How to Grow Goji Plants

Goji berries are among the healthiest foods in the world, and they are tricky to grow and harvest. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is fairly expensive to keep yourself supplied with enough of the berries to have them in your diet. Yet you can grow your own Goji plants if you know how to do it.

1. Gather your seeds. The best way to get seeds is to find a Goji berries supplier that you like. After you have eaten those Goji berries for awhile and are sure you like the variety, save the seeds from some of the berries. You can get 2 dozen or more seeds from each berry. This works best with shade dried berries.

2. Choose where to plant. You can set your Goji plants in pots or half barrels indoors or outdoors. Probably the best way to plant is outdoors directly in the ground. If this is what you want to do, think about how cold your winters get. If they ever get below -15F, it is best to keep them indoors.

3. Select a location. If you are planting outdoors, whether you are planting in pots or directly in the ground, you will need to find the best location to grow your Goji plants. Look for somewhere that gets a full 8 hours of sun everyday. It should also be away from pollution of any kind, including air pollution, soil pollution, or water pollution.

4. Prepare the soil. You will need some rich dark soil as a base. If you are planting in the ground and the soil in your beds is not rich enough, bring in some dirt, either in bags or by the truckload. Then you will need to add natural organic matter like manure or compost. Make sure there is also good drainage.

Plant your Goji seeds. They are very small seeds, so they do not need to be planted very deeply. Put them in the ground and smooth the soil over the tops of them. Keep them watered, but not drenched, until they have a chance to germinate. Once you see sprouts begin to come up, you know you have a good start on your Goji plants.

Mulch and water your Goji plants. They do best with soil that is somewhat moist. Mulch will help, but do not use mulch that is too acidic. If you use fresh wood chips, for example, they might contain too much acid. If you let them weather first, they should be just fine. Then, water each time the soil begins to dry out.

Do not expect to have a full harvest the first year. It usually takes longer than that for the plants to take hold. When you do have ripe berries, pluck them off and eat them immediately or shake them into a piece of cloth and dry them in the shade for later use. You will benefit from the Goji plants you have grown, for years to come.

goji seeds
Grow your own Goji plants with Goji berry seeds