Georgia has been inundated with rain over the last week. This came at a time in which the shells of many varieties are at shell hardening. As a result of that I would expect to see nuts hitting the ground over the next week or two as a result of water stage fruit split. This occurs when there is a big influx of water or even just high humidity around the time of shell hardening. Its something that occurs on some level every year but the conditions we are experiencing are perfect for it. The nuts tend to drop about a week after the heavy rain events. The trees suck up so much water so quickly that it has no where to go because as the shells harden they don’t expand and the hydraulic pressure inside the nut splits them internally. When timing and water pressure are just right you can even see the longitudinal split on the pecan shuck. The nuts fall about a week later. See previous posts on this topic here.
We are also seeing some leaf drop at the moment resulting from the hot, dry weather we had just prior to the rain. If you see green leaves falling, that is likely the culprit. But be on the lookout for black aphids and mites during this time of year as well.
