Goji berry, or Chinese wolfberry (Lycium chinense), is a fruit shrub that is more and more often found in Polish gardens. It owes its growing popularity to juicy fruit with an interesting taste and extraordinary he alth properties. Unfortunately, despite the small requirements and easy cultivation, it often happens that the goji berry does not want to bear fruit in our gardens. Here are the top 5 reasons why the goji berry does not bear fruit and what to do to finally produce a lot of wonderful berries!
Goji berries
1. Goji berry does not bear fruit because it was not pruned
Goji berries bear little or no fruit if not regularly prunedGoji berries bloom and bear fruit only on annuals. Goji berry bushes tend to grow intensively, which makes them denser and has numerous long overhanging shoots. This results in worse access to light inside the bush and aging of the shoots, whichresults in poor fruiting
Therefore, every year in early spring (March) you should strongly prune the goji berry bushes. For the first 2 years of growing goji berries, you need to prune the shoots the most - - shorten all the shoots by 1/3 of their length. In the following years, the pruning may be weaker, giving the plant a specific form. More and more oftenthe recommended form of goji shrubs that favor abundant fruitingis the form of a tree with a spherical crown.
2. Goji berry does not bear fruit because it grows in bad conditions
Goji berry does not bear fruit if it is grown in a place with little sun Goji berry requires a sunny and warm position. Only under such conditions will the bushes bloom and bear fruit. Goji berry bushes are best kept near a sunny wall, which at the same time will protect them from strong winds, or by stakes, stretching the branches along the wires.
Goji berry also does not bear fruit if it grows in wetlands.Goji berry should be grown in moderately dry places, in sandy or gravely soil. Compact, loamy and waterlogged soils are unsuitable for growing goji berries. Too high humidity of the substrate causes the shedding of flowers and fruit buds by the bushes.
If the conditions for growing goji berries are unfavorable, the shrub should be transplanted to a suitable place in the fall or spring.
3. Goji berry does not bear fruit, because it is not fertilized
If, despite ensuring proper growing conditions and proper pruning, the goji berry bushes bear fruit poorly, it may mean that they need fertilization To supplement the deficiency of nutrients and increase fruit yields in the next season, in mid-summer you can fertilize the bushes with autumn tomato fertilizer, rich in potassium and phosphorus. Mineral deficiencies can be eliminated by mulching the goji bushes in autumn with granulated manure or in spring with compost.
4. Goji berry does not bear fruit because the bushes are too young
Goji berry may not bear fruit in the same year it was planted as it takes time to acclimatize in a new place. Usually the first fruits appear on the bushes after 2-3 years of cultivation. However, we can expect full fruiting only after 4-5 years of cultivation. During this time, the shrubs should be provided with proper care and regular pruning. A little attention and patience will definitely pay off!
5. Goji berry does not bear fruit, because it needs a pollinator
Despite the fact that the flowers of most varieties of goji berries are self-pollinating, they may bear much less fruit if there is no pollinator in the vicinity. In order to increase the amount of fruit on the shrubs, it is worth planting several shrubs of different varieties of goji berries next to each other.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
