I adore pistachios — who doesn’t, come to think of it? They’re crunchy, salty, a little sweet and highly addictive. Plus, they are chockfull of nutrients, so snacking on them feels healthy! Looove them! But let’s face it, they can be expensive — especially if you eat as many as I do, haha. I was in my garden one day and snacking on pistachios and I thought, can I do this? Am I being too ambitious? I like to play around with gardening (even though I suck at it, LOL), so I thought, “Why not?” My mom was my biggest supporter.
First, I needed to wear my research hat. My kids thought this idea was so lame (Read the article and you’ll understand who’s really lame here, LOL), but it was worth the weird looks they gave me. Pistachio trees don’t grow from seeds, but they can grow with some effort and knowledge. So here you go: the process of growing your own pistachio tree from all those pistachio nuts we eat.
Step 1: Get Your Materials Ready
Let’s begin with the basics: You must use raw pistachios for this project, not the kind I eat every day. It won’t work with salted or roasted pistachios because the heat they are subjected to makes them incapable of germinating. My mom had a bag of raw pistachios that she wasn’t using, (if I had a bag of pistachios in my house, they’d be gone in a day haha!) and that was all I needed. You’ll also need some essential gardening ingredients, such as a small pot (or a takeaway food container that I KNOW you save, my husband always tell me to throw them out, but I’ll make sure he sees that I used it for once LOL. I have a problem, I knooow!), soil, a plastic bag, and plenty of time.
Step 2: Get the Pistachios Ready
Next, prepare the pistachios, which need a head start by soaking while you do something else. (I mean, I did have to eat a few to make sure they weren’t bad. Ha! This is when my kids skeptical looks continued. LOL) I transferred some of the raw pistachios to a bowl of warm water. Soak them for a day or so. This helps loosen the tough seed coat for germination. It’s sort of like giving them a spa day before setting them on their path to becoming a tree.
Step 3: Breaking the Shells
Now that they’re soaked properly, it’s time to take off the shells. But you gotta be careful, ’cause you do not want to damage the seed inside. I used a nutcracker, but you can also use a pair of pliers or even just your fingers if you are gentle. (When you break the outer shell open, you’ll find a tiny tan seed inside.) This is the magic bean that will sprout into your pistachio tree.
Step 4: Raising the Seed
Now we’re at the point where we have to plant the seeds. Take a small pot and add some well-draining soil to it. Pistachio trees thrive in slightly sandy soil, so if you have sand to mix into the potting mix, even better. Sow the seeds onto the soil with about an inch of spacing, and water the seeds lightly. I also arranged a plastic bag around the pot to add moisture and humidity.
Step 5: Germination Time
And here comes the waiting. Germinating pistachio seeds may take several weeks to a few months. I just placed it on my windowsill and looked at it every day. It’s like watching a kettle boil—the harder you look, the longer it seems to take! But then, one day, after what felt like an eternity, I saw a little green shoot coming up through the soil. Success!
Step 6: Moving into the Seedlings
Transplant the seedlings into 3-4″ pots as soon as you can handle them. After your pistachio tree seeds have sprouted and grown to a few inches in height, now it is time to move them to a larger container. If you live in a warm climate, you can plant them in the ground. Pistachio trees LOOVE hot, dry weather, so if you live somewhere with cold winters, you may need to grow them in a pot that can be moved indoors when it’s too cold outside.
Pistachio Tree Care Tips
Now that you’ve grown your own pistachio tree (*fingerscrossed*), what are you going to do? Here are some things I’ve learned along the way (the very hard way):
1. Sunlight: Light is a MAJOR factor for the healthy development of pistachio trees. Make sure your tree gets at least six hours of full sunlight a day. I put my tree in a sunny spot on my patio. I must say, I’m pretty proud of myself for this!
2. Watering: Pistachio trees are moderately drought-tolerant but should be watered periodically, You need to water it once a week, then follow the soil to dry before watering again. I assigned this task to my kids. Excess water is more likely to occur if you keep watering your plant as you’re supposed to, but don’t worry, we’ve got a solution for that too. (I’ve done this dozens of times, and it has sent many of my plant babies to their untimely deaths.)
3. Fertilizing: Like many other fruit trees and plants, pistachio trees require a balanced fertilizer from spring until summer. I fertilize with an all-purpose fertilizer and generally follow the packaging recommendations. This provides your plant-baby with all the nutrients it needs.
4. Pruning: Over time, you will need to prune your tree to shape it and remove any dead or diseased branches. I usually prune my tree in late winter, just before bud-break in early spring. I realize that might sound ridiculous to some, but I always feel guilty when I have to trim any of my plants. But I know I have to do it.
5. Pest Control: You’ve gotta check for pests, like aphids and mites. (Ew!) I know you don’t wanna but you gotta! To discourage these critters, a spray made with neem oil has been effective for me. It’s an organic, biodegradable product that won’t harm my tree or the environment.
I’ve had a lot of fun and some success in growing a pistachio tree from in-shell pistachios purchased at the store. It is incredible to watch how something as tiny as a seed can become a mighty tree. If you love pistachios and fancy yourself somewhat of a green thumb, why not give it a whirl?
