Farm & Ranch
The Garden Guy – The Chinese Pistache Tree
By Norman Winter
The flaming fall foliage of the Chinese pistache trees stands as visual testaments that they are indeed champions of color. The fiery oranges, reds and yellows scream as if to say, “Look at me.” Believe me, you will, and if you are packing a camera, you will take a photo. They are not to be ignored.
When I was director of the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, I would walk by an old specimen every day and then out of the blue, so to speak, I noticed an old USDA tag hanging down that said it was planted in 1938. Happy 80th birthday!
This tree stands as one of the true testaments to one of our country’s great plant exploration acquisitions, the Chinese pistache. This was discovered by plant explorer and horticultural hero, if you will, Frank Meyer.
If you are not familiar with the Chinese pistache, botanically speaking it is known as Pistacia chinensis. I first became acquainted with the Chinese pistache when it was selected as a Texas Super Star Winner. Texas fall color is sometimes hard to come by, but this tree is rock solid and reliable. In California, it has been used as a rootstock for the delicious pistachio nut trees, though other species have now been chosen.
The Chinese pistache is also drought tolerant. It is recommended in places like New Mexico and Arizona and is native to Western China. When selecting your location, keep in mind that it does not like wet winter feet, so choose a site that drains well.
It is cold hardy from zones six through nine, meaning from St. Louis to Orlando, gardeners can relish the dark green leaves that become a blaze of fall color.
To read more pick up a copy of the November 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Tressa Lawrence
Babies are tucked away in every nook and cranny. Many ranchers across Wyoming have baby animals popping up all over this time of year.
By Lindsey Monk
Another load of grain in to keep feeding the calves until the green grass can really start popping.
By Rayford Pullen | [email protected]
Spring has sprung and hopefully the rains will continue where our country will heal from the previous droughts and our grasses will thrive. We are especially hopeful for the Panhandle of Texas where our neighbors and friends have been dealt a deadly blow to homes, ranges, livestock, and people. Keep them in your prayers as they will not be able to return to normal for many years if at all. Having lost their ability to benefit from this great cattle market is a double whammy for all of them.
Now is the time of year when we need to take care of business as it relates to our new calves that have been hitting the ground this spring. First and foremost is vaccinating for Blackleg followed by deworming with a white wormer and the IBR complex. Blackleg is a soil-born disease and with pastures extremely short this spring our calves have been grazing the green grass as soon as it shows itself, making them even more vulnerable to picking contaminates from the soil.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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