Detailed Explanation of Key Points for Cultivating Leafy Goji (Lycium) as a Vegetable

I. Selection of Site and Variety: Site selection: Goji is tolerant of poor soil, salt and alkali, and strong drought, with wide adaptability, and can be planted in all soil types. However, for cultivation as a vegetable, the main harvest is the stem and leaf parts with good tenderness retention, and relatively high yield is required (3000kg/mu). Therefore, site establishment requires selecting sandy plots with rich soil organic matter, deep and fertile soil, and convenient drainage and irrigation. For orchard intercropping or establishing a garden on poor soil, deep plowing to improve the soil and increased application of organic fertilizer are required, generally requiring 4 tons of decomposed organic fertilizer or pig manure per mu. In addition, when using vegetable garden land to establish the garden, it is best to avoid following a previous crop of Solanaceae crops, in order to reduce the alternate-host damage of pests and diseases of the same family.

Variety selection: From the ecological perspective of matching the right crop to the right site, try to choose varieties with strong resistance to pests and diseases; generally local wild variety types are best, or directly introduce already domesticated vegetable varieties from regions with similar climate. In terms of vegetable quality, varieties with vigorous growth are required, with good tenderness retention of the buds and high yield. It is not advisable to introduce fruit-type varieties from northern production areas or to purchase seedling stock propagated from seed from northern production areas.

II. Cultivation Patterns: The commonly used cultivation patterns are mainly: the high-density high-yield cultivation method and the orchard intercropping method are the most common. Among them, the high-density type is further divided into open-field high-density and protected-cultivation high-density. The density for high-density cultivation is a plant and row spacing of 15-20cm-20-40cm, with about 20,000 seedlings planted per mu; the density for protected cultivation can be even greater, and small-tunnel cultivation or large-tunnel cultivation can be used. Generally, covering the tunnel to raise the temperature begins from mid-December to early February, and the market period is more than half a month to a month earlier than open-field cultivation. At the earliest, buds can be harvested and brought to market during the off-season period of the Spring Festival; the earlier they are brought to market, the higher the price and the better the benefit. In general open-field cultivation, buds can be harvested in the same year, with 8-12 harvests of buds per year, and a yield per mu of more than 3000kg; at current market prices, the output value is about 8000-10000 yuan.

Orchard intercropping: This is mainly planting multiple rows in strip form on both sides of the fruit tree planting belt, with a plant and row spacing of 20-30cm, planting 6000-8000 seedlings per mu. In the same year, the intercropped yield can reach 800kg/mu, and in the following year the yield can reach 1500kg. In addition, each year in June and December, one season of green manure can be harvested for pressing into the soil, or the stems and leaves can be sun-dried for use as animal feed. After drying, the pruned stems and branches in winter can be used as backfill material for the winter base fertilizer applied in the orchard.

III. Planting Time and Method: Planting time: In our province and areas south of the Yangtze River, it is best to choose September-October for autumn planting to establish the garden. Autumn planting allows the root system to recover in the same year, which is conducive to earlier bud harvesting and improved benefits.

Planting method: When planting seedlings, the main root should be shortened, and the lateral roots and fibrous roots appropriately pruned. The main trunk of the seedling should be cut back to leave 10-20cm, which can effectively increase the survival rate of the seedlings. For planting depth, the root crown can be buried 1-2cm into the soil, which is conducive to promoting the sprouting of adventitious buds at the root crown, forming a harvesting belt, and increasing early yield.

IV. Harvesting and Marketing: In the Wuhan area, goji begins to sprout in mid-February, and the first batch of sprout vegetables can be harvested in early March. After that, it can be harvested about once every half month, and as the temperature rises, the harvesting cycle shortens to 7-10 days. Among these periods, growth is fastest from mid-April to late May. Spring yield accounts for more than 60% of the annual yield. In early spring, the harvested length is the tender stems or tender bud leaves of 10-20cm at the upper part of the stem tip. After June, entering the summer hot period, growth begins to slow, the bud tips become thinner, and most are secondary tips, with a harvesting length of 10-15cm, specifically based on the feel of tenderness. Harvesting should be done in batches and in a timely manner. After harvesting, they can be packaged for market in bundles of 100-200 grams or in paper bags.

V. Pruning Techniques: The cortex of the thick branches and root crown of goji is thick, and it easily sprouts rampant branches and buds. These basal branches are plump and have good tenderness retention, and are high-quality premium sprout vegetables. Therefore, after each harvest, the main trunk branches should be pressed down and cut back in a timely manner to 5-10cm above the root crown, which is conducive to promoting the sprouting of basal buds and increasing the yield of high-quality sprout vegetables. When pruning, note that during the growing season it is not advisable to cut everything at once, in order to ensure the supply of leaf-surface photosynthetic nutrients for root growth. Interval or staggered cutting back can be used, basically ensuring that the harvesting surface is 20-30cm. Entering July, the whole garden should be allowed to grow shoots, which is conducive to the goji plants safely overwintering through summer. In late August, a bare-cut pruning can be carried out across the whole garden to promote the growth of autumn sprout vegetables. After pruning, the branches and leaves can be sun-dried for use as feed or directly as green manure in the orchard. By the time of leaf fall in December-January, another heavy pruning should be carried out. After drying, the pruned branches can be used as organic filler for the winter base fertilizer applied in the orchard.

VI. Fertilizer and Water Management: About half a month after planting, the seedlings can survive and begin to sprout and send out shoots. At this time, light fertilizer water can be applied, with 5kg of urea per mu. After about half a month, apply nitrogen fertilizer again, with 5kg of urea per mu or 10kg of ammonium phosphate. By mid-to-late October, before leaf fall, apply a heavy application of organic fertilizer once, with 300kg of cake fertilizer (or 2000kg of pig manure) + 40-50kg of phosphate fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer. Half a month before spring sprouting, apply 10kg of urea per mu to promote sprouting. After each harvest, loosen the soil in a timely manner and apply topdressing, with 5-10kg of ammonium phosphate or urea per mu, and irrigate the garden according to weather conditions. During ordinary weeding and intertillage in the garden, earth up around the roots in a timely manner to promote the occurrence of adventitious buds at the roots and produce plump and tender basal shoots. During the summer drought period from July to August, irrigate in a timely manner to resist drought.

VII. Prevention and Control of Pests and Diseases: The most common pests of vegetable goji are aphids, gall mites, and the goji leaf beetle (negative mud worm), while the main disease is anthracnose, which generally occurs relatively lightly.

Goji leaf beetle: Also called the ten-spotted leaf beetle, belonging to the family Chrysomelidae. Adults and larvae chew the leaves into notches, and sometimes eat the tender leaves or even all the leaves of the whole tree, seriously affecting plant growth and yield.

Control methods: ① Spray the ground with 50% phoxim emulsion at 1000 times dilution to kill adults; ② Spray with 20% fenvalerate at 2000-3000 times or 2.5% deltamethrin at 3000 times dilution; ③ Spray with 40% dimethoate at 1000 times or 90% trichlorfon at 500-1000 times dilution.

Goji gall mite: This is a relatively serious mite pest harming goji, mainly using its mouthparts to pierce and suck on goji leaves and tender branches, stimulating cell proliferation at the damaged sites to form blister-like galls, within which the mites parasitize, reproduce, and cause damage. It seriously affects the quality and commercial appearance of the leaves used as a vegetable.

Control methods: The most suitable period for control is before spring sprouting. A 45-50% sulfur suspension concentrate at 300 times dilution or 3-5 Be degree lime sulfur mixture can be used to disinfect the garden, and can also control other mites at the same time; during the major clean pruning of the whole garden in autumn and winter, remove seriously damaged branches from the garden and burn them centrally; during the pest occurrence period, spray with 40% dimethoate at 1000 times dilution.