Detailed Cultivation Techniques for Leafy Goji in Protected Culture

Leafy goji, also known as goji shoots, goji berries, goutdiya, digupi, etc., is grown for its tender stems (young shoots), which can be eaten cold-tossed or stir-fried, and can also be used in soups or as a hot pot ingredient. The key cultivation techniques are as follows:

1. Cutting propagation: Because leafy goji is continuously harvested for its young shoots, it generally does not flower or set seed, so cutting propagation is mostly used.

① Cutting time: Take cuttings for seedling production in open ground or protected culture in August-September.

② Selection and treatment of cuttings: Select disease-free, robustly growing plants, take branches that are 1 year old, 0.5-0.8 cm in diameter, with plump buds, remove the tender tip portion of the branch, and cut from the basal end upward into small sections of 8-10 cm each as cuttings, with each cutting section guaranteed to have 3-5 buds. Tie every 50 cuttings into a bundle, soak in a solution of 50 mg ABT rooting powder in 1 kg water for 24 hours, and then they are ready for insertion. Treated cuttings not only have a high survival rate, but also root early and produce many long roots.

③ Cutting method: For open-ground cuttings, choose a plot with high, dry terrain and good drainage; for greenhouse cuttings, choose a plot in the middle-to-rear section. After preparing the soil, make a bed 15-20 cm deep, level the bed surface, spread a layer of clean sieved river sand or perlite about 10 cm thick as the cutting medium, and insert the cuttings into the medium at a density of 2-3 cm square, taking care that the axillary buds face upward and that the cuttings are not inserted upside down, with an insertion depth of 5-7 cm. After insertion, water thoroughly once, set up a small arch tunnel over the bed, and cover with shade netting and plastic film to reduce temperature and preserve moisture, or to preserve heat and reduce humidity.

2. Field planting and management:

① Soil preparation and fertilization: During soil preparation, in combination with deep plowing, apply 3000-5000 kg of fully decomposed high-quality organic fertilizer and 50 kg of NPK compound fertilizer per 667 sq m, level the surface, and make flat beds 1.5 m wide, then open furrows or dig holes for planting.

② Field planting: About 10 days after cutting, new roots and new shoots begin to emerge, and after 20-25 days they can be transplanted and field-planted. Planting depth is 6-7 cm, with a plant spacing of 15-20 cm.

③ Fertilizer and water management: Water immediately after field planting, and cultivate the soil 2-3 days later to promote seedling recovery and accelerate growth. Greenhouse temperature should be kept between 15-25°C as much as possible. Water appropriately, keeping the soil consistently moist. Goji propagated by cuttings has a shallow root system and weak absorption capacity, so do not flood-irrigate. Apply a nitrogen fertilizer once along with watering, applying 15 kg of ammonium sulfate or 10-12.5 kg of urea per 667 sq m; a 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar spray can be used to promote leaf growth. After each harvest, apply fertilizer promptly along with watering, and also carry out soil cultivation and weed control.

3. Pest and disease control:

The main disease of leafy goji in protected culture is powdery mildew, and the main insect pests are goji psyllid, goji eriophyid mite, goji aphid, whitefly, etc. Control should be prevention-oriented, and pesticides should be avoided as much as possible during the harvest period. When taking cuttings, select robust, disease- and pest-free mother plants; before field planting, the greenhouse can be fumigated and disinfected with dichlorvos or chlorothalonil smoke agents; before bud break and after leaf expansion, apply targeted sprays for treatment, including spraying 0.5 degree Baume lime sulfur mixture to control powdery mildew and goji eriophyid mite, spraying 50% dimethoate 500-fold solution to control psyllids and aphids, and spraying 20% dicofol emulsifiable concentrate 1000-fold solution to control mites.

4. Harvesting:

After field planting, new shoots have already formed by 15 days, and after 50-60 days the new shoots can grow to 20-30 cm, at which point young shoots 10-15 cm long can be harvested at any time for market. Leafy goji is planted once by cuttings and harvested many times; by late May of the following year, 4-5 successive harvests can be made.