https://www.usa.gov/copyrighted-government-workshttps://www.rawpixel.com/image/3261153
Two-year-old pecan trees are dwarfed by mature pecan trees at Mason Pecan orchards, in Fort Valley GA, on May 8, 2019.
Two years ago, owner Thomas Mason reached out to U.S. Department of Agriculture to address the farming challenges that resulted from Hurricane Irma. 800 of 2,400 10-year old trees were downed by the wind. USDA Farm Service Agency’s Tas Smith was there to help. The orchard had to be cleared of debris before harvesting the surviving trees. The challenge is raising saplings alongside newly mature 12-year-old trees that require different levels of nutrients and care. This orchard’s yield will be cut by 1/3 until the saplings reach 12 years of age. Along the rows of trees and cover crop, burn sites, where tree cuttings were disposed of, are still seen in the orchard. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung. Original public domain image from Flickr
Public DomainFree CCO U.S. Government image for Personal and Business use