PUBLICATION 8147

Pistachio: Calendar of
Operations for Home Gardeners
PAMELA M. GEISEL and ROBERT H. BEEDE, University of California Cooperative
Extension Farm Advisors, Fresno and Kings Counties
Pistachios can make an excellent nut tree in the home garden in many areas of
California. The pistachio nut is a good source of protein, is low in saturated fat, and
has no cholesterol. Pistachio trees have few pests, which makes them a good choice for
UNIVERSITY OF organic gardeners (for more information on pistachio pests, see Pistachio: UC IPM Pest
CALIFORNIA Management Guidelines, available for free downloading from the UC IPM Web site at
Division of Agriculture http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PDF/PMG/pmgpistachio.pdf). Although the availability of
and Natural Resources faster-growing disease-resistant rootstocks has made home production more feasible,
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu pistachio remains a slow-growing tree, taking 5 to 6 years to produce the first crop of
nuts.
Because pistachios are wind-pollinated, bees are not required for nut production,
although bees are frequently attracted to the pollen-bearing male flowers. In pistachio,
male and female flowers are borne on separate trees; a female tree planted alone will
not produce nuts unless a male tree is growing nearby. For best pollination, plant a
male upwind of every 10 to 15 female trees. Cultivar choices in pistachios are limited,
with most commercial growers planting Kerman as the female tree and Peters as the
male tree. The first harvest produces about 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of split nuts, and the
tenth harvest may produce 50 pounds (23 kg) or more. Typically, 20 percent or more
of Kerman nuts fail to split, and up to 5 percent have no kernels inside. Pistachio is
also alternate bearing, meaning that heavy crops one year are followed lighter crops
the next year. Good irrigation and pruning practices can reduce, but not eliminate,
alternate bearing.
Pistachios have a high chilling requirement: about 850 hours below 45F (7.2C)
between November 1 and March 30. Equally important, pistachios require warm, dry
weather from July to early September for proper kernel maturation. While the trees
tolerate short periods of winter cold to about 27F (2.8C), leaves and flowers can
be injured by early fall and spring frosts. Heavy rainfall during pollination can reduce
fruit set and cause wet-weather diseases such as Botrytis and Alternaria blights.
Pistachios do best in deep, light- to medium-textured, well-drained soils, but they
will grow on many soil types. Pistachios tolerate drought once established, but produc-
ing quality kernels with split nuts requires as much as 50 gallons (190 l) of water per
tree per day from July to late August in the climate zones where pistachios are grown.
However, excessively wet soil promotes root and crown diseases.

WINTER/DORMANT SEASON
Plant 1-year-old container-grown trees in January or February.
Remove broken, dead, and crossing branches and head back shoots (for more
information on pruning, see Fruit Trees: Training and Pruning Deciduous Trees,
available for free downloading from the ANR CS Web site at http://anrcatalog.
ucdavis.edu/pdf/8057.pdf). Pistachios bear fruit from lateral buds on 1-year-
old wood. Almost all growth occurs near the terminal end or tip of the branch.
Pistachio shoots must be headed back to force lateral growth and keep the
canopy upright and compact. As a general rule for heading back branches of
mature trees, try to leave two to three vegetative buds beyond the fruit buds at
the end of the branch to avoid dieback and provide for next seasons growth
ANR Publication 8147 2

(fruit buds may be distinguished from vegetative buds by size: fruit buds are
larger). Heading branches in this manner leaves the branch with 16 to 20 inches
(about 40 to 50 cm) of last seasons growth. Do not prune the shorter branches,
which are fruiting spurs. Head back branches on young trees to develop shape
and structure. Once trees mature, combine heading cuts with thinning cuts to
provide uniform light distribution. Prune with the objective of making the can-
opy more compact and upright. To reduce alternate bearing, prune more heavily
prior to an on-bearing year, even though it causes some crop loss. This improves
nut yield during the following off-year.
Pistachio does not require an annual dormant spray. If soft scale becomes a prob-
lem, treat with dormant oil in early to mid-February.
To reduce the incidence of navel orangeworm during the growing season, gather
and destroy all old nuts on the ground and in the tree. This alone can eliminate
the need for pesticide use during the growing season.

SPRING/BLOOM SEASON
Prune out any disease-blighted shoots and destroy them, particularly if the
spring weather is cool and wet during the bloom period. Male Peters trees are
susceptible to Botrytis blossom rot in wet weather.
Remove all weeds and grasses from around the home orchard and around the
base of the trees to reduce damage from plant bugs, which are insects with suck-
ing mouthparts that feed on the fruit and damage the pistachio nuts.
Keep the trunk and crown area around the trunk dry in summer to reduce root
and crown rot disease.
Be careful not to overwater newly planted trees; check the root ball moisture
when deciding whether to irrigate. Healthy pistachio trees have reddish tip
growth, which, if water stressed, becomes shorter in length. Excessively wet
soil causes the foliage to turn slightly yellow. Healthy trees grow about 1 inch
(2.5 cm) per day in warm weather.
Pistachios frequently suffer from zinc and boron deficiency. Deficiency of either
mineral causes poor fruit set and tree growth. Apply a multinutrient foliar spray
containing zinc, boron, and copper every 3 weeks on newly planted trees.
For mature trees, apply zinc as a foliar spray in late October, mid-March, and
mid-April. Boron can be added to the mid-March or April treatment.

SUMMER/GROWING SEASON
For optimal growth and nut development, keep the soil moist to at least 4 feet
(1.2 m) deep throughout the growing season. By mid-May, a mature pistachio
tree consumes 40 gallons (150 l) of water per day in hot, dry climates such as
that of Californias San Joaquin Valley. From early July to harvest, each tree con-
sumes up to 50 gallons (190 l) of water per day. Pistachios perform very well
under low-volume irrigation systems such as minisprinklers or drip. This allows
frequent application and reduces water waste from flood or basin irrigation. On
newly planted trees, place the emitters within about 1 foot (30 cm) of the tree
base in order to wet the root ball. Each winter, pull the emitter hose such that by
the fifth year, the emitters are located halfway between the trees within the row.
To minimize foliar disease, do not use impact sprinkler heads, which wet the
canopy. Monitor soil moisture frequently to determine whether your selected
irrigation schedule is keeping up with tree water use.
ANR Publication 8147 3

Avoid allowing water to pond on the soil surface for longer than 2 days. The
resulting humidity increases the likelihood of Alternaria blight, a foliar disease that
causes browning of the leaves and staining of the nut shell just prior to harvest.
Pistachios have a high nutrient demand during kernel development (July
through August). A mature tree requires 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of ammonium sulfate
(1 pound, or 0.45 kg, of actual nitrogen) during the growing season. Ammonium
sulfate is best applied in small amounts from mid-May to early August. As an
alternative, apply 20 to 25 pounds (9.1 to 11.4 kg) of steer manure to each tree
per year. Water well after applying fertilizer or manure.

AUTUMN/HARV EST SEASON

To minimize damage from navel orangeworm, harvest nuts as early as possible
(for more information on harvest and storage, see Harvesting and Storing Your
Home Orchards Nut Crop, available for free downloading from the ANR CS Web
site at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8005.pdf). Harvest when the skin (hull)
of the nut changes from a greenish to a yellowish-red color. At this stage, the
hull readily slips from the nut when squeezed between thumb and index finger,
revealing an already split nut. This usually happens in early to mid-September.
Do not delay harvest, thinking all the nuts will eventually slip or be split.
Delaying harvest results in excessive hull tissue breakdown, which causes shell
staining and increased insect damage. Also, a certain percentage of nuts remain
closed or blank inside no matter how long harvest is delayed. Delaying harvest
also promotes losses from birds: a single bird can consume 1 pound (0.45 kg) of
nuts per day.
Nuts can be shaken or knocked off the tree with a pole onto tarps placed
beneath the tree. Do not knock the nuts directly onto the soil, since dirt and
contamination from injurious molds can occur.
Pistachios must be hulled and dried within 24 hours of harvest to avoid stain-
ing the shells and initiating Rhizopus species (bread mold) fungal growth. First,
place the hulled pistachios in a large bucket of water to float off the blank
(kernel-less) nuts. Hull the nuts using a large piece of grate-like metal fastened
to a frame of 24 lumber. This creates a coarse surface that facilitates hull
removal. Wearing thick gloves, rub your hands over the nuts on the grate until
most of them have separated from their hulls. In a certain percentage of the nuts,
the hull will stick tight to the shell, and further hulling increases the percent-
age of clean nuts only slightly. Also, sticktight nuts are usually poorly filled ker-
nels or blanks. Large quantities of pistachios are best hulled using a commercial
potato peeler, which consists of a motor-driven spinning drum with rough sides.
Up to 20 pounds (9 kg) of fresh nuts can be hulled at one time.
After hulling, place the nuts on a clean surface in a warm (75 to 80F, or about
24 to 26.5C) well-ventilated area to dry. Layer no more than two nuts deep and
cover with bird netting to prevent birds from taking nuts. The nuts should dry
in 3 to 4 days under warm conditions. Protect the nuts from rain to avoid spoil-
age. Nuts hulled with a commercial potato peeler are wetter initially and require
warmer drying conditions to prevent molds from developing. Nuts can also be
dried in a household oven at 140 to 160F (about 60 to 70C) for 10 to 14
hours. Stir them occasionally to promote even drying. Hulled nuts can be soaked
in a brine solution and then roasted for salted nuts in the shell.
After harvest, remove and destroy nuts left on the tree as well as those on the
ground to reduce injury to the kernels from the pistachio seed chalcid.
ANR Publication 8147 4

Freeze the nuts for a few days to kill any insect eggs that may have been pres-
ent, then store in-shell nuts in a cool, dry place in sealed plastic bags. Shelled
nuts may be stored for several months to a year in a refrigerator or freezer. In
general, the storage life for shelled nuts is shorter at room temperature than in a
refrigerator or freezer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Youll find more information on pistachios in the following ANR Communication
Services publications:
Fruit Trees: Training and Pruning Deciduous Trees, Publication 8057, 2002,
available for free downloading from the ANR CS Web site at
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8057.pdf.
Harvesting and Storing Your Home Orchards Nut Crop, Publication 8005,
1998, available for free downloading from the ANR CS Web site at
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8005.pdf.
Pistachio: UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines, Publication 3461, 2004,
available for free downloading from the UC IPM Web site at
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PDF/PMG/pmgpistachio.pdf.
To order or obtain printed publications and other products, visit the ANR
Communication Services online catalog at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu. You can also
place orders by mail, phone, or FAX, or request a printed catalog of our products from:
University of California
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Communication Services
6701 San Pablo Avenue, 2nd Floor
Oakland, California 94608-1239
Telephone: (800) 994-8849 or (510) 642-2431, FAX: (510) 643-5470
E-mail inquiries: [email protected]
An electronic version of this publication is available on the ANR Communication
Services Web site at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu.
Publication 8147 ISBN 978-1-60107-318-1
2004 by the Regents of the University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural
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ANR Publication 8147 5

WARNING ON THE USE OF CHEMICALS

Pesticides are poisonous. Always read and carefully follow all precautions and safety recommendations
given on the container label. Store all chemicals in their original labeled containers in a locked cabinet or
shed, away from foods or feeds, and out of the reach of children, unauthorized persons, pets, and live-
stock.
Confine pesticides to the property being treated. Avoid drift onto neighboring properties or gardens contain-
ing fruits and/or vegetables ready to be picked.
Dispose of empty containers carefully. Follow label instructions for disposal. Never reuse the containers.
Make sure empty containers are not accessible to children or animals. Never dispose of containers where
they may contaminate water supplies or natural waterways. Do not pour down sink or toilet. Consult your
county agricultural commissioner for correct ways of disposing of excess pesticides. Never burn pesticide
containers.
PHYTOTOXICITY: Certain chemicals may cause plant injury if used at the wrong stage of plant develop-
ment or when temperatures are too high. Injury may also result from excessive amounts or the wrong for-
mulation or from mixing incompatible materials. Inert ingredients, such as wetters, spreaders, emulsifiers,
diluents, and solvents, can cause plant injury. Since formulations are often changed by manufacturers, it is
possible that plant injury may occur, even though no injury was noted in previous seasons.