How to prune goji berry in spring? Latest technique and method tutorial

As spring temperatures rise, goji berry (Lycium barbarum) sprouts earlier than other plants. To keep it growing vigorously, with more flowers and fruit, higher yield and better quality, it is generally pruned in spring. So how should goji berry be pruned in spring? Follow along with the editor below to find out.

1. Thinning branches

First, prune away dead branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, and thorns; then thin out overly dense fruiting branches to improve the permeability between branches. When thinning fruiting branches, first cut away shaded branches, downward-facing branches and thin, weak branches, then cut away upward-facing branches and middle branches. If the branches are still fairly dense after pruning, you can appropriately prune some of the side branches. After pruning, keep the spacing between fruiting branches at 5-6 cm, and keep only fruiting branches that are strong, well-filled and highly productive.

2. Pruning water sprouts

In spring, when temperature and moisture are suitable, the plant's branches are very prone to vigorous growth, leading to water sprouts, which consume a large amount of nutrients and affect sprouting. Pruning water sprouts also requires attention to method. Generally, water sprouts growing from the downward-hanging part of a scaffold branch can serve as an extension branch of the scaffold branch; when pruning, simply cut it back appropriately so that the branch's direction of extension remains stable. If there are no other branches near a water sprout, it can be appropriately cut back and trained into a fruiting branch, which can expand the canopy and increase the fruiting area. As for water sprouts with no value whatsoever, cut them off from the base to avoid unnecessary nutrient consumption.

3. Renewing fruiting branch groups

Goji berry fruiting branch groups generally become bent and drooping after two years of fruiting, which reduces their fruiting capacity. In such cases, they can be appropriately cut back, leaving 3-5 cm; after sprouting in spring, choose a young bud that is growing vigorously and oriented reasonably, pinch out its growing tip, and train it into a new fruiting branch group. This both maintains the plant's original fruiting capacity and avoids excessive nutrient consumption, achieving two goals at once.

4. Renewing fruiting branches

As with fruiting branch groups, within the same fruiting branch group, because the growth conditions of each fruiting branch differ, some fruiting branches can bear fruit for more than two consecutive years, while some can bear fruit only once, or bear fewer fruits. Generally, weaker fruiting branches are grayish-brown, and this is more obvious on short branches. So in such cases, cut them back in time to restore yield, and cultivate new fruiting branches to avoid nutrient consumption.

The above is an introduction to spring pruning techniques for goji berry. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.