Tree of Pista Quick Facts, Planting and Maintenance Tips

Consider growing a pistachio tree (Pistacia vera) if you are seeking a perennial nut tree that will yield a delectable, crunchy snack packed with beneficial vitamins and minerals. The cashew family includes the pistachio, one of the gourmet nuts produced in most nations. In addition to having the fewest calories of all the nuts, these are also high in phytonutrients, antioxidants, essential fats, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and unsaturated fat. 

If you want to know about how pistachio trees grow, this article can aid in  planting pistachio trees less complicated.

See also: Mahogany tree: How to take care of it and use it the right way?

Pistachio tree: Key facts

Botanical name	Pistacia vera
Common name	Pista, Pistachio, Pistacia, Pistachio nuts
Family	Anacardiaceae
Origin	Central Asia, indigenous to Iran
Tree size	30 feet
Soil type	Well-drained deep sandy loam soils
Temperature	Above 30 degrees Celsius
Season	Ripen in late August or September
Toxic	Pistachio leaves are toxic to pets

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Pistachio tree: Physical description

The pistachio fruit resembles a peach; its exocarp and mesocarp, or “husk,” surround a tough but delicate off-white shell (the endocarp). To disclose the edible embryo, mainly made up of two green cotyledons coated in a thin seed coat, cracks open right before the nut matures.

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Although the pistachio tree rarely grows taller than 9 metres, it does have widely spreading branches. One to five pairs of thick, wide, pinnate, leathery leaflets make up each. In most cases, the plants are dioecious, bearing either male or female flowers, and are primarily pollinated by the wind. Pistachios are decorative and prolific, bearing nuts about 5-8 years after planting, and have stunning, oval-shaped leaves.

 

Pistachio tree: How to grow it?

Requirements to grow a pistachio tree

Need for unisex plants: Strong breezes in the spring and summer are essential for a productive pistachio crop. The female tree’s blossoms must receive enough current for the pollen from the male trees to travel there. Male trees should be planted where the prevailing winds will deliver their pollen to the female trees to ensure their success.

Light: The pistachio tree grows best in hot, arid settings and requires whole light for at least eight hours per day.

Watering: Your tree will benefit from thorough, infrequent watering that makes the soil completely saturated. Extra water is welcome in the hot heat. Before watering again, let the water drain.

Climate: Pistachios do not like their ground to freeze; thus, they need long, hot, dry summers and chilly winters. During dormancy, they need roughly 1,000 cumulative hours of temperatures at or below 45 °F.

Soil: The pistachio tree can thrive in practically any type of soil but prefers light, sandy, loamy soils that drain well. Because of their lengthy taproots, the earth must penetrate the ground with high calcium carbonate (CaCO3) concentration.

Fertiliser: Potassium and phosphorous deficiencies sometimes result in decreased seed production; therefore, you may also give your plants a 12-12-17 N-P-K fertiliser twice a year.

Growing pistachio from seeds

It takes time, but growing Pistachio plants from seeds is easy. You must plant at least one male and one female pistachio tree in the same yard to harvest pistachios. It allows the pollen to move from the male tree to the female tree via the wind. Pistachio trees need to be spaced around 20 feet apart. One male tree for every ten to fifteen female trees makes up the population of male trees.

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• Pick 10–12 healthy, high-quality seeds that you can quickly obtain from growers.
• Just be sure the seeds are unroasted and unseasoned, as pistachios are sold roasted and salted in the stores.
• These seeds should soak in a water dish for two to three days.
• The seeds should be removed and removed from their outer covering after soaking.
• Remember that too much soaking will cause the seeds to split open. And the entire procedure will have to be repeated.
• There are now two methods for getting your seeds to sprout.
• The first method involves placing the soaked seeds in a small, well-draining pot that has also been filled with coco peat or potting mix.
• Until the seeds germinate, water the plant and keep the pots in indirect sunlight.
• Using toilet paper is another method. To generate a greenhouse effect, you must wrap the seeds in damp paper and store them in a bag.
• Put the bag in the filtered sun to keep it warm.
• Wait for the seeds to go through the germination process, which can take up to 3–5 weeks after planting them.
• Transplanting the seeds into larger pots and allowing them to grow there is necessary when they have germinated and produced the size of two-leaf saplings.
• Usually, it takes the trees 6-7 years before they begin to bear fruit.

Commercial pistachio tree farming is possible in hot, arid locations with cold winters, but irrigation is preferred. The pistachio plants you develop from these seeds are only helpful for adding a plant to your garden because they cannot produce significant amounts of seeds. So, to later enjoy pleasant fruits, it is preferable to get a healthy plant from a nursery.

Pistachio pruning techniques

Pistachio trees are considered fruit trees; trimming is essential to achieving superior fruit quality while limiting growth.

• In April of the first growing season, choose the three to five branches you want to use as scaffold branches or the main structure of your young tree.
• Cut all other branches below the lowest unit, which should be 24 to 32 inches above the earth, and choose those evenly distributed around the trunk but not across from one another.
• Pinch all branches not scaffolded to a distance of 4 to 6 inches from the tree stem and remove any top branches that will shade the tree trunk.
• After that, in June, cut the scaffold branches to a length of 2 to 3 feet to encourage side branching while removing the lateral shoots to help shade the developing trunk.
• You can preserve the open core structure by selecting secondary scaffold branches as the tree becomes taller.
• You can prune two to three times a year, with dormant pruning done in the fall and summer pruning done in the spring and summer.

Harvesting pistachio

Nearly everywhere in the world, pistachios grow in the early summer and ripen in late August or September. When the pistachio harvesting season is approaching, it is simple to determine. The hulls of pistachio nuts change from green to a stunning pink-yellow tint as they are ready to be harvested. The outer husk of the nut, known as the epicarp, will detach from the inner husk. When that happens, wrap the branches to knock the nuts loose and get your harvest.

The thin, elastic hull known as the epicarp starts to break from the inner shell when the nuts are fully ripe. You may easily separate the epicarp from the inner surface by squeezing the epicarp between your fingers at this stage. The epicarps must be removed within 24 hours following harvest to keep the food fresh and flavorful. After being dried, the raw nuts can be roasted and spiced.

 

Pistachio tree: Maintenance tips

The pistachio tree, once established, is exceptionally hardy, tolerant of most soils, and only requires occasional watering. Pistachios can withstand wind and drought quite well due to their robust taproot. For the first couple of years, until the tree shows water at least once a week, more frequently in dry weather. Water only when necessary after the third winter, particularly during flowering and nut growth.

Fruit trees should be fertilised twice a year, in the spring and the fall, with a controlled-release fertiliser. You should also add composted manure and compost to the soil before planting.

At the end of the summer, when the nuts are fully mature, harvest them. When the nuts turn red to pink or yellow and the husk is simple to remove, they are ripe. They can be dried for later use or eaten right away.

Remember that scale and stink bug infestations can be dangerous to pistachio trees. Spray insecticidal soap on the tree as directed by the manufacturer to eliminate an infestation. Use pesticides cautiously because they could contaminate the fruit and affect helpful insects.

 

Pistachio tree: Yield

The climate, cultivar variety, and crop management techniques influence pistachio cultivation yield. After 10 to 12 years of budding, you can typically obtain a product of 8 to 10 kgs per fully developed tree.

 

Pistachio tree: Is this plant toxic?

Dogs can have gastrointestinal distress if they consume leaves of the Pistachio tree, and it may be poisonous to them. Dogs can be poisoned by any component of the pistachio fruit tree, including the roots, bark, or berries. Horses get poisoned by eating the withered foliage and seeds of some pistachio plants.

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Pistachio tree: Uses 

• The edible seeds of the Pistacia vera tree are a good source of protein, fibre, antioxidants, and beneficial fats.
• Pistachios are the nut with the highest concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin, two crucial antioxidants for eye health.
• Eating pistachios has significantly boosted the amount of butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut.
• Pistachios may reduce blood cholesterol levels. It could also reduce blood pressure more effectively than other nuts.
• The amino acid L-arginine can be found in abundance in pistachios. As a result, these little nuts might contribute significantly to promoting blood vessel health.
• Due to their low glycemic index, pistachios may help to reduce blood sugar levels.

 

FAQs

How can I protect pistachios from a fungal infection?

To keep the plant free from fungus, always use resistant rootstocks and water the roots rather than the foliage. Spray fungicide on diseased plants if there are any fungal issues.

How deep are the roots of the pistachio tree?

A mature pistachio tree has roots that are 10 feet deep on average. The width of the root can occasionally exceed 23–26 feet.