Removing pecan hull stains?

[Shiloh Acres]

Ok, this isn't life and death or anything but it is pretty unsightly and annoying.

I have a bunch of pecan trees. The one over the house isn't doing well ... Probably the drought and maybe some disease. Anyway, it's been dropping pecans IN the green cases. Usually those things open on the tree and the nut falls out when it's ready.

Being that I hate to waste anything, I decided to open a couple up and have a look. The nuts are unformed and soft, I guess very unripe. But what I'm actually asking about is the resulting nasty-looking brownish yellow stains. I finally got it off my skin, but now three weeks later my nails still look like they have something disgusting under them, and in a few places it runs between the nail and the skin on the front.

If I ever need a brown dye, I know where to get one!

In the meantime, does anyone know any way to get this stuff off???

Thanks!!!

 

[Collector]

We don't have any pecans around around here I didn't know the stain could be that powerful, have you tried turpentine ? :/

 

[Shiloh Acres]

The green hulls were kind of soft and when I crushed them a liquid came out.

I've never handled them before. Usually they stay attached to the tree. For all I know this may not be "normal" for them. There are black spotty patches with welts on this tree, and powdery patches. Could be a disease. Could be the very-early stage of the nuts. I did NOT break into hulls that looked diseased btw. These were just regular green hulls. I doubt fungi is involved but I'll use tea tree oil for a couple days anyway.

I'll have to check if I have any turpentine. I might. Not sure how I feel about using it on skin. I'll have to look that up first. Thanks for the suggestion.

I might have to wait for it to grow out,
but the part on the front could take many

months LOL. My nails are apparently
growing slower than I thought. I can tell
by the distinct line of "clean" behind the
disgusting-looking stain.



Wonder if I could stain raw wood with this stuff? Wearing gloves, lol. It is POWERFUL dye!

 

[Emerald]

Just going out on a limb here, but I am gonna assume that pecan hulls are like walnut hulls and that they stain like nobody's business!
I used my paint thinner that I use with my oil paints and it works ok but unless you want to scrub your finger nails raw- you just have to let it work its way out.
I do know that they used to use walnut hulls and pecan hulls to make wood stain in the old days... Ever watch the Waltons? They put the hulls in some kind of solvent( either paint thinner or kerosene or even gas etc.) and then they rubbed it on the wood and wiped it off till they got the color they wanted. then they varnished over or waxed heavily.

 

[debo4702]

We have had and picked pecans for years and I have never found anything other than time to remove those nasty stains. We learned if it was green leave it. Sometimes srubbing with lava soap helps. Whatever you do don't get it on any good clothes. As far as spots on the trees if they are lacking in certain minerals or I've noticed if it is really dry (like here this year) they will drop early and not ripen well. Sorry I'm not more help. Good luck.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

No, thanks to you both very much. I was starting to think "time" but I can't believe it's been weeks already.

It may be dryness for the tree. It's been a droughty summer. The ones in the pasture are probably faring better because I use more water out there and the aerobic septic sprays part of it.

Interesting about using it for wood stain. I was starting to think like that LOL.

And I tried to edit my last post but gave up cuz my screen is too small for it to let me, but I wanted to add that I regularly use a black walnut hull tincture which WILL stain, but this is many times worse!

Well, I found my brown dye if I ever need it! The yellowish part faded quickly on both skin and nails (looked like nasty bruises for the first 36 hours or so) but the blackish-brown remains.

I think I'd rather have a pretty blue or green, or just about any other color natual dye, LOL.

Thanks again.