Train a young Chinese pistache to one leader and well-spaced branches. A grocery pistachio needs heading cuts on one-year wood so the canopy stays compact enough to pick.
Train a young Chinese pistache to one leader
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Early spring after the last hard frost, before new growth, or January to February | A heavy cut in midsummer heat |
| Young tree | One leader and well-spaced scaffold limbs in the first four years | Leaving a tight cluster of forks or a weak, narrow crotch |
| Mature tree | Dead, rubbing, or broken wood only | Removing more than one-third of the canopy in one year |
| Grocery wood | Head one-year shoots so laterals form; leave two or three vegetative buds beyond fruit buds | Heavy cuts that wipe the next nut crop |
A young Chinese pistache often looks gawky, with a long neck and few, uneven branches. That is the window to train a round crown. Once the tree is mature, it mostly needs deadwood gone. [1] Chinese pistache takes those early cuts well. Prune after the last hard frost and before leaves push, so you still get fall color later. [2] pistachio is a different cut: pistachios fruit on one-year wood, and heading forces side shoots so the canopy stays upright enough to harvest. [3] [4]
When should I prune Chinese pistache?
Early spring after the last hard frost, before new growth, or in January and February. Skip a heavy cut in midsummer heat.
How to prune pistachio
Work on a young Chinese pistache first. Pick one trunk, space the limbs, and stop when the shape is set.
- In the first four years, pick one upright shoot as the trunk. Cut competing leaders so they do not fork.
- Remove limbs with a weak, narrow crotch. Space the lowest permanent branches around the trunk, not in a tight cluster.
- Cut water sprouts below the lowest scaffold. Stake only in wind, and take the stake off after the first year.
- On a mature Chinese pistache, cut dead, rubbing, or broken wood. Do not take more than one-third of the canopy in one year.
Why does a young Chinese pistache look so awkward?
Young trees are often skinny and uneven. Train one leader and well-spaced limbs now. The round crown shows up as the tree matures.
Head grocery pistachio on one-year wood
Grocery pistachio needs heading so laterals form and the canopy stays compact enough to pick. After the first scaffold is set, little extra cutting is useful, because heavy pruning cuts yield.
- Choose three to five scaffold limbs equally spaced around the trunk, with the lowest about 24 to 32 inches above the soil.
- Head one-year shoots. Leave two or three vegetative buds beyond the larger fruit buds so the shoot does not die back.
- Remove broken, dead, and crossing wood. Do not strip a bearing tree in one day.
If two leaders fork at one point, keep the straighter shoot and cut the other while the tree is still young.
FAQ
Do I prune mastic the same way?
Train a trunk if you want a small tree, or leave several stems for a screen. Do not shear it like a hedge.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Gardening Know How -
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/chinese-pistache/pruning-chinese-pistache-trees.htm - [2] Virginia Cooperative Extension -
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/HORT/HORT-8/HORT-8.pdf - [3] University of California ANR -
https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2010-06/18997.pdf - [4] New Mexico State University -
https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_circulars/CR532.pdf
This note is part of Pistacia Guides.
More pruning timing notes by plant live in Pruning Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors