Detailed Explanation of Key Cultivation and Management Techniques for Goji Berry

Goji berry (Lycium chinense) belongs to the genus Lycium in the Solanaceae family. It is a deciduous trailing shrub with slender, thorny branches and small five-petaled purple flowers. Goji varieties include common goji, Ningxia goji, yellow agate goji, and amber goji. The first and last two can be grown in pots and made into bonsai.

I. Propagation: Can be done by seed, cuttings, or division.

For seed propagation, soak the harvested dried fruit in water for 1-2 days, select the seeds after they soften and dry them in the sun, choose plump seeds free of pests and diseases, sow in late March of the following spring, and transplant the next spring.

Cuttings are taken before the adult plant buds. Select vigorous one-year-old branches and cut them into 12-15 cm segments as cuttings. Insert them into pots and keep the soil moist; 100% survival rate can be achieved. With good management, a small number of flowers and fruits can be seen in the same year; otherwise, flowers and fruits can only be observed the following year.

For division, when repotting, separate the root suckers, stem suckers, and rhizomes growing from the parent plant into complete separate plants. This method grows quickly and flowers and fruits can be enjoyed in the same year.

II. Potting Soil Preparation:

(1) Four parts garden soil, two parts coarse sand, two parts rice hull ash, two parts decomposed organic fertilizer.

(2) Five parts garden soil, three parts leaf mold, two parts decomposed organic fertilizer.

(3) Five parts peat soil (black soil), three parts decomposed metasequoia leaves, two parts decomposed organic fertilizer.

There are no strict requirements for the pH value of goji growing medium. All three potting soil preparation methods above are suitable for potted goji cultivation. The first is slightly alkaline soil, the middle is neutral soil, and the last is slightly acidic soil.

III. Placement: Goji bonsai should be placed in a well-ventilated, sunny location. If placed in a partially shaded area with insufficient light, branches will trail and become weak, flowers and fruits will be sparse, or the plant may not even flower or fruit.

IV. Dormancy Management: Goji berry goes dormant twice a year, in the cold winter and the hot summer respectively. During winter dormancy, all leaves drop. It can safely overwinter whether placed outdoors or in a sunny spot inside a balcony. When the temperature rises to around 10°C the following year, goji begins to bud and grow branches. Around the summer solstice (late June), it enters dormancy or semi-dormancy again, and the leaves gradually all drop or become sparse. The goji can be placed under a shade net or on a north-facing balcony to pass through the dormancy period.

V. Pruning and Leaf Removal: In the following spring, before goji buds, fruit picking and heavy pruning are done simultaneously. Before the start of autumn, when the summer dormancy of goji is about to end, prune again in the same way as spring pruning. Goji requires leaf removal twice a year. First, in early summer (late June), use scissors to cut off all goji leaves (cut at the middle of the petiole, being careful not to damage the buds). Goji revives about two weeks after the start of autumn, and green shoots soon grow from the buds. Second, remove leaves in early autumn (late August), so that flower buds and leaf buds sprout simultaneously.

VI. Watering and Fertilizing: During summer dormancy, keep the potting soil moist but not waterlogged. In late August, water according to the principle of "water when dry, dry-wet alternation," watering thoroughly when dry, but be careful not to let it dry to an irreversible point, as this helps flower bud differentiation. When flowering and fruiting, keep the potting soil moist; otherwise, it may cause flower drop and stunted fruit. After the fruits turn fully red or fully yellow, appropriately reduce watering, as too much water can cause fruit drop. Fertilizing goji begins in April, applying decomposed organic fertilizer mainly containing nitrogen once a week to help goji accumulate more nutrients and lay a good foundation for later flowering and fruiting. Stop fertilizing from May to July. In early September, new shoots sprout; apply decomposed organic fertilizer mainly containing phosphorus once every 10 days to promote reproductive growth of goji. Stop fertilizing once flower buds show color. When fruiting, apply fermented grass liquid fertilizer once every 10 days, 2-3 times total.

VII. Pest and Bird Prevention: Goji is mainly harmed by aphids. In spring, dig open the potting soil around the edge of the pot and bury about 5 grams of carbofuran granules, then cover with soil. This pesticide has contact, stomach-poison, and systemic effects, with a 100% aphid kill rate and an effective period of 50-60 days. When the fruits ripen in autumn, move the plant into the balcony and place it in a sunny spot to prevent the Chinese bulbul from pecking at the goji fruits. (Carbofuran is toxic and has a long residual period, so it should not be used excessively.)

Through the careful cultivation and management described above, goji berries set fruit in mid-to-late September and ripen in late October. Set against the backdrop of fresh green leaves, red and yellow fruits are scattered all over, as if thousands of rubies or yellow agates were hanging from the branches.