The vast majority of people at some point have had to eat pistachios directly or indirectly (in ready-made meals). Although it is a food item with a good amount of health benefits, few deign to know this plant.
When we talk about planting pistachios and the fruit, we refer to the seeds of the pistachio tree. These usually they are usually green in color with a slightly sweet taste. Theoretically, what you've ever eaten is called nuts, but at the botanical level, pistachios are the seeds themselves. Let's see how and when to plant pistachios.
How to plant pistachios?
You have to know that the grains tend to have different colors. These can be of a yellow color until they acquire a slightly greener tone. Regarding its dimensions, the normal thing is that it reaches almost 3 cm long and about 1.5 cm wide.
Today pistachios are having a high popularity in the market. This is not only because it is a food that has low calories, but also It is also a dried fruit which is rich in phytosterols, antioxidants, good amount of vitamins, fiber and others.
If you are wondering the origin of this wonderful plantTo this day there is no certainty of their place of origin, although there is an indication that they may have originated in Central Asia.
Currently, the export and cultivation of pistachio occurs mainly in countries such as:
- Turkey.
- Iran.
- Syria
But also pistachio can be grown in any environment that is hot or arid. This is a crucial factor for its growth and cultivation. The main thing you have to be clear about before starting the planting process, is to know if you will use the method of cultivation through seeds or seedlings.
Regardless of your choice, both are easy options to carry out. And what's even better you can do it in any nursery or garden you want.
Now, there are a number of requirements that you have to meet for the pistachio once you plant it, can be developed correctly. These requirements include:
- It has a soil with sandy characteristics.
- The soil or substrate must have good water drainage.
- Have the necessary space for the plant to develop and not be affected by the little space or the presence of a different species.
- Have the necessary depth for the plant, since it is a species that requires great depths for its roots.
- The weather in which must be must be arid and sunny.
- The plant has to be located at a height of approximately 500 meters above sea level.
This is all you will need to give the pistachio plant, a good place for your growth. It is worth mentioning that this is a plant that does not require constant watering.
Well you have to know that has the ability to withstand up to 5 years without receiving a single drop of water, making it a very drought resistant plant. It is more, so much so that can be planted and cultivated in soils with saline characteristics and as an example we can put the species called chinese pistachio.
How to grow pistachio?
You have to follow the following growing tips if you want to be successful in having a fully grown pistachio plant. So below we will show you some steps or tips to take into account.
You have to sow the pistachio plant in a place where the ambient temperature is between 30 ° -40 ° latitude. It is for this reason that its cultivation is difficult, since there are very few areas in the world that have this characteristic of location.
The ground where It will be a plant the pistachio has to be sandy and have a very good drainage system. The more a desert environment is simulated, the better. The time to start sowing is in winter. This is because, during this period of the year, the plant begins a process or state of recession.
The temperature required by the pistachio plant is not lower than -10 ° C and it does not have to be higher than 40 ° C., If the plant is in this margin, it will be able to develop completely naturally.
During the first months that you have the potted plant (if that is the case), it does not matter much if it is kept in a place with low temperatures. In fact, this can go a long way toward making flowering easier.
Know what type of pistachio plant you have. That is, if it is a male or female plant. But it is recommended that, if you intend to have a pistachio crop, you have both variants of the same plant. This for the simple reason that it will help a lot in the pollination process and along with it, the development of its fruits.
If your intention is to have a plantation with several pistachio plants, keep in mind that the separation between each floor must be at least seven meters away, if we speak in terms of rows, although you can also have it 5 meters away.
During the first 6 years of life, you have to prune the plant. This to get it to acquire a specific shape. Then it will no longer be necessary, as the plant will have developed with the shape you gave it in its first years of life.
Regarding the watering of the plant, this will depend a lot on the variation that you have. But in general, a plant of this requires between 300 to 600 mm of water per year. In areas where the environment is arid, it is recommended that the irrigation be 4000 cubic meters of water per year and it has to be only once a week. This is clear whenever we talk about extensive plantations.
Thanks to the physical characteristics of the plant, pistachio is very resistant to pests and diseases. Although only insects that tend to bite fruits are the only ones that damage the integrity of the plant.
Once the plant has managed to develop its fruits, These have to be collected at the end of August or failing that, at the beginning of September.. It is worth mentioning that the collection has to be done as long as the fruit has an aspect with yellow-reddish hues and when you also notice that the shell is a little open.
With these data, you are now ready to plant and grow pistachio. It is recommended that you have a large space so that you are not only limited to one copy, but to have several specimens, which over the years, will generate enough pistachio for your own consumption and why not sell a little and generate passive profits.