Cultivation Techniques for Black Goji Berry
Black goji berries are always sun-dried at harvest time and made into dried goods, and many people buy them to brew as tea. How are black goji berries cultivated? What are the cultivation techniques?
Cultivation Techniques for Black Goji Berry
1. First select a planting site and establish an orchard, which should have good drainage and irrigation conditions, sufficient sunlight, and fertile, loose soil. Plow and prepare the planting site and apply base fertilizer. Dig planting trenches and holes in the seedling beds.
2. Black goji berry is mainly grown from seed, generally in March. Scatter the seeds evenly, cover them with fine soil and firm it down, then cover the bed surface with rice straw to raise the temperature and retain moisture.
3. Field planting begins in early to mid-April. The planting holes are 30 cm deep and 30 cm in diameter. Keep the topsoil and subsoil in separate piles. When backfilling, put the topsoil at the bottom and the subsoil on top. Dig the planting pits according to the size of the seedlings.
4. When the black goji berry seedlings grow to 30 cm, carry out intertillage and weeding. This is because intertillage loosens the soil, allowing the roots and stems to breathe and preventing a state of oxygen deficiency. Be careful not to damage the roots when tilling.
5. When the seedlings reach late May, fertilization is needed. To promote root and stem growth, mix nitrogen fertilizer evenly and spread it in a 15 cm ring around each plant, not too close to the roots and stems, so as to avoid burning the roots. Before the fruit grows, apply phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer, urea and diammonium phosphate.
6. After fertilizing, watering should be carried out according to the weather. If it is cloudy, a light sprinkling is enough; in a dry season, water thoroughly to help the roots and stems absorb nutrients from the soil. Water must not accumulate in the orchard, as black goji berry is not tolerant of waterlogging; if the roots and stems are soaked for too long, diseases will develop.
7. When the black goji berry seedlings grow side branches, thinning and bud removal must be done promptly. Remove all side branches that are growing too densely so they do not hinder the normal growth of the main branches, wipe off the tender buds, and prune the young shoots.
8. During the growth of black goji berry, cutworms, goji berry psyllids and goji berry leaf beetles pose a threat to it. Cutworms can be controlled by spraying the whole orchard with deltamethrin diluted in water. For the latter two pests, besides chemical control, dead branches, fallen leaves and weeds should be cleared away promptly.
9. Black goji berry is harvested every June. When the berries are black with a hint of red, the fruit stalk is fairly loose, and the fruit shows a tendency to drop, harvesting can begin. Pick gently and handle gently. Spread the harvested fruit out flat promptly; try not to pile the fruit up, and keep the thickness no more than 1 cm. After spreading it flat, let the sun bake it to evaporate moisture so it becomes dried fruit. Never turn or stir it.
The above is a brief account of several points on the cultivation techniques for black goji berry. Those in need can consult relevant experts or look up relevant materials.