I have experience with Kanza. It's becoming very popular for it's disease resistance and high quality nut. The only downside is a small nut. But it cracks out easily into perfect halves. It was the easiest shelling variety in my former 30 variety test orchard in Amarillo.

Lakota is even newer. I don't have experience growing it but have entertained the notion.

I have a Kanza, in my search it came up #1 for a reliable tasty backyard variety. I also have a Caddo, it is similar to Kanza being small but very tasty and disease-resistant. It is a later season variety developed in NC and its not completely clear it will ripen in time. I don't have much room so I planted them in the same hole and will get a V-shaped tree. I have seen pecans like that in the wild so I figure it will work in my yard :-)

Scott

Kanza, absolutely! Scab-resistant, high quality kernel, early-maturing, late pollen-shed(Type II)
If I were limited to only 2 trees, I'd probably plant Kanza, and its female parent, Major, but most you've mentioned would not be disappointments. Amling, Gafford, McMillan are Southern-origin varieties with good scab resistance - unproven in your area, but I have most of them growing here in KY (against Bill Goff's recommendations) still awaiting nut crops.
Check out the offerings at Rock Bridge Trees nursery - grafted nut trees right there in middle TN, including a good selection of grafted pecans..

Here is a link that might be useful: Rock Bridge

This thread inspired me to go out and take a pic of my Major pecan this morning (planted based on Lucky's recommendation years ago). It produced one pecan this year (first one). Here it is:

Here is a pic of a Major pecan I grafted this spring. It grew about 7' tall this summer.

Well, looks like Kanza will be an obvious choice. I'm leaning toward Amling for the 2nd tree. Might also go with Lakota if I decide to go with a third tree.

Lucky, thanks for the tip on Rock Bridge nursery. Looks like they really have a good selection of trees - just about everything I was looking for. But, their prices - wow, they are really expensive. Wonder if they'd be any cheaper if the trees were picked up. I'll get in contact with them. I'm also looking at a few other nurseries, but most haven't updated their websites for the new season.

Olpea, how long did it take to get that first nut? Do you have other trees for pollination? Looks like pecan trees grow pretty fast, which is what I had read. Similar to the growth of black walnut, I suppose.

This post was edited by RobThomas on Sun, Sep 21, 14 at 21:06

Alabama has some nice information on pecans for humid climates.

For a homeowner it's nice to have a pecan that doesn't alternate bear. That's usually the varieties that have low to moderate yields. I took out one tree that overset terribly resulting in poorly filled nuts. The next yr it set almost nothing. So every other yr I got a lot of lousy nuts alternating with almost nothing. I think this variety was Mahan so late maturity probably contributed to poor nut fill.

In middle TN it might also be important to chose an early maturing variety.

Here is a link that might be useful: Alabama pecan recommendations

This post was edited by fruitnut on Sun, Sep 21, 14 at 22:06

Rob,

I'm thinking I purchased that Major pecan tree around 07. I planted it but after a couple years decided to move it to its current location. It set it back considerably when I moved it.

The "new" pecan tree in the picture grew so fast because I grafted it on a pecan rootstock that was well established. Normally freshly planted pecans don't grow near that fast here. Peaches grow fast, but not pecans.

None of my planted pecans are shedding pollen (i.e. catkins) yet, so I think the older Major pecan must have gotten pollinated by some wild pecan.

I'll offer another recommendation for Kanza. My wife's relatives have an 80 acre pecan orchard. They say Kanza is very scab resistant and their heaviest producer. Their exact words, "It produces like crazy."

olpea:

Kanza alternate bears. That's part of what goes along with heavy production. But according to the Alabama info it maintains good nut quality in the on yrs. It's also freeze tolerant which they say is important in northern Alabama and therefore probably middle TN.

The trouble with pecans is that it takes ~40 yrs to fully evaluate a pecan cultivar. That is to know how they do as a mature tree both disease wise and nut yield and quality wise. That time frame isn't an exaggeration. Very much more difficult than fruit trees. Kanza hasn't been around long enough to fully evaluate. Same can be said for most of the other candidates.

Haven't bought a grafted tree in years - and yes, they are more expensive now than they were 20 years ago. That said RBT's trees are not much more expensive than bareroot specimens from another reputable source, and having been grown in the Rootmaker bags... well, you'll have no transplant shock and no reestablishment period (which may be as much as 3 yrs on some larger bareroot nut trees) - they go right to growing.
I have had some nut trees that I grafted bear a few nuts within 3 years; most by 5-8 - but have a couple that I purchased and planted back in 1996 that have yet to produce a nut.
2-yr old seedling pecans I planted in a riparian bufferstrip planting in 2000 began bearing their first light crops of nuts last year.

Kanza has been around since 1955, but wasn't released until 1996. Talk about slow development....

http://cgru.usda.gov/carya/pecans/kanza.htm

devon:

Sweet, my name is on the Kanza release document. I had forgotten that detail. Doesn't mean I really know that much about it but I was part of the team testing short season pecans.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kanza info

"Kanza alternate bears. That's part of what goes along with heavy production."

Fruitnut,

My wife's uncle hasn't mentioned the alternate bearing of Kanza in SE KS. They mostly have 4 varieties - Kanza, Giles, Pawnee, and Maramec (as I recall). They have a spattering of other varieties, as well as a few native pecans, but most of their planting is of the 4.

My understanding is that most pecan cultivars in general are alternate bearing, but they haven't experienced much of that. Every year they haul 1500 lb. bags out by the semi load.

They planted the grove in the early 80s. It took them a long time to get the initial crop, but they've been harvesting consistently now for quite a few years.

I saw your name as one of the testers of Kanza. Pretty cool.

Fruitnut, that is awesome.

I'm kinda in the mood to test about five pounds of Kanza right now!

Well, I talked to David w/Rock Bridge Trees. We spoke for about 15 minutes. He was extremely friendly and seemed interested and eager to answer my questions. There are still other nurseries that I want to check with first before making my decision, but I'm much more inclined to buy from him just because of how friendly he was. The only down side to the conversation is that he's out of Kanza!

Also, Nolin River is completely out of pecans through 2015. Nothing until 2016.

Bass Pecan has a good selection of pecan tree varieties (including Kanza). Prices are steep, but seems like they have good inventory.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bass Pecan

Caution: if you're planting in an area colder than zone 7, I'd want to make sure that your rootstock is of northern/midwestern type (Major, Giles, Kanza seedlings, etc.). Would be a shame to get several years down the road and have a good 'test' winter kill the Southern pecan rootstock out from under your cold-hardy northern selections. It happens.

Very good information. Recommendations sure do change from year to year, but that must be the result of all the testing. I think that I will try a couple of the new ones if I can find scions. I would like to try KANZA and ADAMS 5 . I have Gafford scion to exchange. January or early February 2015 would be the best time to take cuttings.I am willing to pay for package and postage if you do not want Gafford in exchange.

Thanks for all the info and recommendations.

WLH, Adams 5 appears to be an excellent choice, but I could find no one who is selling it.

Anyone have recommendations on any other vendors?

Womack nursery has Kanza, Pawnee & Lakota on northern rootstock.

Here is a link that might be useful: Womack Nursery

How successful will the OP be if he only plants two trees?
I was thinking about only planted two but have decided to plant more to increase the odds.
Thanks