When to Plant Pistachio in Cairns, Tropical Guide
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Pistachio guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 7.0–8.0
A small spreading tree for hot dry inland districts with cold winters, the Burra and Mildura country of southern Australia (Daleys, PGAI).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Tropical
Pistachio is not recommended for Tropical.
Pistachio needs about 1000 hours of winter chill below 7.5 degrees and a dry summer and autumn to avoid fungal disease. The tropics give neither.
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How to Grow Pistachio in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Free draining light sandy loam, never waterlogged; tolerates poor and alkaline soils with a deep taproot (Complete Home, Better Homes and Gardens, Organic Gardener).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 7.0-8.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Complete Home).
- Keep away from
- Humid coastal sites, Overhead sprinklers, Waterlogged ground
Tropical Growing Tips for Pistachio
Key Challenges
- No chill
- Humidity
Pro Tips
- Grow cashew instead
Pests and problems for Pistachio in Tropical
Harvesting Pistachio
When ready: Hulls turn from green to reddish pink and split, and the hull rubs off easily (Complete Home, Better Homes and Gardens).
How to harvest: Knock the nuts onto tarps, dehull the same day and dry in the shell (Organic Gardener, Better Homes and Gardens).
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Pistachio
When do you plant pistachio in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): not recommended
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jun to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jun to Sep
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jun to Sep
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jun to Sep
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jun to Sep
When should I plant Pistachio in Cairns?
Pistachio needs about 1000 hours of winter chill below 7.5 degrees and a dry summer and autumn to avoid fungal disease. The tropics give neither.
How do I know when Pistachio are ready to harvest?
Hulls turn from green to reddish pink and split, and the hull rubs off easily (Complete Home, Better Homes and Gardens).
Are pistachio salt tolerant?
Only a little. Pistachio are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.