young pecan trees, which he sells across the country. The trees thrive under a drip watering system, and “this time of year they are watered six times a day,” according to Hal. The nuts are planted in a pot and tour attendees were told there were “80,000 pots in the ground.”

Hal said eventually his main goal would be to take the retail end of the business into the nursery. For now, the small trees are sold at the orchard.

Five months ago, Hal, along with wife Lisa and daughter Jennifer, ventured further into the retail business by opening a larger store three miles from the orchard. Previously, they had operated out of “the little red barn,” but as the pecan trees have grown, so has the business.

“We are not a gift shop, we are a pecan store,” Lisa said.

The store offers samples of the different varieties, which include Choctaw, Wichita, Pawnee, Kiowa and Cheyenne. Homemade pecan candies are also sold at the retail outlet. If pecans are on the shopping list, they are also sold at the store. Pecans can be purchased in-shell, cracked, shelled or candied.

When it comes to the varieties, there are many, and most have an Indian name.

The Wichita, which is very popular according to those who attended the convention, is a cross between the Halbert and the Mahan varieties. The trees have an abundance of dark green leaves and is a consistent bearer of heavy, high-quality nuts, according to literature provided by Womack Nursery from De Leon. It takes about 60 normal nuts to make a pound.

The Caddo is a small, football shaped nut. It is disease resistant, vigorous and an upright grower. It, too, takes about 60 nuts to make a pound.

The Choctaw, an easy sheller, is a cross between the Mahan and Success varieties. This variety does well in all growing areas.

The 85th Annual Texas Pecan Growers Association Convention is set for July 9-12, at the Embassy Suites/Frisco Convention Center in Frisco.