Growing Goji Berries

First introduced to the U.K. in the 17th century, the Goji Berry is currently the most fashionable super fruit! The orange-red berries can be eaten fresh or dried and added to breakfast cereals for a healthy start to the day. 

Correctly known as Wolfberry, this is a plant with many identities, as it is also known as Chinese wolfberry, mede berry, barbary matrimony vine, bocksdorn, Duke of Argyll's tea tree, Murali (in India), red medlar, or matrimony vine. Unrelated to the plant's geographic origin, the names Tibetan goji and Himalayan goji are in common use in the health food market for products from this plant.

Appearance

The Goji plant is extremely hardy and tolerant to drought and salt winds. A mature plant will produce up to 1kg (2lbs) of fruit and ideally should be allowed to grow to a minimum height of 3-4ft (max. ht 8-10ft).

Planting

Goji Berries will grow in most well drained soils and prefer a sunny position. When your plants first arrive it is likely they will just look like bare twigs with some roots on. Don’t worry, this is normal. If planted straight away and watered well they will grow leaves within two-three weeks. Dig a hole around 50cm deep and wide and place the goji berry plant in it.

Firm the soil around the plant and water well. Leave about 1m between plants and mulch the area around the stems with leafmoluld or garden compost to keep the soil moist and well-nourished. You can even grow the bushes into a goji berry hedge; simply plant them 1m apart in a straight line.

Growing

An early feed of Sulphate of Ammonia will give the shrub and fruit a rapid boost.

Harvesting
After two years the bushes will start to fruit, and from four years you’ll start to get very heavy yields. In early summer the bushes will produce small, delicate, trumpet-shaped flowers that will be either white or purple. Both coloured flowers can feature on one plant, so they provide visual interest before the berry production begins.

The berries will begin to set in autumn. The ripe fruit are sweet and juicy and almost shiny in appearance. The flowers will continue to bloom right up until the first frosts, however, so your plants will be red, white and purple throughout late summer and autumn.

They are beautiful to have on your allotment, delicious, nutritious, and cheap and easy to grow. If you want health-boosting berries on tap you should consider investing in a goji berry bush or two.