How to Goji Berry Plant Care?

Goji Berry Plant: Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, are hardy plants that are drought tolerant and grow in zones 3-10. A brightly colored orange/red fruit with a slightly sour flavor, they are considered a superfood because they are alleged to boost the immune system and brain activity, protect against heart disease and cancer, and improve life expectancy. They are loaded with antioxidants and have high concentrations of vitamin B, C, and amino acids. They are often made into juice or eaten fresh as a snack.

Goji berry plants are easy to grow in your own backyard. They will fruit and flower throughout the summer until the first frost. If left unpruned, they can grow as tall as 10-13 feet with a spread of about 4 feet.

Goji Berry Plant

Goji Berry Plant

Growing goji berry plants is easy. The plants need well-drained soil with pH levels between 6.8 and 8.1. Check the drainage and add sand or compost to improve the texture of the soil if necessary. Bare root plants are the most common way to start gogi berries in your garden. Early spring is the best time for gogi berry planting. This is when the shrub is dormant and better tolerates disturbance. Bare root shrubs need to go into the ground as soon as you get them. Soak the roots in water and plant in a sunny location. Spread out the roots and push the soil in and around the roots. Keep the soil moderately moist for the first few months or until you see new growth sprouting. Spread mulch around the base of the plant to reduce weeds and conserve moisture. Thereafter, allow the soil to dry out in the top few inches before watering again. You can also start plants from seed. Use fresh seeds that have been cleaned and are free of fruit pulp. Start seeds indoors in peat pots and plant outdoors in spring when they are one year old. Expect fruits in about three years from the time of sowing.

Black Goji Berry Plant

After you see 6-8 inches of growth, your new Goji berry plant is ready for the ground, fiber pot and all. Follow these simple planting steps:

• Locate a spot with full sun, although they can tolerate partial shade
• Test the pH of the soil to be sure it’s between 6.8 and 8.1
• If your pH is low, just add some oyster shell flour
• Plant each Goji berry plant at least 2 feet apart
• Goji berry plants can be trained like a grape vine on a trellis or left as a shrub

Goji Berry Plant Pruning

Buy a plant that is at least two years old, which will not be too expensive.
If you can afford it though, a three year old plant would be better.

1. Plant from around May.
2. Take the plant out of the pot and put in a larger bucket.
3. Add water to the bucket to allow the roots to soak.
4. Dig a big enough hole so that manure and feed can be added
5. Add the goji berry tree to the hole and fill in with compost.
6. Press down the earth around the plant firmly
7. Once planted give the tree a good watering to establish the roots.

You will see purple and white flowers starting to grow during the summer. The berries do not grow on the tree until it is at least three years old.

How To Plant Goji Berry

• Don’t prune a Goji berry plant in the first year
• In year 2, choose a main shoot and prune all others below it about 15” from the ground
• When the plant reaches 2 feet tall in the summer, pinch out the growing tips to cause side branching where the fruit will be born
• After your main structure is established, just prune back to the height you want to keep it
• Always remove branches within 15” of the ground
• Prune any unproductive branches
• Thin out branches after the berry season
• Before planting, soak in water for 15 minutes to 1 hour
• With your bare root in the center of your pot, fill the container with potting soil up to the crown of the bare root (Avoid using peat moss as it’s too acidic)
• The crown is where the bare root starts. The crown should be the same level as the top of the soil.
• Water the plant and add additional soil if the soil settles below the crown
• Place in full sun
• Keep the plant moist
• Give the plant about an inch or two of water every week
• Do not apply any nitrogen and they really don’t need any fertilizer

Goji Berry Plant Problems

Growing Goji Berry Plant

The tree needs plenty of direct sunlight to thrive. Pick the spot where you intend to grow your goji berries carefully. They need twelve months of tender care and it is not always guaranteed that the plant will produce fruit. Therefore the best way to get a goji plant in your garden that gives you plenty of fruit is to buy one at least two years old.

They are not that costly to purchase in garden centers and are even cheaper if you shop around and buy online. Fruit will not appear until the goji plant is three years old and then every year after that the fruit yield will increase.

Goji fruit berries have become very popular in the Western world in the past few years. They have been sold in health shops for a long time now. But it is only recently that they have become easily available in most stores and supermarkets.

The big companies have a hand in marketing this amazing berry as they see the potential profits it can bring them. They know how to take advantage of the growing interest we take in the health benefits of certain ingredients we use in our foods.

Grow Goji Berry Plant

Goji fruit berries have become very popular in the Western world in the past few years. They have been sold in health shops for a long time now. But it is only recently that they have become easily available in most stores and supermarkets.

The rest of the world has now only in the last few years realized the health benefits of the goji fruit berry. The Chinese people realized the medicinal properties of the berries thousands of years ago. We are also benefiting from this knowledge now.

The berries can also be bought as a drink. Better still it is a hardy berry that can be planted in gardens all over the world. So If you have a large or even smaller garden it is easy to grow.

I have given details above in this article of how to grow and take care of a tree. Now that I have shown you the goji berry and the many health benefits of these fruit berries why not introduce them to your daily diet. There are plenty of ways to eat and enjoy them.

The big companies have a hand in marketing this amazing berry as they see the potential profits it can bring them. They know how to take advantage of the growing interest we take in the health benefits of certain ingredients we use in our foods.