Pistachio tree

Pistachio tree: Canopy width 500 cm (197 in). Full sun, 6–8 hours a day.

Key facts

Canopy width	500 cm (197 in)
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	40 cm (16 in)
Height when grown	450 cm (177 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

How it is started	From a bought plant
When to plant	Outdoors before the last frost; soil at least 8 °C

Takes transplanting	Only with care, keep the root ball
Life cycle	Perennial
Cold tolerance	Takes a light frost → hardy, takes hard frost
Soil	Light, sandy, free draining, pH 7–8
In a pot	—
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; while fruit sets, in dry spells
Feeding	Moderate; in spring
Support and training	A stake; prune, tie in as it grows

Days to first harvest	5–7 years, from planting
Ready when	The husk opens and the nuts drop
Harvest window	All at once, 2–3 weeks
Typical yield	5–20 kg per plant
Botanical family	Anacardiaceae
Watch out for	Scale insects, canker
First crop after	5–7 years
Pollination	Needs another variety nearby

◐ good with a condition · Why, with the sources →

Open the free planner, drop Pistachio tree onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Plant out	Mar–Apr
Harvest	Sep–Oct

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Anacardiaceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.