Pistachios are one of my favorite snacks, so I’d like to tell you about them and maybe tell you some things you didn’t know. We live in a dry, hot New Mexico place with a long, sunny planting season. This makes it a great place to grow pistachio trees on thousands of acres.
Over 95% of the pistachios grown in the United States are Kerman pistachios, which are big and have a thin shell and a light-colored kernel.
California and Arizona constitute the other two main states in the US that grow pistachios for commercial use. In California, pistachios are mostly grown in the San Joaquin Valley, and in Arizona, they are mostly managed to grow in the southern part of the state.
Even though pistachios might grow well in other parts of the US, they are usually only grown on a small scale. If you’d like to plant a pistachio tree, you should find out what kind of climate and soil it needs and talk to your local extension office for help since my steps are general.
Check with a local garden center or nursery to see if they sell young pistachio trees. If they do, it’s almost certain that they will grow well in your area. They won’t carry any plants that didn’t grow in the area. Pistachio nuts grow in groups along the branches of a female tree. They take a few months to reach full maturity.
It takes 7–10 years for pistachio trees that grow from seeds to bear fruit. Instead, go to a local nursery or garden center and buy young grafted trees that can bear fruit in 3–4 years. Then, follow the steps below to plant them. Usually, grafted trees are grown on chosen rootstocks because they are disease-resistant.
How to Plant a Pistachio Tree.
Pistachios grow on tiny to medium-sized deciduous forests that can grow 20–30 feet tall, so keep that in mind when looking for a place to plant your tree. Also, look for a place with soil that drains well and can be watered.
- Buy a young pistachio tree grafted at a local nursery or garden center in early spring.
- Pistachios grow best in sandy loam soil with a pH between 7.0 and 8.0. Before you plant, add organic matter and nutrients to the soil to make sure it is in that range. Then, you can change the soil as needed.
- Pistachio trees have male and female flowers but grow on different trees. So, if you want nuts, you must plant both male and female trees about 15–20 feet apart. Plant one male forest for every 8–12 female trees to grow big.
- Dig down as far as the roots will go and give it a lot of water after planting.
- Pistachio trees need to be watered often to grow well. Younger trees need watering more often than older trees. Use drip irrigation or small sprinklers to save water and stop soil from washing away.
- Use fertilizer based on the soil test results and what the trees need. For instance, young trees must be fertilized more often than old trees.
- To keep the trees’ shape and help them grow well, prune them in the winter or early spring. Remove any dead or sick branches and thin the canopy to let more light in.
- Check the trees often for pests and diseases, and if you find any, take action. Talk to your local extension office about how to deal with pests and diseases. They can tell you about your area’s most common diseases and pests.
- Most pistachios are ready to be picked in late summer or early fall. When the shells split and the nuts are fully grown, you can pick them.
Pistachios are nuts that are related to cashews. Even though pistachios grow well in places like deserts, they are not the only plants that grow in deserts. They can grow well in many different climates and regions. It would help if you looked at the flowers to tell a male pistachio tree from a female one.
Pests and diseases of pistachio trees
Several pests can do a lot of damage to a crop of pistachios if they get into the trees. Some of the most common things that harm pistachio trees are:
- Navel Orangeworm: This is a big problem for pistachio trees because it damages the nuts and the trees. The larvae of the orange navel worm eat the nuts, which makes them go bad and lowers the yield. Also, when there are a lot of larvae, they can eat into the tree’s shoots, killing them.
- Spider Mites: These tiny spider-like bugs can damage pistachio trees by eating the leaves, making them turn yellow and fall off.
- Aphids: These tiny insects that feed on the leaves of pistachio trees and spread plant viruses can do a lot of damage.
- Thrips: These tiny bugs that eat the leaves and flowers of pistachio trees can hurt them.
- Scale Insects: These bugs can get into pistachio trees and feed on the sap, causing the leaves to turn yellow and wilt.
Pistachio trees can get sick from fungi, bacteria, and viruses, hurting the crop. The following constitute a few of the most popular diseases that affect pistachio trees:
- Verticillium Wilt: This fungal disease can damage pistachio trees greatly because it attacks the vascular tissue and stops water and nutrients from getting to the tree. Leaves on infected trees turn yellow and wilt, and the trees often die back.
- Botryosphaeria Blight: This fungal disease causes cankers on the trunk and branches of pistachio trees, causing dieback and decreased production.
- Phytophthora Root Rot: This fungal disease that spreads through the soil can cause the pistachio tree roots to rot, slows their growth, and decreases their crop. The leaves of infected trees also may turn yellow and fall off.
- Bacterial Blight: This bacterial illness may lead pistachio trees to lose their leaves and produce fewer nuts.
- Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome: This viral disease is spread by leafhoppers and causes stunted growth, yellowing, and bushy growth in affected trees.
