Goji Berry Plant for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on May 19, 2022

Planting instructions

Your goji berry plant is best sited on soil that drains well and in a spot that receives six or more hours of sunlight a day. Unpot your bush and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the plant and kill it. Dig a hole that’s a little deeper than the root ball and twice as wide. Mix several shovelfuls of well-rotted compost or manure in the hole, placing the bush on top. Holding it steady and upright, fill in around your bush with topsoil that’s been mixed with compost or manure, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of an organic mulch, such as bark chips, around the bush’s root zone to help conserve water and deter weeds.

Watering and nutrients

Water newly-planted goji berry bushes daily for a month following planting. You should begin to see some robust growth by that time. When you do, taper back on watering to once or twice a week. After the first year, your goji berry plants should only need supplemental watering in very hot or dry weather — a good rule of thumb is to be sure they have 1 inch of water a week. To provide your goji berry plant with nutrients, pull back the mulch in spring and top dress with a layer of aged manure or compost. You may also use a fertilizer designed for landscape plants if you prefer.

Pollination

Goji berry plants are self-fertile, which means the male and female reproductive organs appear on the same plant. What that means for you is that you can have a harvest of the berries even if you only own one plant. It’s worth noting, however, that your harvest will likely be considerably larger if you have two or more plants near each other. The goji berry plant has purple flowers in the spring that are pollinated by insects.

Pruning

Prune your goji berry plant in early spring. First prune out any dead, diseased, or damaged limbs, cutting back to healthy wood. Goji berry plants fruit on wood from the previous year, so you can help achieve a full harvest by cutting back some of the oldest stems each year — especially those that are 3 or more years old. If your goji berry plant gets too tall, prune it back to a manageable height. You may also prune out some stems in the center of the bush to let in light and air and keep it from getting too crowded.

Pests, diseases, and animals

Goji berry plants are generally disease- and pest-free. Occasionally you may see aphids, Japanese beetles, or spider mites on your bushes. A healthy plant can repel most infestations, but keep the ground debris-free around your plant and use an insecticidal soap if necessary. Diseases that may occur include anthracnose and blight, both of which are fungal in nature. Avoid overhead watering and make sure you plant your trees far enough apart so that air can circulate between them. When the berries are ripe, you may have some competition for them from birds. Netting the bush is one way to handle it.

Harvesting

Goji berries ripen in the early to mid summer. You’ll know they are ripe when they turn a vivid red and taste sweet. If they’re truly ready, they can be picked easily off the bush. Harvest the berries by hand, and store them in a cool location until you are ready to use them.

Achieving maximum results

Goji berry bushes have a tendency to flop over when they get to a certain height, but you can minimize this by staking them. Place a sturdy wooden or metal stake, at least 6 feet tall, in the soil next to the trunk. Loosely tie the strongest canes to it so that they have some room, but not enough to flop. Prune out the weaker canes. Be careful and remember to wear gloves and long sleeves, because goji berry plants do have thorns.

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Customer Reviews

Anonymous

Verified Buyer July 25, 2020 at 7:37pm

Goji Berry service is very good!

Goji berry was received by Very good condition. Thank you!