How to prune goji berry in spring? Detailed methods and techniques

I. Thinning branches. First, cut off dead branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, damaged branches, thorn branches and crossing branches, then thin out overly dense fruiting branches. When thinning fruiting branches, first remove shaded branches, downward-growing branches and thin weak branches; then remove upward-growing branches and middle branches; if still too dense, thin out the branches on both sides, so that after pruning the distance between fruiting branches is 5-6 cm, and all are plump, strong-fruiting white-stem branches.

II. Handling water sprouts. Water sprouts growing on the drooping parts of scaffold branches are kept as extension branches of the scaffold branches and appropriately cut back, so that the branch vigor and extension direction remain stable; if there is space near the water sprout, cut it back appropriately and train it into a fruiting branch group, to expand the canopy and increase the fruiting area; water sprouts with no useful value are cut off from the base.

III. Renewing and rejuvenating fruiting branch groups. After bearing fruit for 2 years, goji fruiting branch groups mostly bend and droop, and their fruiting capacity decreases. For such fruiting branch groups, cut back leaving 3-5 cm; after sprouting in spring, select a bud with a suitable growth direction and position that is robust, and through pinching train it into a new fruiting branch group.

IV. Renewing and cultivating fruiting branches. Goji fruiting branches differ in fruiting capacity depending on the variety; some can bear fruit for two consecutive seasons, while others can only bear fruit for one season, or only bear small and few fruits at the tips. The characteristics of weak fruiting branches are that the branches are grayish-brown and very short branches are obvious. Such fruiting branches must be cut back and renewed in time. Generally, cut from the point where the fruiting branch bends and droops; for thick ones, cut back 1/2; for weak ones, cut back 2/3; for extremely weak ones, cut back leaving only 5-6 cm. When cutting back, it is better to err on the light side than the heavy side.