Detailed Explanation of Cultivation Methods and Technical Points for Leaf Goji

1 Soil adaptability. Goji has strong adaptability to soil and can grow in arid, sandy wasteland, and saline-alkaline soils, but it grows best in slightly alkaline soil that is deep, loose, fertile, and well-drained.

2 Propagation methods. Goji is relatively easy to propagate, and sowing, cuttings, and division can all be used. In production, seed propagation and cutting propagation are generally used.

2.1 Seed propagation. Sowing is generally done in late March to early April.

2.1.1 Seed treatment. 7-10 days before sowing, soak mature dried fruit in warm water at 40-50°C for one day and one night, rub the water-swollen fruit until mashed, separate out the seeds, wash them clean, then mix the seeds evenly with 5-10 times their volume of fine sand, add warm water to moisten and promote germination, and they will sprout after 5-7 days.

2.1.2 Seedbed preparation. Choose sandy loam or light loam with flat terrain, good drainage and irrigation, and fertile soil, plow deeply to 20 cm, apply 4000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 25 kg of compound phosphate fertilizer per mu, rake fine and level, make flat beds 1 m wide, and water thoroughly 3-4 days before sowing.

2.1.3 Sowing. Generally sow in furrows, opening furrows at a row spacing of 15 cm and a width of 5 cm, with a furrow depth of 2-3 cm. Use 0.5-0.7 kg of seed per mu, cover with soil, and press lightly.

2.1.4 Seedling management. After emergence, irrigate shallowly as needed. When the seedlings are about 5 cm tall, begin thinning. When the seedlings are 6-8 cm tall, thin to a final stand, with a plant spacing of about 5 cm. Carry out timely intertillage and weeding, and apply the first topdressing at the final thinning stage, applying 5 kg of urea per mu. If cutworms are found, poison bait can be used to trap and kill them.

2.1.5 Timely transplanting. When the seedlings are 80 cm tall, they can be transplanted. Dig holes at a row spacing of 2 m and a plant spacing of 2 m, plant 2-3 plants per hole, and apply sufficient base fertilizer.

2.2 Cutting propagation. Cuttings are generally taken from late March to early April.

2.2.1 Cuttings. Before goji sprouts, collect vigorous one-year-old branches about 0.4-0.6 cm thick, stack them into cuttings about 15 cm long, with each cutting having 2-3 buds. After treatment with α-naphthaleneacetic acid, place them on a hotbed at 24-26°C to promote rooting. When about 60% of the cuttings have formed callus tissue and some have grown white roots, they can be inserted for cuttings. Insert cuttings at a row spacing of 25 cm and a plant spacing of 15 cm, with 1-2 buds at the upper end of the cutting exposed above the ground, and cover with plastic film.

2.2.2 Seedling management. After the cuttings sprout, remove the plastic film in time and keep the soil moist frequently. After the seedlings are uniform, thin human manure and urine can be applied as topdressing.

2.2.3 Timely transplanting. When the seedlings are 50 cm tall, they can be moved to the field. When lifting the seedlings, damage the root system as little as possible and do not break the seedlings. The planting row spacing is 2 m and the plant spacing is 1.5 m.

3 Field management

3.1 Watering and fertilizing. Goji requires a relatively large amount of fertilizer. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer at transplanting, topdress separately in late April, late May, and late June, applying about 15 kg of diammonium phosphate each time. Before and after the flowering period, spray the canopy with 0.2% urea and 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate every 15-20 days. In late October, dig ring-shaped trenches at the edge of the canopy of mature trees, applying 3500 kg of organic fertilizer and 50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu; young trees use about half that of mature trees. Water in time in dry weather, preferably with shallow irrigation, and keep the soil moist frequently.

3.2 Intertillage and loosening the soil. Intertill frequently. After each watering and fertilizing, intertill and weed, and also intertill after each harvest. In autumn, plow deeply about 25 cm to enhance light exposure, raise soil temperature, and kill underground pests.

3.3 Pest and disease control. The main pests include goji fruit fly, aphids, psyllids, mites, and lady beetles. They can be controlled by spraying with 1500 times dilution of 40% omethoate or 3000 times dilution of 25% cyhalothrin EC.

The main diseases are powdery mildew and gummosis. For powdery mildew, spray at the early stage of disease with 1500 times dilution of 15% triadimefon wettable powder or 150 times dilution of 2% agricultural antibiotic 120 aqueous solution, once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays. For gummosis, immediately after discovery, use a knife to scrape off the bark at the affected area, then apply 2% copper sulfate for disinfection.

4 Harvesting. Goji can begin to be harvested 50-60 days after sowing or cutting. Harvest the vigorously growing branches first and leave the remaining young branches to continue growing. When new branches grow to 40-50 cm and before the basal leaves age, cut the tender branches at the base. Harvesting can be done in several batches.