How to Harvest Pistachios?

 Pistachio Harvesters, Get Ready: Pistachio Season Is Almost Here!

September might be well-known to you if you grew up near pistachio orchards. Or September reminds pistachio fans of the raw ones available in stores. In almost all pistachio growing regions, September is the harvesting time. Except for Australia. Most farmers and suppliers try to get ready before that time. If you want to know how; there are some tips here:

You should check your harvesting methods and procedures before harvesting. The best you can do is to utilize your facilities and conditions to your maximum potential. Due to harvesting time limitations, you should seek not to disturb the crops. Pistachio harvesting methods can be modern or traditional, by hand or mechanical harvesting tools. But modern machinery and equipment cause less damage to the trees, products, and yields. 

Naturally ripe pistachios fall from the trees. The best of all would be to consider the pistachio harvest time. The timing should be between the fruit ripening and before the fruit falls from the tree. Because if they fall from the tree, they are likely to be contaminated. So, as mentioned above, timing plays a critical role in harvesting pistachios.

How to Pick the Best Harvest Time for Pistachio Trees

When the pistachio rips, it is time to harvest. Ripen signs of pistachio harvesting are the loosening of the husk or hulls, the green hue of the epicarp turning into reddish-rosy light yellow, and pistachio falling from the tree. Mature fruit with a fragmented hull is ready for picking. It is better to harvest the nuts when most of them are ripe. So harvesting procedure takes time to finish. Be patient.

Pistachio harvesting time usually takes place between late August to early October. But September is the golden pistachio time when pistachio workers and suppliers are approaching the harvesting.

Growing and harvesting pistachio

Growing pistachio needs to consider the local climate. And it takes 6 to 7 years to bear fruit. Pistachio grows on hot summer days and cool winter with low humidity. Plus, some factors like rainfalls and frostbite can impact the crops. Pistachio yields need to apply fertilizers and pesticides. Late winter could be an appropriate time for fertilization to fit the nutrient needs of your tree.

A safe harvesting pistachio method needs some tips. In the pistachio harvesting process, it is better to use mechanical shakers to avoid contamination. Modern equipment makes the pistachios collect in the tanks of machines and reach the factory as soon as possible, as this shortening of the path causes the pistachios to be less damaged and contaminated. In the traditional process of harvesting pistachios, it is recommended not to let the fruits fall to the ground. And therefore spread them under the trees by a thread.

Pistachio Harvesting: Tips for Better Pistachio Yields

Harvesting of pistachio trees depends on the type and region of the pistachio garden. It begins in late summer and usually takes about 15 to 20 days. Pistachio trees are generally not ripe at the same time. So the harvesting process is complete in 2 or 3 weeks. Pistachio harvesting usually starts when 60-70% of the fruits are ripe.

The pistachio farming methods have a significant effect on the crops’ productivity. The farming process should observe more fertility. In other words, the farming procedure should take account of all stages for further consideration. The stages like:

• Preparation of land or planting
• Seedling planting and transplanting
• Fertilizing or feeding trees
• Watering systems
• Prune
• Plowing
• Spraying or foliar
• Harvesting

 The farming strategies should incorporate crops and orchard safety to maximize pistachio yield. So the reason for harvesting should be aligned with farming principles to feed and fertilize the plantation.

Facts and Tips for Post Harvested pistachios orchards

After pistachio harvest, the actual protective process is about to start. It is the golden time to approve and nourish the land for the following year. The process should cover all the post-harvest activities necessary to ensure quality for the coming year.

The crucial part of the process after pistachio harvesting is the rapid transfer of the nuts to the pistachio processing terminal to prevent contamination. Other steps after harvesting pistachios include transportation, hall removal, dehydrating, bulk storage, processing, and packaging. And as for the orchard, some necessary care steps should take into consideration to fertilize the field. Tips on how to keep your pistachio tree and your farm healthy:

• Irrigation will induce a significant boost in fertility in flower buds the following year after harvesting.
• In winter, heavy watering leads to root rot and crown rot.
• Winter fertilization of pistachio orchards should use late-release or slow-release solid fertilizers.
• The chemical control time of Aphids and Mites in the pistachio garden is on the warm days of late winter.

Farmers should consider Meeting the pistachio gardens’ nutritional needs on time to minimize the growth of diseases and pests.

More to know about post-harvesting

The harvesting process of pistachios is quite complex. It involves all low-tech, medium-tech, and high-tech machinery. Machinery should help the transportation of harvested pistachios from the field and orchards to the processing terminals. And if not done well, there will be a significant loss in the quality of commercially grown pistachios. This process is also responsible for the products to meet customer specifications and requirements. And it is as essential as harvesting itself. 

The grower should not damage the shell of the edible kernel to protect it from being damaged or ruined. The harvested pistachio post-harvesting process contains:

• Cleaning and drying of pistachios
• Processing by shelling and milling
• Packing of shelled, milled, or whole pistachios

To wrap up!

In conclusion, it is critical to harvest pistachios when they are ripe so as not to get moldy. That will allow customers to have a better experience of their flavor and texture. Not only will this help pistachios preserve for longer, but it will also increase field yield.

Pistachio harvesting is a seasonal affair, meaning there is only a brief window of time when pistachios are ready to be harvested. Harvesting usually begins in late summer. In this golden pistachio season, it would be remarkable to notice that harvesting needs 3 or 2 weeks of work. So there is no rush!

Harvesting is difficult because of the height of the trees. Machines can help gather the crops off the branches. For example, Mechanical shakers can easily cause riped pistachios to fall from the trees. And fewer damages affect the trees and the field.

After harvesting, pistachios have stored in a dry and temperature-controlled environment for long-term storage. Or in hot conditions, if they need processing within harvest time. So nuts should be dried and processed before being sold at markets or exported.

Harvesting season ends, but the work never does. We must continue to process and maintain our product yield to meet our goals for sustainability and efficiency in the following years. The post-harvesting process in the field and orchards usually involves; irrigation, fertilization, and chemical control.

Harvesting is one year of hard work for all farmers and crops. This cycle is constantly continuing. It is important to remark on the main factors to make the most of your goals in each golden time.