How to grow goji berries so they bear abundant, vividly colored fruit? Key cultivation techniques explained

Goji berry (Lycium barbarum) is grown mainly for its ornamental fruit; after autumn begins, the red berries that stud the branches are truly lovely. The fruit of the goji berry has relatively high medicinal value, with functions such as tonifying the liver and benefiting the spleen, nourishing the blood and brightening the eyes, and supporting the kidneys and strengthening the lower back.

Goji berry is a clump-forming small shrub with many branches that are slender and drooping. It is distributed throughout both northern and southern China. It likes sunlight but also tolerates shade, tolerates cold and also drought, and dislikes waterlogging; it prefers to grow in well-drained calcareous soil. The goji berry has a well-developed root system and readily sends up suckers. Its flowers are funnel-shaped and pale purple. The flowering period is from June to October, with natural flowering concentrated in two stages: May to June and September to October.

Although the goji berry has a long flowering period, when temperatures are high it does not easily set fruit after flowering, whereas in cool climates it sets fruit readily. During cultivation, the flowering period can be controlled by manually stripping leaves to achieve the goal of bearing more fruit. Generally, stripping leaves in August is more suitable, but to extend the fruit-viewing time, leaf stripping can also be done in late July, along with appropriate shaping and trimming away some of the overly dense current-year branches. For a period after leaf stripping the temperature is relatively high, so pay attention to spraying water and keeping things moist. After leaf stripping, apply fertilizer and water twice; new leaves begin to emerge after about a week. At this time, in addition to normal fertilization, also spray the leaves with 0.3% monopotassium phosphate, twice a week; after about 20 days it can flower and set fruit. If a brush is used for artificial pollination when it flowers, the effect is even better. After fruit set, increase the application of phosphorus fertilizer and keep the soil moist, avoiding both excessive dryness and excessive wetness, to prevent fruit drop. Stop fertilizing once the fruit changes color; after one month the fruit gradually ripens.

Goji berry cuttings root extremely easily, whether from softwood or hardwood shoots, and it can also be propagated by sowing and by division.

Goji berry is best planted in spring before it sprouts. Management during the growing season is extensive: apply a base fertilizer once in winter, then topdress 2-3 times during the growing season. Pruning should "remove the old and keep the new," cutting away overly dense branches, old branches and dead branches so that the plant maintains a good shape and vigorous vitality.