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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPistachios trees are easy to care for, as they only require several basic things \u2013 heat, light, water, nutrients, and a little annual maintenance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are deciduous trees and are heat lovers enjoying hot summers (100\u00b0F) and dry heat conditions. They also need winter to be cool, so they become dormant. This combination produces the best quantity<\/a> and quality of nuts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They grow best<\/a> in hardiness zones 7 to 11. They are native to western Asia and Asia Minor, stretching from Syria to Pakistan, although they are now grown extensively in Australia and other places where the conditions are right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you plant a young pistachio tree, you\u2019ll need to be patient, as it will be some time before you\u2019ll see any nuts. On average, it takes around eight years before the trees begin really fruiting, and peak production can take 15 to 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best soil for growing pistachios is a deep sandy loam. They send down a deep taproot to seven feet or more, so shallow soils are unsuitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The poorer the soil, the closer together the trees should be planted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your trees are young, it\u2019s best to ensure they have sufficient nutrients to grow big and strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can be done scientifically, or not. A simple method is to apply well-rotted manure or compost around the tree’s base every spring. This not only helps feed the tree but also improves the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to be more technical, a soil analysis lets you see what nutrients are deficient and it is then possible to fertilize accordingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that the basic needs are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K), as well as other macronutrients that will be present in a good quality fruit tree fertilizer. Zinc is an especially important macronutrient for nut trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By feeding a 10.10.10 fertilizer mix in late winter or early spring, will do more good than harm, providing you follow the manufacturer’s instructions on quantities and mixing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another method is to monitor your trees closely and see what they need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Always ensure you keep chemical fertilizers away from the trunk of the tree to prevent it from burning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaf analysis is another good way to tell what your trees may be lacking. It helps diagnose deficiencies so you can treat them effectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pistachio trees grow best<\/a> when the soil pH is between 7 and 7.5. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once trees are well established and producing heavy nut crops, many farmers only feed their trees once every few years and, in some cases, not at all, with no apparent reduction in harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It may seem strange, as most trees don\u2019t really require watering in the winter, but although a mature pistachio tree is very drought tolerant in summer, they do require deep watering in the winter to help them recover. We will look at this in more detail later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pistachio trees are either male or female, and you need one of each for pollination to successfully occur. Commercial growers will often plant their trees in a particular pattern with a particular number of female trees to every male. This helps with successful wind pollination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your soil is poor, you can plant trees closer together, 12 to 15 feet apart. In better soils, the tree\u2019s spread will be greater, and space of 20 feet or more will be required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Commercial orchards often plant trees closer together for their early years to increase their per acre nut yield. They will then cut down every other line when the trees are maturing to make more space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can seem like an unnecessary sacrifice, but it is all about producing the highest possible yields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you buy a young tree from a nursery, they usually come in biodegradable containers. Rather than remove this, you simply place it in the hole. This is because pistachios hate root disturbance, and it can kill your tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once rootstock is potted up, it is grown to around 18 inches with a good diameter of trunk. In the fall, it will be grafted with an excellent nut-producing cultivar. The T-budding method is a widespread grafting technique for pistachios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As they grow, they require plenty of water until they become well established. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is common to grow them in a vase shape in California, but this should not be done in harsher desert areas like Arizona or New Mexico. A single leader is needed in these areas to prevent the tree from breaking when it\u2019s carrying a nut harvest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the first few years, an open framework of branches should be established with careful pruning<\/a>. Once this has been done, no further pruning will be required except to cut out dead, damaged, or diseased wood and to remove excess growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSoil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Feeding Pistachio Trees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Irrigation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pollination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Space<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Planting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Grafting and Pruning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Harvesting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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