"Pistachios make a person rich" - a gardener from the Rocky Mountains
Abduhoshim Mahmudaliyev is from Yakkatut village, Toshlok district. He grows pistachio seedlings in his family. There are more than 500 pistachio trees on two hectares of land that have already yielded fruit. “If 20-30 pistachio trees are planted in each family, the income will fully cover the family’s expenses for a year,” says the young gardener.
“Pistachios make a person rich,” says Abduhoshim Mahmudaliyev, a gardener from Yakkatut village of Toshlok district. He grows pistachio seedlings in his household and has more than 500 pistachio trees on two hectares of land that have yielded fruit. According to the young gardener, “if 20-30 pistachio bushes are planted in each household, the income will fully cover the household’s expenses for a year.”
The gardener notes that the pistachio tree is not picky about soil. Its roots can penetrate up to 10 meters underground in search of water.
“The pistachio tree you see is 12 years old. It has a yield of about 30-35 kg. The advantage of pistachios is that their price does not drop in winter and summer. They can withstand temperatures from -40° to +60°. Most importantly, they are not picky about soil - they will bear fruit even on hilly, rocky, and barren lands. If 20-30 bushes are planted per household, the income will fully cover the family’s annual expenses,” says Mahmudaliyev.
There is no need to call a specialist to prune, harvest, or spray a pistachio tree. It is enough to apply mineral fertilizer to the base twice a year. Even if there is a shortage of water, the tree will not dry out and will continue to bear fruit, because its roots are very long and reach groundwater. That is why it survives without drying out.
Unlike trees that bloom in March, their fruits can be damaged by frost, pistachios bloom in April. This is because the pistachio bud is thick and hard, with a lot of bark around it. In April, when all the frosts return and real spring begins, the pistachio blossoms.
Another interesting fact: all trees, such as grapes, pears, apples, plums, have the property of self-pollination. But the pistachio has two varieties: fruit-bearing and pollinating. If there is no male pistachio tree near the female pistachio, it is impossible to get a harvest. One male pollinates up to eight female pistachios. Both male and female pistachios bloom in April. After the male pistachio pollinates the female, it sheds its flowers.
Previously, it was understood that the pistachio tree grows only in the mountains, on rocks. But now, as you can see, it grows on clay soil, yellow soil, black soil, and any soil.
The gardener said that they destroyed two hectares of apricot orchards and created a pistachio orchard. For seven or eight years, they have been bringing seeds from Iran and growing seedlings. They are supplying seedlings to many regions and districts and are establishing gardens.
If you plant pistachio seedlings in February, they will have a hardy body and will be able to withstand the heat. Saplings planted in August will have their bodies matured by the autumn sun and will be fully prepared for winter. The price of seedlings: one-year-old seedlings is 35,000 soums, two-year-old seedlings are 45,000 soums, and three-year-old seedlings are 65,000 soums. These days, they are being sold at this price.
There are varieties of pistachios: Akbari, Ahmadi, Champion, and Khandon. The variety they are growing is Akbariy, and according to the gardener, "Akbariy is the highest-priced variety on the market."