Pecans (Carya illinoinensis) are widespread during U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 10, and also in California, grow from the Chico-Orland area in the north all the way down to San Diego County in the south. Based on the species, pecans are generally picked in California’s inland valleys in the autumn of the year. Several procedures are used for picking up pecans from the ground, such as by hand using a pecan picker. But a yard sweeper, which is essentially the same as a rolling nut harvester, is on par with a frequent carpet sweeper when it comes to ease of use. Simply roll the sweeper over the nuts and allow them to gather in the container.
Inspect the pecans for signs of maturity, such as completely brown shells and split shucks, also referred to as hulls. It is possible to eliminate the shucks of adult, ready-to-harvest pecans by hand.
Remove all debris, such as junk, leaves and fallen twigs, from round the pecan trees. Mow the grass around the trees into the recommended height for your type of grass, keeping a distance of 3 to 5 feet from the base of the trees.
Agitate the trees’ branches using a long, sturdy pole, branch shaker or a pole with a hook attached on one end to generate the nuts fall to the ground.
Adjust your yard sweeper’s brush height to 1/2-inch. In case you have a pull-behind yard sweeper, attach it to a yard tractor’s hitch.
Position the yard sweeper under the outer portion of the tree spread. Run the sweeper below the tree canopy many times to gather as many pecans as possible. Empty the sweeper bin as needed and repeat.