How to Grow Pistachio
Pistachio At a Glance
Difficulty
Hard
Category
Nut
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -10°C
Plant Family
Anacardiaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Buy grafted young trees, at least one male and one female, since only females make nuts and they need pollen blown over from a male. Plant them in early spring, about 3 weeks before your last frost, 6 m apart, in your hottest, driest spot with soil that drains fast. One male can pollinate several females.
Pistachio is the fussiest nut tree to grow: it needs a long, hot, dry summer and survives winters only down to about -10°C, so it will not grow outdoors in most of Canada. Even in the right climate, trees take about 6 years to bear and give a big crop only every other year.
When To Start
Pistachio needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Pistachio?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Pistachio Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Pistachio Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Plant a male and a female pistachio in a hot, dry spot
3 weeks before your last frost
Pick pistachios once the hulls loosen and the shells split
30 days before your first frost· every year
Water your new pistachio plants well while they settle in. Deep and slow is best.
About 1 days after you plant it
Nice job planting your pistachios! Give them your sunniest spot, and water deeply while they settle in.
About 30 days after you plant it
How are your pistachios doing? Let the soil dry out between deep waterings, since they do not like wet roots.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Pistachio's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
600 cm
Plant Spacing
800 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
No.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Plant pistachios in full sun, in the hottest spot you have.
- 2They need deep soil that drains fast, since wet roots kill them, so never plant them in a low, soggy area.
- 3Water young trees deeply every week or two in their first summers, then only in long dry spells.
- 4Spread a thin layer of compost under the tree each spring, keeping it away from the trunk.
- 5Birds and squirrels love the nuts, so pick them as soon as they are ready.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
700 cm
Mature Height
600 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
30 days
When to Pick
Pick in autumn when the hull loosens and splits from the shell
How to Harvest
- 1Pistachios are ready in early fall, when the outer skin (the hull) turns rosy and loosens and the shell inside has split open.
- 2Lay a tarp under the tree and shake the branches to bring the clusters down.
- 3Peel off the hulls within a day, since they stain and darken the shells.
- 4Spread the nuts in a dry, airy spot for a few days until the shells are crisp.
- 5Roast them, or store them in a jar somewhere cool.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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