Detailed Guide to Large-Leaf Goji Berry Cultivation: Master the Method and Grow Goji Berries Well

I. Large-leaf goji berry has strong adaptability to the environment and can be cultivated in both northern and southern China. The optimal growing temperature is 15-25°C. In South China, cultivation is mainly in autumn and winter; when temperatures rise above 25°C, growth suffers and leaves quickly drop, with new growth only resuming in autumn. However, in North China, it can still grow during the hot, rainy summer season when temperatures exceed 30°C, and it is also very cold-hardy. After the aboveground branches drop their leaves in late autumn and early winter, even though winter temperatures sometimes drop below -10°C, it can still sprout and grow the following spring. Goji berry is also shade-tolerant and grows best in calcareous soil.

II. Propagation Methods: Propagate by seed, stem cuttings, or root division, with cutting propagation being the simplest.

1. Cutting Propagation: In South China, carry out in August-September. In the Yangtze River basin and North China, branches can be cut in autumn or winter for raising seedlings, or stored in sand until spring for cuttings, or in March before old plants sprout, cut cuttings and plant them directly in the field, or plant them intensively in a nursery and transplant to the field after they sprout and root. For cuttings, select relatively thick, strong branches from the mother plant, remove the weak top portion, and cut from the lower end upward, each segment about 15 cm long with three to five buds, with a slanted cut at the base and a flat cut at the upper end so that they are not planted upside down. Generally, each mother branch can yield four to five cuttings. When planting cuttings, insert the slanted end into the soil at an angle, with the inserted depth about 2/3 of the cutting. Field planting spacing is 12 cm x 20-30 cm. After planting, maintain soil moisture. For spring open-field cuttings in the north, cover with plastic film and remove it after new roots and shoots emerge. In northern China, protected intensive cultivation can also be used in winter and spring to promote tender shoot growth and bring them to market earlier.

2. Root Division Propagation: In northern China, in November or mid-March of the following year, dig out the seedlings that have sprouted near the mother plant together with their roots, heel them in trenches, and plant in early April, with 1-3 plants per hole at a spacing of 40 cm x 50-60 cm. After planting, firm the soil in the holes and water thoroughly.

3. Seed Propagation: Large-leaf goji berry rarely flowers and sets fruit in South China. In North China, it flowers successively in summer, and the seeds mature in autumn. After harvesting the fruit, dry it in the shade and store it indoors in a dry, cool place. In mid-February of the following year, crush the fruit, wash away the skin with water to select the seeds, mix with twice as much fine sand, pile indoors, turn frequently, and keep moist. Sow in a seedbed in late March. The seedbed should be in a sheltered, sunny location. The bed soil should be leveled and raked fine, and while raking, mix in 2.50% trichlorfon and spread it, then rake it into the soil to control underground pests.

Before sowing, irrigate first. When the soil moisture is suitable, open furrows lengthwise at 20 cm row spacing to a depth of 2-3 cm, evenly scatter the seeds mixed with fine sand into the furrows, and cover with fine soil 1-1.50 cm deep. Then cover with plastic film to keep warm and moist. Seedlings emerge in about 7-10 days. After the seedlings are fully emerged, remove the cover, thin them appropriately, and apply a light fertilizer to promote seedling growth. Before frost, dig out the seedlings and heel them in a sunny cold frame, then plant in the following spring. Alternatively, earth up and cover before winter to overwinter in the open field.

III. Field Management

1. Fertilizer and Water Management: Large-leaf goji berry requires a lot of fertilizer, so choose fertile loam rich in organic matter for cultivation. Apply sufficient organic fertilizer as base fertilizer before planting. Generally, before planting, apply 5 cubic meters of decomposed manure and 50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu. During the peak harvest period, apply quick-acting chemical fertilizer as a top dressing to promote the sprouting and growth of new shoots and new leaves. Before winter, apply decomposed dry livestock manure as a top dressing. Irrigate during drought, cultivate and weed in time, and pay attention to drainage on rainy days. Water 1-2 times before winter to prevent freezing damage and overwinter.

2. After cutting-propagated seedlings take root and produce new shoots, select and keep three to five healthy new shoots and remove the excess.

3. Pest and Disease Control: In early spring in North China, when new shoots emerge, beetles often cause damage by biting and eating new leaves, seriously affecting the growth of large-leaf goji berry. In spring, when goji berry sprouts, spray insecticide to strictly prevent pests from laying eggs on the buds and shoots, spraying once every 7-10 days for 3-4 consecutive times. Goji berry rarely suffers from diseases. If diseases such as bacterial wilt occur, use 50% carbendazim 500 times solution or 70% chlorothalonil 800 times solution for control.

4. Harvesting: Large-leaf goji berry is harvested multiple times for its tender stems and leaves. In warm seasons, it can generally be harvested 50-60 days after planting, when the plant height is about 50 cm. For the first harvest, cut about 20 cm above the ground, leaving stubble. The product is about 20-30 cm long and is tied into small bundles for market. Harvest multiple times. Stop harvesting in the hot season to allow the branches to grow and thicken, then carry out cutting propagation again in September. In North China, according to market demand, harvest tender shoot tips for market in spring when the plant height is about 20 cm, from spring to autumn. One planting can be harvested for many years. Plants that are no longer harvested after summer tip-pinching will flower and set fruit, and the fruit can be harvested in late autumn when it matures and turns red.