Tips for Growing Goji Berries
In this article, we have provided some helpful tips for growing Goji berries, which are also called Lyclum Barbarum or Chinese Wolfberries. These plants can be found in a variety of areas also they need plenty of sunlight and grow best in the summertime when the climate is hot and dry. Known as deciduous wood perennials, once the berries are picked and wintertime comes, the plant will sprout again the following spring on its own.
While Goji berries love warmer climates, they also do relatively well in humid regions. In fact, they can handle cold winters without much problem. Today, more and more people are showing interest in growing this particular type of plant, finding they have success without putting in a tremendous amount of effort. If you are interested in growing Goji berries, start by freezing the berries for one month, which mimics a hard winter.
After that time, the berries would be soaked in fresh water using a special tray made for germinating. The germination process will take approximately 10 days at which time you would notice small roots starting to develop. Keep in mind that during this germination process, only about 50% will actually succeed. Once you see roots, you can then move the seeds to a starter pot. However, before doing this, the pot has to be properly prepared.
The next step for growing Goji berries is to create a mixture of soil consisting of biological compost and worm castings. Then, you want to add in just a small amount of sand that will help water drain better. Additionally, the soil’s pH level should read between 8.2 and 8.6 in that this plant needs alkaline soil. To check this, you can purchase a soil pH tester at any gardening center, nursery, or home improvement store.
Once the soil is prepared and placed inside the starter pots, you would make a small well in the center, placing the berries so they are about one-half down into the container. Now, when growing Goji berries that are large, you would need to place them a little deeper. Cover the seeds with soil and wait for about 10 to 14 days at which time small green shoots would appear. These shoots will quickly grow small leaves, as well.
Remember, when you first start growing Goji berries, it will take three to four months before the plants really take off but as the roots become established, the plant will grow quicker. Once the plant is too big for the starter pot, you can place the plant in a five-gallon bucket or container. Just make sure it has holes in the bottom for proper drainage. Once the plant outgrows that container, it would need to be transported to the area of the yard where it will be permanently.
Because this plant can reach up to eight feet tall and eight to ten feet wide, you need to consider the permanent location carefully when growing Goji berries. It takes approximately three years for the beautiful and delicious berries to grow but once they do you can enjoy them as a snack or in a salad. Typically, just before the berries start to appear, you would see tiny white and purple trumpet flowers!