Goji Berry Plants
Normally gourmet garlic seed is the last thing planted in my garden each fall, but this year a new plant filled that role in my backyard… Goji Berry Plants!
New Fruit Variety for the Home Garden
You may already be familiar with Goji Berries if you keep up with the latest and greatest in the world of nutritional supplements. Goji Berries have been receiving a lot of press recently for the reported health benefits and high levels of antioxidants that have been linked to this exotic fruit from Tibet.
Despite its uncommon roots and foreign background, I became acquainted with the Goji Berry a couple of years ago and soon afterward discovered that the plant can be cultivated here in the U.S. So of course my interest in ornamental and unusual edible fruits led me to try growing Goji Berry plants in my own backyard garden.
The main attraction, in addition to their uniqueness was the fact that the berries appear to be an extremely care-free plant to grow. Add to that their ability to produce huge harvests of nutritious and delicious fruit and it sounds like the perfect fruit for the home gardener.
While Goji Berry plants have rather exotic origins, they are not tropical and can survive the winter even in cold climate regions. Because this fruit is relatively new to growers in the U.S., there’s not much concrete information regarding their performance in various parts of the country, however Goji Berries appear to be extremely adaptable as well as hardy.
Goji Berry Growth Habits and Appearance
To top off the other favorable characteristics for including Goji Berries in the backyard garden, the plants are also ornamental, producing attractive purple and white tropical looking flowers that are followed by bright red, tear-drop shaped berries.
Initially I thought that Goji was a vining type of plant that required support, but it turns out that the growth habit is more similar to a shrub than a vine. The plant is reported to grow to heights of twelve feet tall and as wide as eight feet, but it can be pruned and trained to smaller dimensions, or even raised as an indoor house plant.
If I sound unsure about this ornamental edible plant it’s only because that is the case. This is a new one for me and my first attempt at growing this fruit. If you have more experience growing Goji Berries and would like to share a few of your own tips feel free to send me an e-mail or leave a response in the comment section below.
Obtaining Goji Berry Plants and Seeds
Once I decided to try my hand at growing Goji Berries I immediately ran into a problem in locating and obtaining seeds or plants to start this uncommon fruit. The one company that I stumbled upon that offered plants for sale only sold and shipped them during the winter months, and they were completely sold out at the time.
It was a little puzzling to me why they would sell and ship outdoor plants to northern gardeners during the midst of the harsh winter season. Well it turns out that they ship dormant plants for fall or winter planting. I went on their mailing list and was finally able to order a couple of Goji Berry plants this past December.
I purchased my Goji plants from Timpanogos Nursery. They sell dormant plants for fall planting, and now also sell seed kits and potted Goji Berries for planting in the springtime. If you search the Internet you may find a couple of additional sources for the plants or Goji Berry seeds.
Growing Fall Planted Goji Berries
When I placed my order this fall I did have some reservations over what the weather would be like by the time that the Goji Berry plants arrived. Thoughts of cutting through frozen soil in below freezing weather to plant my Goji Berries were not comforting at all. Fortunately when the plants arrived the weather was mild and perfect for planting.
The planting process was pretty routine, no special treatment was required and Timpanogos supplied a very detailed cultivation manual that described every aspect of growing Goji Berries including planting, pruning techniques, harvesting, and even recipes for using the freshly picked berries. The seed kits also include thorough instructions and a DVD outlining the germination and care of the seedlings.
If you’re interested in growing your own Goji Berry plants you may want to opt for the spring delivered plants at this point, or you can try one of the Goji Berry seed growing kits. I’ll keep you posted on this end as to how my Goji Berry plants survive the winter and what they look like next spring.
Other Related Vegetable Gardening Posts:
- Winter Care Tips for Goji Berry Plants
- Goji Berry Update
- Vanshing Pepper Plants
- Enjoying Elderberries
- Vegetable Gardening Rules Just Made to be Broken
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January 17th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Thank you for this very interesting piece on a new and different plant. I’m going to try to keep it in mind when I get my own garden, soon I hope.
February 16th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Was just given some Goji seed to try. Thanks for the info. I am at the Southern edge of the old zone 6, so may try planting some out this year with protection. I’ll also hold some over in the greenhouse… just in case. Millie
February 19th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Hi! We also grow and sell Organic Tibetan Goji Berry Plants and Seeds with very detailed growing instructions. We have these on our website & on Ebay. The Goji Berry plant is an amazing plant full of life and energy. It is a little tempermental growing from seed, but once they are a couple of months old they are very hardy and drought resistant. Good Luck and Have an Awesome Day!
March 19th, 2007 at 12:02 am
We provide wholesale and retail goji berry plants and seedlings as well as grafted Japanese maples, plants and shrubs.
April 11th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
I would like to know about Goji plants and hungry wild animals. Do deer and woodchucks mean high fences are required? I live in CT
Thanks, Dale
P.S. I found seed picked from dried berries germinate easily in damp paper towels, though you must be patient.
April 11th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Hi Dale, this is my first year growing goji berry plants and I have them surrounded by a piece of wire garden fencing, but I’m not aware of wild animals taking a particular liking to goji berries or doing damage to the plants. If deer are a problem I would definitely protect the young plants until they grow large enough to survive being nibbled and pruned by wildlife. The nursery where I purchased my plants did indicate having a problem with wasps feeding on the ripening berries, forcing them to enclose their goji berry plants within a fine mesh material cover.
April 13th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Thanks Kenny-
I use individual nets (Wedding Veil from fabric stores is good/ cheap) for my blueberries. I drape over and losely knot it at the bottom. I was thinking of puting the Gojis along side them. Do you think they would like soil as moist as the blues, and what about the companion plant chemistry interaction???
I bet those smart wasps and yellow jackets love them. I be forewarned!
Thanks, Dale
April 14th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
I think the Goji Berries would be compatible with the blueberry bushes, my only concern would be that the blueberries prefer soil that is more acidic than what the goji berries would usually grow in.
April 15th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Hi Dale, Goji Berry plants will grow in any type of soil, from sandy to heavy clay, but they prefer a well drained soil of moderate quality. The Goji does not like a lot of water, so do not plant in wet or soggy soil as they will not last more than a couple weeks. As I remember from being a child in Michigan & picking blueberries with my grandmother, blueberries like it moist to wet, so I am not sure that they would be a very good companion plant for the Goji.
April 17th, 2007 at 7:20 am
I’m getting a good picture in my head of what it’s like to be a Goji!! They sound more like those gone wild rosebushes that like to take over CT meadows: space to sprawl, good field soil, full sun, and enough lime to lean slightly toward alkalinity.
Thank you all for the help, Dale
April 18th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I think they (Goji Berries) are a terrific plant. I started a few inside, and some are doing well, others are not. What I wonder is what zones they are compatible in. Im zone 5. I cant wait for the fruit!
April 21st, 2007 at 11:19 am
Hi
does anybody know if you need more than one Goji plant for pollination to get fruit?
April 22nd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
How many goji berries can you expect to have (on average) annually for each plant?
Thanks.
April 24th, 2007 at 8:20 am
We are starting to do some work and growing of gojis here in northern Michigan(zone 6). You can start goji from the dried fruit you buy in the store, we used organic sourced.
The germination rate was about 50%-60%, not to bad for packaged dry fruit that were not intended to germinate. There are many seeds in each berry so you only need a few berries to get started. Suggest not planting the whole seed as this will make a messy clump of seedlings. Better to remove a few select seeds for each pot.
The seedlings grow slow, at first at least, and are about 2 weeks old now and about 1″ high.
We wish to produce gojis on our organic berry farm close to Traverse City, MI
Spread the GOJI throughout the world!
April 24th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Alex, I’ve never seen any indication that you need to grow more than one Goji Berry plant for pollination in order to get fruit and I know that there aren’t separate male and female plants like with Kiwis.
Jason, I just planted my Gojis last fall and can’t advise you on their production numbers. They start to bear fruit after two years and come into full production after about four years.
April 25th, 2007 at 1:49 am
Thank you for your replies. Keep us all updated on your progress. ^-^
I hope to buy some goji seeds and start growing my own as well. I live in an apartment in Toronto, so it might prove to be more difficult. But I will keep working at it.
I want to learn a lot about how to maintain them etc before i start.
May 3rd, 2007 at 2:12 pm
I am interested in trying to grow goji berries in Sarasota, Florida. Does anyone have any experience with goji berries in subtropical climates?
May 15th, 2007 at 11:36 am
My Experience Growing Goji
Lycium, wolfberry or goji berry will grow and thrive in Northern Ohio.
Ten years ago, I started some from seed purchased in the form of Chinese herb stock berries. I used bottom heat, placing the seeds in wet paper towels on a radiator. The resulting plants thrived next to the porch in a rented house, where the landlord finally cut them down as a nuisance several years after we moved.
Last year I read about “Goji” berries and wondered at the claims that there is a better species or sub-species from Tibet. Some sources said it’s true, others claimed it is BS.
I wanted to plant some from seed and not to chance lose out, I ordered an ounce of the Tibetan berries for something like $15. The seller also offered “viable” Tibetan Goji seeds for ten dollars for three. I bought some although I did not believe his claim that the harvested, sun-dried Goji berries contain non-viable seed. After all, even the allegedly “inferior” Chinese berries, from the cheapest Asian supermarkt samples did germinate for me in past years.
I tested the expensive allegedly “viable” seed against some of the seed from the sun-dried berries. Percentage of germinating seeds seemed about the same, so spare your money.
I placed the sprouted seed into large plastic pots in the quart and gallon range last spring. This spring I have eight plants that are doing very nicely.
We just purchased a house and I’ll be planting the Goji plants there, where I intend to propagate them and grow a bunch more. Another name for the plant is “matrimony vine,” and they have rather narrow, long, spiny thorns (maybe not true thorns like a hawthorn or rose).
Summarizing, these are one of the easier plants to grow from seed, and they thrive in this zone (Northern Ohio), They do grow up without needing a trellis. The leaves have usages in herbal medicine too: crushed leaves soothe insect bites and I’ve read of people adding them to the vegetable juicer with other items.
Try growing Goji from seed. You can’t go wrong. Use seed from the “Tibetan” berries if you can get them, “just in case,” because who knows… they may be the better herbal product.
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:12 pm
I collected some goji seeds from some dried goji berries that I bought at our local Wegmman’s. I planted most of a flat in potting mix (3-5 per cell)and put it under lights on a heat mat. about half sprouted in the first week, and by the second week I had what I estimate to be nearly 95% germination! I’m guessing that these little seeds really like warm feet for germination. I have since transfered them to 4 inch pots (still with potting mix) and they are growing vigorously! Now I just need to decide where to plant my goji plantation!
June 10th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Janet, I live a not south of you in Venice and I have 3 plants that are doing OK. They are starting to bloom right now. Now to see if they will produce fruits. They do not like wet feet, I used to have 15 of them I started from seed, I gave away 8 of them and kept 7. I lost all the plants that were in low areas in the yard. Only the ones planted high along a bank are doing fine. Of the 8 I gave away I know 4 died and one is hanging on and the other 3 that are planted on a mound are doing well. Good luck.
June 14th, 2007 at 10:19 am
I have been growing Goji’s for over a year now, I have multiple plants and some started in the front yard. I would suggest everyone use the fertilizer supplied by Timpanogos Nursery. You will notice a huge gain in growth. The plants tend to be stronger when fertilized. If you plan on planting in your yard I suggest using some sort of soil conditioner (peet moss, vermiculite, perlite, etc) to make sure your goji has a good home for its roots. I am also starting to grow these hydroponically, no results on this yet but I will have more to come.
June 15th, 2007 at 9:54 am
Hi Ken,
I found your website when I was looking for info on the Goji Berry.
I live in Hampshire in Southern England (U.K.) & I have just purchased three plants thru the QVC shopping channel. I planted two in large pots (1 in ericaceous soil & 1 in soil from my compost heap) the third I planted down in my veg plot which is green clay.
I will endeavour to let you know how each turns out.
June 17th, 2007 at 2:11 am
Hi, another Brit here. I’ve recently purchased 6 Goji plants from a company in Guernsey. I’ve got 3 in pots and 3 on my allotment. 4 are doing well and 2 are struggling but still alive. I live in Kent which is commonly known as the garden of England so if Goji Berries don’t grow here I’ve got a problem. The soil is a bit clayey but has plenty of horse poo dug in. We’ve had lots of the usual British sunshine and showers, so far I’m really pleased on how the Goji Berry plants are doing. They are causing a bit of curiosity with the old boys down on the allotments. They have never heard of them before, they are all growing potatoes and cabbages, then comes in a woman growing strange berry bushes!!
I am a bit concerned as to how big they will grow, one site says they can grow to 8ft by 12ft, is this true? If so I will definately have to move them.
Alison
June 17th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Hi Ken, How are the Goji plants doing now ? I have a couple hundred of the Tibetan Goji growing now in 1 Gallon pots that I started in seed trays hydroponically 7 months ago. They are doing much better now but even at this age most can not handle full hot sun quite yet. But they are getting close. I am guessing they are self pollinating but have yet to hear of or found any confirmation as to such. I suspect the seed must be of the wild variety as there is little uniformity in size and shape of each plant or group of plants. They do like water in the seedling state but too much will cause new growth to collapse too. Growing lights appear to work well in these beginning stages.
If you have further information or recommendations I would be most Thankful. Rob
June 18th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Rob, Thanks for the info on your goji plants. I just posted a Goji Berry status update on the progress of my seedlings. By the way, what do you plan to do with a couple hundred Tibetan Goji Berry plants?
June 23rd, 2007 at 11:33 am
Hi, I ordered a wolfberry plant (Gojo berry) from Raintree Nursery. It arrived in April (zone 5) and although it was only rated for a zone 7, I have kept it warm with straw insulation. It was about 2 1/2 ft. tall. It has since grown to about 5 feet tall (in 3 months) and spread out. I have trellised it, as they said to. I don’t have any blooms yet. It seems to do well even though we have a lot of rain. I did put a cup of the organic fertilizer called Yum Yum mix in the hole when I planted.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
What climate do you need to grow these in?
We live in Australia and it is a very hot place here, not very humid and certainly not rainforest type weather.
Can you grow Goji Berries in this type of weather?
July 1st, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Australia can’t be much hotter or humid than Venice Florida and I can now announce success! My 3 plants bloomed and produced little bright red berries. OK do I only managed 1/4 cup of them but hey its a start. Plant them on a mound if you get lots of rainfall as they do not like wet feet. So yes they will bloom and fruit in an area that does not experience cool weather.
August 18th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
We planted five young, very tender Goji berry bushes this past spring. After a long period of struggle, two are still doing poorly (never really grew and are now actually smaller than they were when we planted them!), and three are finally doing fairly well. We have had VERY HOT and dry conditions and I am watering, but not frequently. My question is, when should we prune them and how much? Many thanks for any suggestions.
August 28th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
In my experiments the Goji plants DO NOT like change. When I first started growing Goji plants I started them indoors and tried to move them into the yard in later spring. Out of 12 plants only one survived and it is now my indoor plant.
I started 8 outdoor plants from seed keeping them in the full (hot 100+) sun. When the reached about 12 inches tall I planted them in very well drained soil which is a mixture of the natural clay in my yard, peat moss, steer manure, and mulch. They have been in the front yard in full sun for about 2 months now. They have grown to about 2-2.5 feet. I water them two to three times a week making sure to check saturation of the soil. I have found that these are very easy to grow as long as they start and stay in the same conditions.
One note about indoor vs outdoor growing. I have found that the outdoor plants are much stronger and have a larger root system than the indoor plants. I have one indoor plant that is about 5 ft tall and it required support very early on. The outdoor plants on the other hand have not required any support (this may or may not change)
The outdoor plants also have much thicker and darker green leaves than the indoor plant. I keep the indoor plant in a window with 8 hours direct sunlight whereas the outdoor plants get full sun all day long. The soil for both is roughly the same mixture.
For those who would like to grow these plants, I would suggest starting them from seed. I have gotten 100% germination success. I use 4 inch plastic pots with the same soil mixture listed above, making sure the soil remains moist (not soggy). In two to three weeks plants will begin to emerge. When they reach 2-3 inches tall I lightly fertilize to give them a good start. This may not be the best method but as stated above I have had wonderful success
September 4th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
After reading that Lycium Barbarum is naturalized in all but 2 states in the continental U.S.,I thought I might try a little experiment. I cleaned the soil in a large pot that has been used to grow a cherry tomato plant and added a little compost to the top of the soil. I then planted a number of goji seeds in the dry soil of the planter and left it out in the elements. I was away on Labor Day weekend and when I returned I found that it had rained sufficiently to germinate 2 of the goji berry seeds and they were growing quite well right out in nature in 85 plus degree temps and only enough rain to keep the soil moist. No soaking in paper towels, setting in pots with cellophane over them or anything like that. When they grow a little more, I will move them from the planter to a suitably prepared spot in front of my place. I suspect more of the goji seeds will germinate in the coming days. The two that I have germinated in about 5 days! I am considering planting a few directly into the garden soil and see what happens.
I live on the Cumberland Plateau in East Tennessee.
Rick
September 11th, 2007 at 6:41 am
Hi - I planted my goji berry seeds at the start of our English summer (a summer that has been increidibly wet, with a few sunny days thrown in!) in a small polythene covered frame, in small pots of compost. They took a few weeks, but all of them germinated. The frame is in a postiton where it gets about 2 or 3 hours of direct sunlight. Once the seedlings were a few inches tall, I re-potted three in larger containers, with the same compost. I wasn’t sure if it is advised to pinch the top of the seedlings, so when these repotted seedlings reached about 5 inches, I pinched one but not the other two. One of the others is now approximately three months old, and roughly 22 inches tall, still very fragile, and needs support. It is very tall and thin, but has recently got some new shoots at the base. The plant I pinched is bushier that the one I just mentioned, and the leaves are a slightly darker green, and larger. Could anyone let me know what is advised where pinching is concerned, and also if my plants sound at about the right stage for their age!!! I almost gave up on them as they didn’t grow at all for quite a while, but they have suddenly taken off again. We are now at the end of our summer, and I am planning to keep them in the polythene frame over the winter. Thanks for reading this! Jenny :o)
October 21st, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Hey Sinclair… I am also in northern Ohio… I would love to connect and discuss goji berries with you…disband9@yahoo
take care
November 25th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
does anyone can donate some seed of goji for someone like me. im here in the philippibnes im iinterested to plant it in my yard. it was said its good for the ill im eagerly to help my friends to cure by these plant so that i w ill plant it in my yard to help my friends and my family.
January 9th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I was given goji berries for christmas to grow inside. I am totally new to the world of gardening and was wondering how I should go about taking care of the seeds that I planted about 3 weeks ago. Do i have to worry about over watering? How do I know that I planted them correctly? Please help!
I just don’t want to kill them. Also, I live in seattle so sun light is not an option, especially this time of year.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Ken in Venice…..would you be willing to part with some seeds, or another plant for a neighbor in Sarasota. Was hoping to find dried berries in local stores, but have had no luck.
I ‘do’ container vegetable gardening in our backyard, so they’d have a fighting chance.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Try http://www.localharvest.com
They sell goji seeds. Good quality I was able to get 10+ plants from one pack of seeds.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Thanks, Corey. Just ordered some seeds. Hope to grow a natural fence of them down one side of our yard!
January 19th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I live in Northern California, San Francisco Bay area to be exact. I am intrique with the goji which I happened to see in a deli recently. Where can I get goji seedlings or seeds to start. Is there any kind souls out there would spare me a few goji seeds just to try.
January 20th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Sam, if you saw the berries than you have a good source for Goji Berry seeds right there. Even if the berries are dried the goji seeds will usually germinate. Good luck!
January 20th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
I live in southern New Mexico with soil that will grow most anything. I am about to start my experience with growing Goji bushes which I have ordered and are bare root and 36″ tall. Does any one live in this part of the country and have experience with growing these plants. All help and advice is appreciated.
February 10th, 2008 at 6:13 am
I am looking for Goji seeds and fruit. I found one fruit looking like Goji as I saw on different web sites. I am not sure. Can you please help me by describing completely its shape, size and also the shape, size and colour of its seed. How many seeds are in one berry. Please guide me how can I get them. I am in Pakistan. Can they be grown during hot summers.
Thanks
February 19th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Ken in Venice, I am interested in growing Goji in Florida also, in the Charlotte County area. The problem seems to be that they need to go dormant in order to flower. Did your bushes go dormant over there in Venice. What do you think of the chances of good cultivation here in Florida?
February 19th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Planted some goji seeds in plastic seed starter trays on Jan. 26. Kept watered at the bottom and misted on the top in a sunny area on the back porch. Three weeks later, a couple of sprouts have shot up. Hope to see more in the next few days. I am in Sarasota, FL.
February 19th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Janet, That is great. Keep us posted.
I have a funny Goji story. I have an indoor Goji that my 2 year old son destroyed. The plant was about 5 ft tall with many branches. Now it stands about a foot tall and, until today, had zero leaves. It looks like I will have 6-10 new branches to look forward to. Once established these things are strong plants.
PS I now have the plant at work where my son cant get at it anymore.
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:59 pm
I would like to know if the goji berry would grow in zone 9? Thanks
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Randy, Timpanogos Nursery raises goji berry plants and they are located in Henderson, Nevada so I would think that you should be able to grow goji berries in your region.
March 9th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Do the Goji berry plants need full sun or can they grow in partial sun or shaded area.
March 10th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
They do best in full sun, but they will grow in part sun and shaded areas. The more sun they get the faster they grow and the better the berries will be.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I bought some dried goji berries and extracted seeds from 6… yielded about 100 seeds. I stuck them in soil, put them in a sunny south window and they germinated like crazy. I will let you know how they do in Idaho this year.
I love the fruit and have found them excellent re-hydrated in my morning oatmeal.
Nampa Idaho
March 12th, 2008 at 3:33 am
Hey Rose and Fatima - let me know your addresses and I’ll send you a few dried berries! Email me: vgts (at) caseyconnor [dot] org
April 21st, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Bought 2 Crimson Star Goji plants 4/20/08. It is 50 degrees where I live (Seattle) right now. Is it ok to plant? Best soil? How far apart? Do they climb? Best nutrition? Have got aged horse manure.
April 21st, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Tom, I think you’d be safe to set your goji berry plant into the ground now. Average, well drained soil is recommended. Fertilizing isn’t required but will help speed the goji’s growth and production. Use a nitrogen rich fertilizer to improve plant growth and a one that is high in phosphorous during the flowering and fruiting periods. From what I understand the goji plants will take on more of a bush form and grow between six and eight feet wide.
April 24th, 2008 at 12:20 am
I recieved a cutting in a plastic bag from an old Chinese herbalist who was my teacher. He had been growing Gojis in Seattle for at least 10 years. I put it in a 5 gallon bucket with the hopes that I would have a home garden to plant it in soon. It’s been about 3 years, the plant is (unfortunately) still in the bucket, but it’s growing and leaves are sprouting. It’s survived plenty of neglect in the backyard, and has now been moved to Eastern Washington and is still doing well. I’ll be checking back for more tips as this is a very sentimental plant. Thanks for all the info!