Lycium chinense ( Goji Berry ) is a fruiting plant that is native to the drier regions of China. For thousands of years the Goji Berry has been a key herb in traditional Chinese medicine. In recent decades, the Western world has proclaimed it as a superfood prompting hundreds of studies into the plant. Often sold dried due to their short shelf life, the easiest way to obtain the fruit fresh is to grow it in your backyard.
Suitable for Cold, Temperate, Dry, Mediterranean, Sub-Tropical and Tropical climates.
Also commonly known as the Chinese Boxthorn, Chinese Wolfberry or Chinese Desert Thorn.
Lycium chinense is one of two species (also Lycium barbarum) from which the Goji Berry or Wolfberry are harvested. The fruit is cooked in soups or dried for later use and is sweet with an aniseed-like flavour.
Growth
Lycium chinense is a flowering deciduous shrub that grows to heights of up to 2.5 metres (8 feet) by 2 metres (7 feet) wide. The Goji Berry is cold and drought tolerant and is used as a soil protection plant on the fringes of desert regions in China. Once established the plant tolerates temperatures as cold as -20°C / -4°F.
Leaves of the Goji Berry form on the shoot either solitary or in an alternating arrangement. They vary in shape from ovate, rombic or lanceolate and reach up to 5 cm (2 inches) long. Flowers grow in groups of 1-3 in the leaf axils with pedicals about 2 cm long. They occur during Summer and are purple in colour.
FAMILY:
Solanaceae
CLIMATE:
Cold to Warm Temperate.
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
-20°C to 28°C / -4 to 82°F
SOIL TYPE:
Well draining, moist nutritious soil.
LOCATION:
Full Sun – Light Shade.
HEIGHT:
Up to 2.5 metres (8 feet)
WIDTH:
Up to 2 metres (7 feet)
pH:
5.5-7.5
GROWTH TYPE:
Deciduous.
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Low-Medium.
POLLINATION:
Pollinated by Bees or by hand.
MATURITY:
3-4 years.
GERMINATION RATES:
35-55%
GERMINATION TIME:
2-3 weeks germination
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 600
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
Yes.
WEED POTENTIAL:
No.
EDIBLE:
Yes.
SEED STORAGE & VIABILITY:
Cold Storage at 4°C (Fridge) up to 3 years.
FACTS ABOUT LYCIUM CHINENSE (Goji Berry)
Goji Berries is a major Chinese tonic herb with a history of almost 2,000 years of medicinal use.
The root bark contains betaine which increases the growth rate of animals, for example the weight of eggs produced by chickens.
Roots are traditionally harvested in the spring and can be dried for later use. The fruits are infused with hot water to make Goji Tea.
Germination Instructions
HOW TO GROW LYCIUM CHINENSE (Goji Berry)
Step 1
The most ideal way to start Goji Berry seeds is to soak them in water at a constant temperature of between 21-27°C / 70-80°F for 48 hours, refreshing the water after the first 24 hours. However, without a laboratory at home, the next best method is to soak the seeds in water of room temperature indoors for 48 hours. Changing the water after 24 hours is recommended to ensure bacteria doesn’t start growing.
After 48 hours, drain the water and dry off the excess water using a paper towel. This just makes it easier to handles the seeds when sowing. Prepare small pots of moist seed raising mix and sow seeds 2-3 per pot (or tray cell) by gently pushing them into the surface of the soil. Cover very lightly and moisten gently using a mist spray.
The ideal temperatures to keep the seeds at during germination is around 20° / 68°F. To achieve this warm temperature leaving them in a greenhouse, placing them on a heat mat or simply covering them with a clear plastic can increase warmth.
Leave in a location that is bright but not in direct sunlight as the mixture may dry out too quickly. Keep the soil moist throughout and the seeds should germinate from anywhere between 3 and 21 days.
Step 2
After sprouts start developing, remove the plastic (if used) but keep them somewhere they will remain warm at least until the remaining seeds finish germinating. When seedlings are big enough to handle they can be moved into a pot (if using a seed tray) and the pots transferred to somewhere they will receive some direct morning sunlight. Gradually increase the sunlight the seedlings receive as they will eventually require full sun.
Step 3
Keep protected throughout their first winter as they will still be tender enough for frost to damage them. Transferring them to pots that are slightly bigger than they require is handy in preparation for the first winter as it provides adequate space to mulch the base. It also allows for better drainage so that the roots don’t sit in too much cold water during the winter.
Step 4
After their first winter, keep them outdoors full time. Pots are better for warmer climates for at least their second summer so that they can be moved to avoid excessive hot days. By this stage they are ready to transplanted into the ground if necessary and with a decent mulching will help them to tolerate cold temperatures down to -20°C / -4°F. In our experience, its hot summer days that cause the most problems once the plants have become established. We keep them in large pots because during really hot days they do better under some shadecloth.
Goji Berry plants usually take between 3-4 years to start producing fruits but will continue to produce heavily from then on.
