Chapter 118 Pistacia chinensis
118.2 Soil: General Deciduous / Rich Conifer Mix
Ratio: 3 parts bark, 1 part grit
Add-ins: dolomitic limestone (~5 lbs/yd), Tree-Tone (15 lbs/yd)
pH: ~6.5 (slightly below neutral)
Moisture: Average
118.3 Light
Routine: tolerates light shade, but best in full sun.
Summer: unknown
118.4 Cultivation Notes
118.4.1 Potting & Root Pruning
Schedule: repot in spring.
118.4.1.1 Top & Branch Management
Older pistache trees naturally form an attractive shape, but when the tree is young, they need very specific pruning in order to remove weak branches and form a good branch structure.
Prune is in early spring after the last hard frost but before you see new growth. Do not remove more than one-third of the canopy.
Heavy pruning: clip the top of an unbranched tree to encourage a cluster of branches to form. Once several branches sprout, keep one branch and remove the rest. Let the tree regrow again, then cut again just above the next selected branch. Repeat to create the scaffold branches.
Remove limbs that have a weak or narrow crotch angle to the trunk.
Fine pruning: cut back water sprouts and shoots growing below the lowest scaffold branches.
Leaf pruning: can reduce compound leaves to 2 leaflets.
118.4.2 Feeding
Feed trees with a nitrogen based fertilizer like 18-6-12. Supplement with superphosphate if they are growing sluggishly to give them a boost.
118.4.3 Pests & Problems
Pistache is susceptible to verticillium wilt, a soil-borne fungus. Use well-drained soil and fertilize only as needed. If verticillium wilt shows up in your area regularly, you may not want to keep these trees.
No other serious insect or disease problems.
118.4.4 Winter Storage
Fall color of a pistache. Link to original image.
Store in mulch outdoors. Tolerates cold well. Try to place in a shaded area so buds do not break in a mid-winter warm spell. No other special precautions are needed.
118.5 Propagation Notes
Can be grown from seed. Uncommon in garden centers in this area.
118.6 Artistic & Styling Notes
118.7 Additional Information
118.7.1 Natural History
Native to China, Taiwan, and the Phillipines
Foliage consists of compound, even-pinnate, dark green leaves (to 10” long), each leaf typically having 10-12 lanceolate leaflets (to 4” long). Foliage is aromatic when bruised. Fall color is variable but often appears in quality shades of yellow, orange and red. Trees are dioecious (separate male and female trees). Female trees bear red-to-blue fruits, 1/4” in diameter. Gray-brown bark peels to reveal salmon inner bark.