Author Topic: rare grafted pistachios  (Read 1046 times)

PlantHoarder

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rare grafted pistachios
« on: October 18, 2019, 06:26:34 AM »
I ordered some hybrid pistachio from a commercial grower when I saw them offered, no where in the US had I ever heard of anyone selling a tropical nut like the Pistachio that could survive down to zone 7.

I can't tell if they are dormant or dead, but the shipping stressed them out. I'm hoping it's like the cherry tree that I got from them last time and it's just pretending to be dead but will come back over time. The cherry didn't perk back up for a good 1.5 years.

The breeding pair is a Randy pistachio + Golden Hills pistachio.
Until I see signs of life I guess I can only ask around to see what others have experienced with this kind of plant.

usirius

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Re: rare grafted pistachios
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2019, 11:22:30 AM »
Hello, for about 15 years I have been cultivating a pistachio successfully in zone 7, but in a garden in a residential area, you have to add, there the climate is a little milder than completely in the open environment. The coldest temperatures, which there were here in this time, were -17°C. There were also longer dew periods after strong frosts, or early spring break, and then again strong frosts, and even that did not harm the building. The only problem was that if during or after the flowering frosts occurred again, the fruit had set in. The tree I am talking about is a female. Three years ago I planted a male to it, because pistachio has only one of the two sexes on a plant. And exactly in the first year, the male had really formed a lot of pollen, I pollinated the female flowers with it and there was a frost afterwards and there was no fruit. There is something else to note: Depending on the variety, the male may flower either too early or too late in relation to the flowering time of the female. Too early is not so much the problem as too late, you can also shake off some pollen and keep it cool and dry, but when the male flowers too late there is logically no pollination. One idea would be to plant several males, and that the wrong time is flowering to exterminate again.
„May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.“ N. Mandela

PlantHoarder

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Re: rare grafted pistachios
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2019, 09:50:24 PM »
Thanks for letting me know, gives me some hope. I've planted these on the protected side of the yard so the winter winds won't be as harsh there.

I do worry a bit as all the foliage has gone from them and I can't tell if it's going to come back or not. I planted these around july, they haven't recovered from the shock since then.
I grabbed these despite the expense because there had been no grower online at least offering them in the few years that i've been looking for unusual plants.

usirius

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Re: rare grafted pistachios
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2019, 02:33:35 PM »
You're welcome!

It's hard to believe that pistachios are either not planted at all in colder climates by fellow forum members, or if you are, there has been no response to your older requests here in the forum. I myself haven't been in this forum long yet, so I didn't notice your earlier postings or questions about pistachios.

But now it has worked out, and I hope that you succeed in cultivating pistachios in your area - even if perhaps for safety's sake with light winter protection.

However, I don't know which pistachio variety I have cultivated as a female plant here for over 15 years without any frost damage outdoors, I suspect it is a seedling. I planted the plant when it had a good thumb-thick trunk. That's exactly how I did it with the male about three years ago, and protected the trunk with pipe insulation (the way you insulate heating pipes). I would recommend it to you just the same.

Enclosed I post some pictures of my pistachio female and of the male.









„May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.“ N. Mandela