Adequate soil moisture content is critical to pecan producers. Water is essential for normal plant growth and makes up a large percentage of the plant’s overall weight. Irrigation is used to maintain proper soil moisture to achieve optimal yields and nut quality. Thus, it is essential that growers apply the right amount of water at the right time. Understanding the basic principles of soil moisture storage, measurements, and management is necessary to use water efficiently in irrigated pecan orchards and to reduce deep percolation and potential pollution from runoff.Watering pecan trees should entail more than just applying water to orchards every 14 to 21 days. Often growers ask what the appropriate number of days between irrigations is. But they should be more concerned with the best way to water the orchard.First, growers should know the soil type and soil profile in each orchard block. Soil type and profile are very important in determining the soil’s water-holding capacity. Clay soils hold more water and can be watered less often than sandy soils.Second, apply a large amount at the first watering of the year. After that, the goal should be to replenish the water that has been used by the trees and lost to evaporation.Third, tree age plays an important role in water needs. Trees in established or mature orchards demand more water than do young, growing trees.Fourth, water demand at the beginning of the season is much less than in December and January, when temperatures are high, foliage is fully developed and pecan nuts are growing.