What are the methods for propagating goji berry seedlings? Introduction to common seedling-raising methods

Goji berry (Lycium barbarum) can be propagated by seed, cuttings, division, and layering, with seed propagation and cutting propagation being the main methods in field production.

1. Seed propagation: For seed propagation, spring sowing is preferable, and the seedlings can be transplanted and established in the same year. Drilling is mostly used for seedling raising, with furrows opened at a row spacing of 30-40 cm and a furrow depth of 2-3 cm; the pre-germinated seeds are mixed with fine soil or fine sand and scattered into the furrows, then covered with about 1 cm of soil. After sowing, press the soil down and cover with grass to preserve moisture. In the arid and windy areas of the northwest, the method of deep furrow opening and shallow soil covering can be used, with a sowing rate of 0.3-0.5 kg per mu. When the seedlings are 5-6 cm tall, thin them, and set the plants at a spacing of 8-10 cm; when the base of the seedling stem is about 0.7 cm thick, the seedlings can be lifted and transplanted.

2. Cutting propagation: Before sap flow begins, select plants with large fruit, high yield, good quality, and strong disease resistance, and cut them into 15-20 cm long cuttings, with the upper end cut flat and the lower end cut at a slant; insert them obliquely into the seedbed at a row spacing of 30-40 cm and a plant spacing of 10-15 cm, with about 1 cm of the upper part of the cutting exposed above the ground. To promote rooting, the lower end of the cuttings can be soaked in 15-20 mg/kg α-naphthaleneacetic acid for 24 hours.