What am I doing wrong? I live in a coastal area
Was it purchased from a reputable seller? I would be asking them some questions. This article cites several reasons for lack of leaves including a water issue or verticillium wilt.
however small branches sprouting from the root . Planted my Chinese Pistache 3 years ago. Last summer, i adjusted down my watering system as my water bill was too high. Afterward, my pistache tree quickly changed color and dried up, however it did not drop the leaves as it usually does. This spring, there are branches sprouting from the root of the tree but not through the main trunk. The main trunk dried up completely, is this normal? Not too far from the pistache tree, i have a citrus tree which also dried up and seems to die ? can you help advise what should I do? is it time to replaced them ?
You can separate one of those suckers from the bottom of the Pistache tree and grow it. On the fruit tree, scrape off some of the stem and see if it is green. If it is white and snaps easily, it expired. Also, I am including info on how to stake a tree. Yours has too much wrap on it.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/planting-a-tree-shoot.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/should-you-stake-trees.htm
I live in Sacramento, California, where the summers get very hot.
It's best to plant trees in the fall, but they are hard to come by in the fall. Many plant nurseries stock trees and shrubs in spring, so that is when you would plant them.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/chinese-pistache/growing-chinese-pistache-tree.htm
I planted three in spring here in Texas. Then watered well during their first summer.
The tree is volunteer and about 5' tall now.
It is hard to tell until they have grown a lot. Males have more denser foliage and produce more pollen from the flowers. The female raceme has more loose, open branches about 6 to 8 inches long versus about 2 inches for the male. Only the females produce fruit if a male is nearby.
Any ideas how to save this younger Pistache in zone 9? It is sapping and large branches have died.
It could be gummosis. Gummosis is the oozing of sap from wounds, insects or cankers on fruit trees. It can result from environmental stress, mechanical injury, or disease and insect infestation. Review the area for possible causes, such as borers.
ew limbs that did not produce leaves at all. Do I remove those limbs or wait until next spring to see if they leaf out then? I have a year warranty on the tree if I need to replace the whole tree.
Go ahead and remove any dead limbs. Here is how to determine if the branch is dead:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/tree-scratch-test.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/chinese-pistache/growing-chinese-pistache-tree.htm