Are pistachios difficult to grow?
Written by
Tina Carter
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.*Cultivating pistachios* tests the limits of both your skill and patience. The tree is happiest under strict parameters that most crops would never tolerate. I have revived orchards that were on the verge of failure by correcting only one decimal in pH or altering the irrigation schedule just a bit. True success depends on you forging a scientific understanding of what your soil speaks to you just above the whisper.
Soil Preparation
- Test layers: Sample 0-24" and 24-48" depths separately
- Amend clay: 40% coarse sand + 5% gypsum by volume
- Avoid salts: Leach soils if EC exceeds 4 dS/m
Pollination Setup
- Male placement: Upwind of females within 50ft
- Bloom sync: Match Peters males to Kerman females
- Backup plan: Plant 2 male varieties for climate shifts
A client's 10-acre orchard did educate me in the nuances of irrigation. He watered every day, like his almond trees. His pistachios were drowning. We changed the schedule and amount to 18 gallons every 14 days, and yields increased by 22%. Pistachios have deep taproots that can reach moisture at depth, but the soil becomes saturated, and Phytophthora can thrive. When it comes to pistachios, balance is everything for survival.
Pruning mistakes take away five years of previous growth. A neighbor of mine used to sheer trees as if they were hedges, blocking significant sunlight. We re-envisioned the trees through open-center pruning and removed about 30% of the tree's branches. The next season, nut size increased by 40%. When cut appropriately, the energy goes to growth instead of growth through guesswork.
Protection from freezing distinguishes professionals from backyard hobbies. My practice is to wrap young trunks in thermal tape or fabric when the forecast calls for 25°F (-4°C). In 2021, we had our crop protected when overnight temperatures dropped to -6°F (-21°C) thanks to overhead sprinklers. Preparation is always better than regret when Arctic fronts move in.
Read the full article: How to Grow Pistachios: 9 Essential Steps for Success
