tomforester, how I wish it were so simple. When you take a cutting, a sequence reactions take place dependent upon how the cutting is treated. Leave it lying around and the cut surface seals over to protect against loss of moisture. That is why we stick the cutting in the propagation medium asap; or if time passes, we make a fresh cut to (re)stimulate the rooting processes. All regenerative activity arises from the cambium layer - the "green sap" which we see when we scratch the bark. At first, cell division occurs - one cell becomes many. Next, cell differentiation takes place ("division of labor"). The "daughter cells" (I am not sexist; my text books may have been) begin to acquire different characteristics. In this case, the influences of temperature, lack of light and optimum moisture content produce root tissue and these differentiate into cortex and stele (the two I remember) and that's how Mother Nature makes our cuttings root. There is a separate process called "osmosis". This determines if water will flow into or out of a cell. If the solution (water with stuff dissolved in it) outside of the cell is stronger than the solution inside the cell, then water only will run out of the cell and the cell solution will become toxic. This happens when we over-apply fertilizer or we do not irrigate on time. In either case water only runs out of the cells and cell solution becomes toxic. And you might induce this when you place the cutting in a liquid with " special liquid fertilizer for citruses" dissolved in it. Do you see that "a lot of longitudinal grooves with exacto-knife at the bottom of the shoot to maximize the contact surface area" will aggravate the 'reverse osmosis' reaction?

There are 2 potential answers. 1. Most likely this is an off year for your tree. Pecans are a masting tree (bear fruit irregularly). This is natural and happens in the wild. The purpose of this is that by producing a large crop, the tree makes more seed than the predators can eat (crows, squirells, weevils) so some is left for new trees. The next year there are no nuts and the predators starve and the population lowers. Often all the trees in the forest will be on a similar schedule and one year there are few nuts, the next year plenty. Even good pecan growers struggle with this problem, and it is the focus of much pecan research. 2. The other potential problem is pecan scab. This is a disease that affects the leaf and shucks, producing black velvety spots. If the young nuts are heavily infected they will drop off in the summer. In a wet year this disease can devastate your crop. If you see a lot of catkins on the tree in spring, there were probably female flwers as well and if you then don't have nuts something like scab took the crop. If you don't see catkins then the female flowers were probably never there and it is an off-year for your tree.

This is so gross. I wad weeding near this area when a sudden wind gust made hundreds of bag worms fall on me. They were easy to shake off by I was grossed out nonetheless

I took two sprouts from a golf course a few years ago and they rooted for me. We now have two nicely growing trees. I can't wait till they bear fruit, but I like the green olives best. I love to brine them, and jar them up with garlic, herbs and citrus. You need someone like me that wants the sprouts! :-)