WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pistacia chinensis ssp. & cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water Chinese pistache in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Chinese pistache in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 19 gallons a week. Chinese pistache is a tough, long-lived deciduous tree from Asia that grows 30 to 40 feet tall with a rounded, umbrella-like crown. It looks gawky when young but matures into a handsome shade tree. In fall its leaves turn brilliant red, orange or yellow. It handles heat, drought and most well-drained soils once established, though fruit on female trees can be messy.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water Chinese pistache, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for Chinese pistache and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Leaves on Chinese pistache drooping in summer heat while the soil is dry deep down mean a young tree needs a soak
  • Leaves scorching at the edges in a hot, dry spell point to a dry root zone
  • Yellowing leaves on soil that stays soggy point to overwatering
  • Seedlings popping up nearby come from female trees and need pulling

How to water it

  • Water a young tree deeply across the root zone, then let the soil dry before the next soak
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil
  • Widen the watered ring as the canopy spreads
  • Prune while young to build a balanced crown
  • Choose a fruitless male such as 'Keith Davey' to avoid fruit and seedlings

Through the seasons

Water a young tree regularly through its first summers while roots spread. Once established it is drought tolerant on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. Farther south and in the deserts, it needs steadier summer water. It drops its leaves after fall color and needs little water while bare. WUCOLS rates Chinese pistache low water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS rates it moderate water on the south coast, in South Inland, in the high desert and in the low desert.

In pots

Chinese pistache is a shade tree and outgrows a pot within a few years. A young tree can wait in a large container before planting. Use a well-drained mix. Water when the top couple of inches dry, until it drains through. In summer, check every couple of days. Empty the saucer. While it is bare in winter, water only when the mix dries, and plant it out before spring growth.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Chinese Pistache: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.780.780.740.78
Feb0.210.260.810.870.930.93
Mar0.350.431.151.31.461.52
Apr0.470.611.41.611.891.95
May0.580.831.611.952.392.45
Jun0.640.991.742.292.852.79
Jul0.641.071.982.513.042.85
Aug0.60.951.862.332.792.6
Sep0.50.721.491.862.142.08
Oct0.350.471.151.331.461.49
Nov0.190.220.840.90.930.96
Dec0.120.140.650.680.650.68
Year4.86.8415.518.4121.2721.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated low water in the Central Valley, like Chinese pistache. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Chinese pistache, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water Chinese pistache in summer?

In July, established Chinese pistache in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does Chinese pistache need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Chinese pistache needs about 2.7 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 11 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for Chinese pistache change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Chinese pistache separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is Chinese pistache invasive?

Birds spread seed from female trees, and it is considered invasive in some parts of California. Plant a fruitless male to avoid seedlings. Pull any volunteers you find.

When does Chinese pistache color up?

Leaves turn brilliant red, orange or yellow in fall. Color is one of its main attractions. The tree is bare in winter.

How big does Chinese pistache get?

It grows 30 to 40 feet tall and about as wide. The crown is rounded and umbrella-like. It suits a patio, street or shade tree role.

Does Chinese pistache make nuts?

No, the fruit is inedible to people. Female trees bear small red fruits that ripen blue-black. Birds eat them.

Why does my young pistache look awkward?

Young trees are often gawky and uneven. Prune early to shape a symmetrical crown. It fills out with age.

More plant watering guides

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Sources