Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Goji berries (wolf berries)
Goji (pronounced go-jee) berries are expensive to buy in the shops but easy to
grow yourself, and are very hardy after their first year. They are credited with an
impressive list of health benefits, and are high in a selection of vitamins, minerals
and antioxidants. Best of all, they do very well in pots.
Preparation
Goji berries are perennial and once established are very easy to care for. They will
grow in a wide variety of soils (unless too wet), don't need a lot of feeding, are
somewhat drought-tolerant and will even grow in partial shade, though they
prefer full sun. They make ideal container plants and should certainly be grown
in the shelter of a polytunnel (or greenhouse) in their first year, after which they
could be moved to a sheltered spot outside. Or, of course, they can stay in the
tunnel, where they will give heavier yields than outside. Ideally they prefer a
rich, well-drained loam into which some very well-rotted compost has been
added to help moisture retention.
Sowing
Goji seeds germinate best at around 20°C and should be sown 1cm deep in 10cm
pots. Germination is patchy but should take around two weeks. Young plants are
also commercially available, either bare-rooted or already growing in a pot.
Note:
In April 2008 it became apparent that bare-rooted goji berry plants were
being imported from China to Holland and from there to the UK, bypassing the
normal inspection channels. Some of these plants carried the goji gall mite, a
pest to which goji berries are prone in their natural homelands. This is not indig-
enous to the UK but if introduced may spread to other plants in your garden, so
it is important to always buy goji plants from a reputable source.
Growing
If you do buy a bare-rooted plant, plant it - as soon as it arrives - in a 30cm pot.
Do not add any bonemeal, fertiliser, etc. to the earth when planting, as it will be
far too rich and may damage or even kill the roots. Water the plant in, and add a
mulch to the surface. Leaves should appear within three weeks.
Goji is invasive, so we do not recommend planting it directly in the tunnel. Pot
the plant on only when it needs it, and never into anything much larger than that
in which it was previously growing, or the roots can become waterlogged. If you
