North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Title: Re: [NAFEX] Pistachio?

Most P. vera is adapted to a rather mild (zone 7 to 8) climate that is hot and DRY during the growing season.  Here in Oregon the climate is mild enough, but with our wet spring weather, the trees never get going and usually grow about one to two inches per year.  In short, if you want to grow pistachios that bad, move to California.
-Lon Rombough
>

> Tom,
> Several years ago, Ken Asmus was growing P.vera seedlings, and offered them for a year or two.  I bought a handful, but none survived the first summer.  They just didn't like my good heavy clay soil and high water table; have no idea how they'd have done through a KY winter.
> Had a conversation with Dr. Louise Ferguson, from the UC-Davis Fruit & Nut Research Center, and she pretty plainly told me not to waste my time with them - I'd be better off to stick to pecans, persimmons, and the like.