How to Grow Goji Berries (Chinese Wolfberry)

Goji Berries

Goji berries are known as “The longevity fruit.” Due to its numerous health benefits. It is native to southeastern Europe and Asia. It’s a famous Chinese culinary and medicinal herb.

The red berries are sweet and taste delicious as well as being very nutritional. Goji berries are used to strengthen muscles and bones, liver function, to restore “vital essences,” and to improve vision. It also increases white blood cell counts and stimulates tissue development. The tender young leaves and its’ shoots are popular as cooked greens. The berries can be eaten raw as a snack or added to soups and stews.

  • Plant Description:
  • Goji Berry (Lycium Barbarum)
  • Perennial: hardy in zones 5-9.
  • Time to sow: Spring to early Fall.
  • Light conditions: Grows in full sun to partial shade.
  • Goji Berry Uses: Culinary, tea, Medicinal.

How to Grow Goji Berries

It’s easy to sprout goji seeds, and there’s a couple of ways you can go about it. The first is that the whole dried goji berry can be pressed into the soil and left partially uncovered. The seeds inside will sprout in about two weeks. The soil should be kept relatively moist. When the goji seedlings are big enough to handle, then they can be separated. If you have seeds that have been separated from the fruit, they should be surface sown and pressed gently into the soil, while still leaving them exposed.

Planting Instructions:
Goji plants require full sun to partial shade, and they prefer fertile, well-draining soil with a pH of 8.2 to 8.6. Surface sow the berries and press into the soil. Keep soil moist but never soggy. For best germination results grow indoors in sterilized soil; black earth/peat moss mixture—transplant outside after the risk of frost. Germination takes approx. Two weeks. The plants don’t usually start to bear fruit until the third year, but the nutritious tender leaves can be harvested after a year or so.

Some common names for goji berries: Chinese wolfberry, wolfberry, barbary matrimony vine, Tibetan goji, and Himalayan goji.

Do you have any tips on how to grow goji berries? Please share in the comment section below!

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