Generalities:

the Pistachio is a fruit tree belonging to the Anacardiaceae family and the Pistacia genus. It originates from the Middle East, where it was already cultivated in prehistoric times, particularly in Persia. The pistachio is a deciduous and broad-leaved tree, it can reach a height of about 11-12 meters, but generally stops at 5-6 meters. The pistachio is very long-lived and reaches an age of about 300 years, but has a very slow growth. The fruit is a drupe with an oval endocarp with a thin and hard shell, containing the seed, commonly called "pistachio" which has a bright green color under a purple skin. The pistachio has unisexual flowers and is dioecious, therefore there are plants with only male flowers and plants with only female flowers (which produce the fruits). The flowers are petals and collected in tops. A male tree can produce enough pollen to fertilize up to 10 female plants. Flowering occurs in April and fruit picking takes place in September-October. The wood is hard and dense, it has a yellowish color. Once collected, the pistachio must be dried and then the husk that covers the wood shell must be removed, finally dried to allow for long-term storage and sale. Pistachios are used both shelled and peeled, often toasted and salted, also in confectionery, to prepare ice creams, creams, drinks and for the production of cured meats, or as condiments for first and second courses.

Cultivation and Care:

The Pistachio Tree is very resistant to drought, in Sicily it is grown at an altitude ranging from 300 to 750 m. It adapts to rocky and limestone soils and also to volcanic lava; prefers southern exposures. Good resistance to cold, fears spring frosts. Pruning operations are limited in that, especially the large branches, they heal very slowly. During the production phase, annual or multi-year interventions are carried out to eliminate the perishable, dry, diseased branches. In some cases, green pruning interventions are also carried out, such as stripping and desuckering (in the terebinth). To limit the development of weeds and limit evaporation, some surface processing or chemical weeding can be carried out.