Latest Prices for Pistachio Saplings and How to Grow Them

The pistachio is also known as bisi da, green kernel fruit, nameless fruit, and so on. It is a shrub of the genus Pistacia in the Anacardiaceae family, produced in Syria, Iraq, Iran, the southwestern part of the former Soviet Union, and southern Europe, among other places. It is also cultivated in Xinjiang, China, where it has good economic returns and can also serve as an excellent tree species for soil and water conservation. Now let us take a look at the prices of pistachio saplings and how to grow them!

Reference Price List for Pistachio Saplings

Note: Pistachio trees in China are concentrated in the Kashgar, Hotan, and Aksu regions south of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, with more planting in Shufu County and Shule County. Sapling prices vary depending on specifications, place of origin, and market conditions, among other factors. The above is for reference only; please rely on actual prices.

Growing Conditions for Pistachio Trees

1. Soil: Pistachio trees can grow in almost all types of soil, but especially prefer deep, thick, light, or dry calcareous sandy loam and yellow loam. They can also grow on gravelly, barren mountain land and semi-desert land, but cannot grow in overly damp, shaded, or waterlogged places.

2. Water: Suitable growing areas for pistachio trees generally have annual rainfall of 200-400 mm. In areas with annual rainfall below 80 mm, they can still tenaciously grow, bloom, and bear fruit, but a lack of water during the sensitive water-demand period in summer can lead to a total loss of fruit.

3. Temperature: Pistachio has strong adaptability to temperature, but requires a sufficiently cool winter to break bud dormancy and a long, hot, dry summer to allow the fruit to mature. The fruiting period requires a large temperature difference between day and night, and it grows well within the range of a maximum of 43.8°C and a minimum of -32.8°C.

How to Grow Pistachio Trees

1. Orchard site selection: Although pistachio has extremely strong adaptability, it is best to choose plots of loam and sandy loam with deep soil layers and good aeration. Be sure to choose the middle of hillsides, open flat land, valley land, and south-facing slopes that are sheltered from wind and facing the sun for orchard establishment. Do not establish the orchard on the windward side of the prevailing wind direction.

2. Seedling planting: The planting spacing for pistachio is preferably 3×4 m or 4×5 m, with 33-55 trees planted per mu. In densely planted orchards, 83-111 trees can be planted per mu. When planting, keep the roots level with the ground, firm the soil while planting, and then irrigate thoroughly.

3. Scientific fertilization: Fertilization of pistachio during the year is generally divided into 3 applications. The first is in early spring or autumn and winter, mainly with quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer. The second is during the fruit enlargement period, mainly with nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. The third is after fruit harvest, mainly with organic fertilizers such as compost and manure.

4. Training and pruning: Pistachio likes light and has strong trunk dominance. In high-density orchards, the free spindle shape is often used, while in low-density orchards, the natural open-center shape is mainly used.

① Free spindle shape: Its characteristic is having a central trunk, with 10-15 main branches alternately borne at different parts of the central trunk. The main branches maintain 80-90 degrees with the trunk, and medium and small fruiting branch groups are directly borne on the main branches.

② Natural open-center shape: Its characteristic is good ventilation and light transmission, with a trunk height of about 40-50 cm. Select and retain 3-4 main branches on the trunk, with a base angle of 45-75 degrees, and 2-4 side branches, with branch groups arranged on the side branches.

5. Flower and fruit management: Pistachio cultivation should strengthen comprehensive orchard management to enhance tree vigor and promote flower bud differentiation, and apply more organic fertilizer. Because it is self-unfruitful, configuring 1 row of pollinator varieties for every 2 rows of main cultivated varieties helps increase the fruit-setting rate.

Pest and Disease Control for Pistachio Trees

1. Gummosis

[Damage characteristics] Gummosis mainly occurs on branches and fruit. On severely affected branches, the bark cracks and is covered with gummy masses, causing tree vigor to decline until the tree dries up and dies.

[Control method] Scrape off the gum in time, clean up the scraped gum thoroughly, and burn it in a centralized manner. After scraping, apply 0.2% methyl violet solution to the diseased spots, and spray lime sulfur mixture before the tree buds.

2. Leaf spot

[Damage characteristics] Leaf spot begins to damage parts of leaves and fruit each year when the rainy season starts, turning them brown and causing early leaf fall. It also affects pistachio fruit development, leading to severe yield reduction or crop failure.

[Control method] Sweep up fallen pistachio leaves, cut off diseased leaves, and burn them in a centralized manner. During the disease period, promptly spray the whole plant with Bordeaux mixture.

3. Root rot

[Damage characteristics] Root rot is a root-rotting disease harmful to pistachio. In severe cases, it causes pistachio plants to grow weak and then wither and die.

[Control method] Strengthen orchard management, apply more organic fertilizer to enhance disease resistance, and drench the roots of diseased trees and surrounding plants that may be infected with 300 times diluted copper sulfate solution.

4. Brown helmet scale

[Damage characteristics] Overwintered nymphs and female adults of the brown helmet scale fix themselves on pistachio branches and cause damage. After being damaged, growth and development weaken, causing severe yield reduction.

[Control method] Before adult females lay eggs, manually wipe off the female scale covers on branches with a cloth, and spray lime sulfur mixture before pistachio budbreak.