Do you sell pistachio trees?
Yes, we normally sell pistachio trees in February-March of each year. If
you will give us your name and address, we will send you a postcard
when we have trees to sell. This does not guarantee you the purchase of a tree.
Trees will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Trees can be
paid for in advance if you would like us to hold the trees for you.
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How can I request a postcard?
Fill out the
request form, and we'll add
you to our list.
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Do you ship pistachio trees?
No, trees must be picked up at our retail store in Alamogordo, New
Mexico.
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How many trees do I need?
You need a minimum of 2 trees – 1 male and 1 female. You
need one male tree for up to nine female trees.
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Which tree produces pistachios?
The male tree produces pollen and the female tree produces the
pistachios.
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Can I grow pistachios where I live?
The pistachio tree is a native desert plant that needs an arid
climate. It must have long, hot, dry summers and chilling in winter (1,000
hours under 45° F) but the ground should not freeze. The Phoenix desert
is too warm in the winter for pistachio production, and northern New
Mexico is too cold in the winter. Pistachio trees will not tolerate high
humidity in the summer, and they are sensitive to spring frosts. The root
system will not tolerate prolonged wet conditions. Producing areas in the
United States are the San Joaquin Valley in California (Stockton, Fresno,
Madera, Visalia, and Bakersfield), a small area around Tucson, Arizona and
the southeast corner of Arizona (Douglas and Wilcox), south central New
Mexico (Lordsburg, Deming, Las Cruces, Alamogordo, and Carlsbad), and
parts of West Texas (El Paso to Pecos).
It is also recommended that pistachio trees not be
planted in fields where cotton was previously planted. In these areas,
tree mortality is high due to Verticillium wilt disease caused by a
soil-borne fungus. However, California has developed a wilt resistant
variety called the UCB-1.
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If I received a postcard last year, will I
automatically receive one next year?
No. We only send postcards to customers who request them for that
year.
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How much do pistachio trees cost?
Around $28.50
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Do you guarantee the trees?
The only guarantee we give is that trees are alive at the time of
purchase. We have no control of the care of the trees after that.
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Do you sell rootstock?
Yes, the UCB or Atlantica varieties. Rootstock is sold to farmers who
plan on budding the trees in the field; for casual use, we recommend you
purchase budded trees.
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What size are the trees that are for sale?
It varies year to year, but trees are usually 3 to 4 feet tall.
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How tall and wide will my tree get?
The pistachio tree is a small tree and will grow to about 30 feet high
and up to 25 to 30 feet wide at full maturity, depending on how the tree
is pruned.
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How old are the trees when purchased?
Budded trees are usually 2 years old. Rootstock trees are 1 year old.
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How big is the container the trees come in?
Trees normally come in a 2.5 gallon soft plastic container filled with
dirt and peat moss.
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When will my tree start producing pistachios?
Trees start producing in the fourth or fifth year (yield is about ½
pound of pistachios). Good production takes eight to ten years. Full
maturity is reached around the sixteenth year (yield is up to 80 pounds of
pistachios).
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How long will my tree produce pistachios?
The oldest tree we have read about still producing is found in Iran;
it is over 700 years old.
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What type of trees do you sell?
It varies year to year, but usually the male trees
are Peters on
UCB rootstock and the female trees are kerman on UCB rootstock.
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Can I take trees into Mexico?
Contact the Mexican Department of
Agriculture.
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How far apart should I plant the trees?
Trees should be planted a minimum of 17 feet apart.
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What type of fertilizer should I use and when should I
fertilize?
Use any type of tree fertilizer and fertilize in the spring through
mid-July.
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How often do I water the trees?
Keep the tree in good moisture content April through mid-September.
Water once a week for 12 hours with a slow drip system. Water one more
time after harvest. Do not water October or November to aid the tree in
going dormant. After the tree is dormant, a monthly watering during the
winter months will help the tree be more cold resistant. Resume weekly
watering in the spring when the trees begin to bud.
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When is the best time to prune trees?
For the first 4 to 5 years, trees should generally be pruned in the
summer and during the dormant season. After the basic framework of the
tree is established, only light pruning is necessary.
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Can I purchase some bud wood?
Budwood is a stick approximately 6-8
inches long with about 5 to 5 useable buds on it. Budwood is usually
found on 2-4 year old trees. The trees at Eagle Ranch are too old to
provide any quantity of buds. If we have any, the cost is 35 cents per
bud.
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How do I graft buds onto rootstock and when is the best
time to do this?
Buds are collected in February for April use or in July for immediate
(for optimum grafting). Male buds are taken from male trees and female
buds are taken from female trees. Buds are wrapped in a wet cloth and kept
in the refrigerator until use. The fresher the buds, the better chance you
have of successfully grafting your tree. The only time to graft buds is
when the bark is slipping (you can peel the bark away) and leaves are
coming out on the tree.
T-budding is the technique used on
pistachios.
To graft a bud, make a vertical cut about 1 inch long
in the rootstock. Make a horizontal cut through the bark about 1/3 the
distance around the rootstock. Give the knife a slight twist to open the
two flaps of bark. To cut the bud, starting about ½ inch below the bud,
slice under the bud until about 1 inch beyond the bud. About ¾ inch above
the bud, a horizontal cut is made through the bark and into the wood,
permitting the removal of the bud piece. Insert the bud into the cut on
the rootstock and secure the bud to the tree using bud rubbers. Eventually
the bud rubbers will dissolve on the tree making it unnecessary to remove
the rubber. Bud rubbers can be purchased at a nursery.
If the bud takes, you
will get a branch growing on your tree. If it doesn’t take, it will dry
up. If the bud doesn’t take, graft the tree again.
There are
professionals available who will graft trees for you; ask at your local
nursery for anyone who is familiar with T-budding.
Should I spray trees with
insecticide?
Spray trees with insecticide as needed.
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How can I get more information on the
pistachio tree?
Fill out the
request form, and we'll add
send you information.
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