Goji berriesare shrubs grown primarily for the nutritional value of the fruit. In autumn, redgoji fruitsmake them also interesting ornamental plants. Healingproperties of goji berrieshave been used in Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years. And what doescultivation of goji berries in Poland look likeand where can you buygoji berry seedlings ? Learn the secrets of growing and using some of the world's most nutritious fruits!
Goji berries - dried fruit
Goji berries - properties and application
Goji berryis the colloquial name of Chinese wolfberry (Lycium chinense), belonging to the nightshade family. The goji berry is a shrub up to 3 m high, with dangling stems covered with thorns. It blooms at the turn of August and September, and bears fruit at the end of October.Goji berriesare red, oblong, very delicate, so it's best to pick them with the stalks to avoid damaging them. After harvesting, they should be dried immediately, preferably within the next 48 hours.
Before we start to admirethe he alth properties of goji berries , it is worth noting that originally goji berries were grown exclusively in China, they grew in the Tibetan valleys and in the Himalayas in virgin areas, free from pollutants and pesticides. In this form, goji berries were used in Chinese folk medicine.
Currently, goji berries are grown in many warm and subtropical countries, includingin in Japan, Korea, and other Southeast Asian countries. There are also crops in Europe. Unfortunately, goji berries from these crops have a lower nutritional and medicinal value. However, they are still very valuable fruits, andmodern research has confirmed the high nutritional value and he alth-promoting properties of goji berries
Fruit of goji berries on the bush
Fig. depositphotos.com
Goji berries are used primarily in the kitchenFrom a biennial plant, you can harvest about 2 kg of fruit and prepare juices, jams or simply eat it after drying. They are a great addition to salads, baked goods or other dishes, enriching their taste and nutritional properties.Goji berries resemble cranberriesbut are more tart.
Goji berries are considered to be the he althiest fruits in the world.The healing properties of goji berries are based on a large amount of vitamins, especially vitamin C In 100 grams of berries there is as much as 2500 mg of it, which puts goji fruit in the third place in the world among natural sources of this vitamin. Consuming just 7 fresh goji berries covers the human daily requirement for vitamin C. Goji berries are also rich in carotenoid antioxidants and minerals: iron, calcium, zinc, selenium and many others.
Goji berries strengthen the system immune system , have a positive effect on the liver, kidneys, joints, eyesight, regulate pressure. They occupy a leading place in natural medicine. They protect against cancer, have a positive effect on the functions of the digestive tract, improve well-being and sleep quality.
Note!Only eat ripe goji berries. Consuming unripe fruit may cause poisoning, disturbances in the functioning of the digestive and nervous systems.
Goji berries - cultivation in Poland and requirements
Growing goji berries in Poland is not the most difficult The plant is not demanding, it grows well even in poor soil, preferably slightly acidic. It does not tolerate clay and waterlogged soils. He likes a sunny position, only then does it bear fruit best. It starts bearing fruit in 1-2 years after planting.The goji berry is frost-resistant(down to -26 ° C) and drought-resistant. However, in the coldest regions of the country, bushes should be covered for the winter. You can run it on supports, like other climbers, or you can choose to maintain the effect of natural arched shoots of this shrub.
Goji berries - growing from seeds
Goji berry is grown from seeds or ready-made seedlings.Seeds should be soaked in water for several hours. Successively plant in pots with a mixture of earth, peat and sand or perlite in a ratio (1: 1: 1). Cover the seeds with a layer of soil, slightly tamping them at the end and watered them. Pots can be additionally covered with foil (with holes), which will speed up the germination process. When the seedlings reach a few centimeters after 2 weeks, they should be planted into individual pots.Later, when they grow to 20 cm, they can be planted permanently in the garden in spring.
Goji berries - purple flowers
Goji berries - planting
DoneGoji berry seedlingscan be planted in the spring at the beginning of the growing season or in the fall. Planting shrubs in autumn will guarantee a better start for the plants in the next season. The soil for plants should be properly prepared, first of all by removing weeds, adding organic matter (e.g. compost) and possibly loosening it to make it sufficiently permeable.
Plant the goji berryto the same height as it grew in the pot. At the bottom of the dug hole, pour fertile, humus-rich soil or compost and place the plant. If we plant several shrubs, keep a distance of 1 m between them.
Goji berries - fertilization
The planted bushes must be fed with mineral or organic fertilizers.The first dose of fertilizer for goji berries is sown in the first year in mid-May. In the following years, we can limit nitrogen fertilization and apply higher doses of phosphorus and potassium. Goji berries are favored by mulching the soil under the shrub, e.g. with compost.
Goji berry - cut
Pruning goji berriesis a very important procedure that affects the fruiting of shrubs. Goji berry blooms and bears fruit only on annuals. Uncut bushes tend to grow intensively, which makes them denser and has numerous long overhanging shoots. The result is worse access to light inside the bush and aging of the shoots, which leads to weaker fruiting.
During the first two years of cultivationgoi berry bushes are cut the most , shortening all shoots by 1 / 3 of their lengths. In the following years, the pruning may be weaker, giving the plant a specific form. We cut out shoots that are frozen, broken or otherwise damaged, crossing each other and overly thickening the shrub, and the oldest ones that bear fruit the least and hang heavily.
BestGoi berry cut dateis early spring.
Goji berry - tree
It is recommended more and more oftenkeeping goji berry bushes in the form of treesFor this purpose, one strong shoot is selected to act as a trunk. On it, at a height of 1-1.5 m, a crown is formed with numerous overhanging shoots. When the shoots exceed the length of 50 cm, they are shortened every spring. The form of the tree ensures better fruiting, optimal access to light and easy harvesting and care of goji berries.
Goji berries - diseases
Wgrowing goji berriesone of the most popular diseases is powdery mildew. The symptom of this fungal disease is a white, powdery coating on the entire leaf blade. Symptoms may also appear on shoots and flowers. Prevention is primarily based on cutting the shrub through and avoiding over-compaction.The disease is favored by high air humidity. After the first symptoms are noticed, spray with plant protection products such as Signum 33 WG, Score 250 EC or Topsin M 500 SC.
Goji berries - where to buy seedlings
Goji berry seedlingsare sold in pots, which protects their root system and can be bought and planted basically all season from spring to autumn. As we wrote above, it is best to plant goji berries in spring or autumn, because then the plants best acclimatize to their new place. Since this plant is rarely found for sale, good quality, he althy and plumpgoji berry seedlingsshould be ordered online. They are available from spring to fall, which is when they can be safely planted. At the time of writing this article, nice Goji berry seedlings were available in the following stores: Sadowniczy.pl and Starkl.pl
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
