When is the best month to plant black goji berry? Detailed explanation of propagation methods and management techniques

Black goji berry, namely Lycium ruthenicum, is known in Mongolian as “Qonoyin—Harmag” and in Tibetan medicine as “Pangma”; it belongs to the Solanaceae family, genus Lycium. So when is the best month to plant black goji berry? How many years until it bears fruit? Where is black goji berry suitable for planting? How is it propagated?

1. When is the best month to plant black goji berry?

The sowing period for black goji berry is from late March to mid-April. For drilling, open furrows at a row spacing of 30cm, with a furrow depth of 0.5~1cm; mix the seeds with a little fine sand, sow them evenly into the furrows, cover lightly with fine sand, press lightly, then water, and keep the soil moist. Irrigate shallowly with a small amount of water once every 1~2d. At a temperature of 17~21 degrees Celsius, seedlings emerge in 5~7d.

2. How many years does black goji berry take to bear fruit after planting?

If grown from seed, it can bear fruit in three years; some saplings bear fruit in the same year.

3. Where is black goji berry suitable for planting?

The producing areas of wild black goji berry are Qinghai, Xinjiang, Golmud and Tibet. Needless to say, places such as Qinghai, Xinjiang, Golmud and Tibet are relatively suitable for large-scale planting of black goji berry; the natural climate in these places is relatively suitable for the growth of black goji berry. At present, many people in these places grow black goji berry; in other cities, there is not yet anyone attempting large-scale planting of black goji berry, because the environment and climate of other cities cannot reach the environment required for black goji berry growth.

4. How is black goji berry propagated?

1. Cutting propagation: cutting seedlings bear fruit early and can maintain the excellent traits of the mother plant. Generally, mostly after the sap stops flowing and before Lycium ruthenicum sprouts, select 1-year-old water sprouts or thick branches with plump buds from excellent individual plants, cut them into 18~20cm long cuttings, and at a plant-row spacing of 20cm-50cm, insert the cuttings diagonally into prepared beds to 2/3 depth, then press firmly, tamp down and water, and often keep the soil moist; the survival rate is 85%~90%.

2. Seed propagation: before sowing, soak the stored seeds in 40 degrees Celsius warm water for 24h to increase the germination rate; the germination rate is generally about 90%. The sowing period is from late March to mid-April. For drilling, open furrows at a row spacing of 30cm, with a furrow depth of 0.5~1cm; mix the seeds with a little fine sand, sow them evenly into the furrows, cover lightly with fine sand, press lightly, then water, and keep the soil moist. Irrigate shallowly with a small amount of water once every 1~2d. At a temperature of 17~21 degrees Celsius, seedlings emerge in 5~7d. The sowing rate is 1~1.5kg/m2, producing 40,000~50,000 seedlings/m2.

If there is no watering condition or insufficient water, after sowing cover lightly with fine sand and soil, then cover with plastic film, and then cover the film entirely with soil 1.5~2cm deep, preferably so that sunlight cannot penetrate; observe every day, and when the seed buds break through the ground, remove all the film on a rainy day. In this way, soil moisture can be effectively preserved, avoiding water evaporation and soil drying caused by the film raising the temperature. Thus, the contradiction of deep sowing causing bud smothering and shallow sowing causing bud scorching is solved. This method, summarized in actual seedling production, is very practical for raising seedlings of small-seeded varieties in places with insufficient water sources such as tablelands.