Not sure pistachios can be rooted from cuttings - but I could be wrong. Suspect that the 'cuttings' you'd be getting from the NCGR at Davis would be dormant-collected scions, intended to be grafted onto seedling understock.

Tried a few P.vera seedlings here many years ago, but as Dr. Ferguson at Davis told me, I was wasting my time - they didn't like the humidity, and didn't survive to the first winter.

luckyg, thanks for your comments. I know I live in the right zone for the Pistachio. They do NOT like humidity. They are terrible lawn trees because they don't like sprinklers. Their roots go deep. Drought tolerant trees. We have the perfect conditions. I just need the trees.

Suzi

Suzi,
Everything I've seen indicates that unless you're prepared to grow out your seedlings and see what happens - roll of the dice - with respect to male:female ratio, you'll need to hone your grafting/budding skills and convert those seedlings to known selections.
Majority of commercial pistachios in the US are Kerman(female), with Peters(male) as the principal pollenizer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pistachios in NM

Thank you for that amazing link! I have bookmarked it. Because commercial Pistachio orchards are close by, I'm confident we have the climate and the soil. Decomposed Granite! Drains well and has huge boulders that tap roots can reach under and enjoy the dampness without any puddles.

I have a nice grafting tool, and I can obtain those varieties through UC Davis next year. Hopefully my little seedlings will be big enough to graft in a year.

Thanks!

Suzi

Sounds like you're on your way! Good luck!

Suzi please keep us posted!! Pistachios are amazing. I know they are quite picky about where they can thrive even in native climate in Iran. They are so beautiful though when the nuts are turning coloring... greens, yellows, reds... Eating them not only roasted, but alo fresh is quite a treat. I would love to hear how different varieties end up doing for you. I understand the commercial variety grown in CA is Kerman which sounds like is a seedling from Kerman, Iran. Commercial pistachios from CA are a few notches below the ones in Iran in quality but I think one of the differences is not just in the nut quality but also in the roasting technique. I would try to learn as much as I could about roasting/seasoning them too if I could grow them as I think that is big factor in the end product. I would grow them in a heartbeat if I lived in a nice climate like yours. If you go to a local Persian supermarket, they may have the pistachios often sold by weight you can scoop up and will have em separated from different parts of the world including California and Iran to see the differences in seasoning/roasting.

When I lived just north of Sacramento, my neighbor tried grafting on Pistachios. He had terrible luck with them. He had lots of other trees he did well with. After seeing that I'd recommend you buy at least 2 trees from Davis. Graft as many others as you choose. Good Luck.

You have all convinced me. I'm going to stop by that pistachio orchard this week, leave a note, and see what shakes. Maybe they'll air layer one for me, if I'm really nice and air layer the world's most fabulous fig for them....

Suzi