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Goji berry

bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 1,906
in Problem solving
We bought 2 bushes many years ago. They didn't like being in the main garden, soft fruit area,suffering badly with mildew,  so we replanted them out in the orchard.
We rarely have any flowers and never any fruit. They are leafing up now.
Anybody had success with Goji berry? Any suggestions for getting them to crop would be greatfully appreciated. Thank you.
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Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 28,580
    Do you feed them?   I would give them each a generous handfulof slow release tomato feed as this encourages both floweing and fruiting and then add some well-rotted manure as a mulch.   Give them an occasional drink of liquid tomato feed thru spring and summer.

    Have a read of this for more info on general cultivation - https://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/goji-berries/grow-your-own  
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 1,906
    @Obelixx will give that a go.
  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 28,580
    Good.  Let us know if it works please.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 730
    I know it's great general advice above but it's kind of the opposite I saw from people growing them (most homestead types) where the advice of treating them mean, seemed to garner the best yield.
    I do have them down the allotment and we get lots of flowers but seemingly no berries and I found out its because the blackbirds love them so much. We did have a few make it and I'm happy to let the blackbirds have them tbh, they weren't particularly my taste.

    There is also a huge expanse, probably a mile of two long,  of them on the coast between Llandudno and Conway. I was there last year and the bushes were absolutely full of them and I'm guessing the soil isn't very good there because they were growing out of the sand just off the beach.   
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,744
    Waste of space.  Threw our plants after 3 years of nothing.  
  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 28,580
    edited 10 January
    It could be lots of things including damp soil @thevictorian.   The RHS advice is that they need well-drained soil which the ones near the dunes would certainly have.  Growing in an orchard means there's much more competition for nutrients from both trees and grass and wildflowers hence my advice to feed but if that doesn't work then i'd advise moving them to a new spot with better drained soil or making a raised bed with good drainage.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao North LondonPosts: 408
    I was warned about their invasiveness, and apparently they take around 7 years to fruit. So didn't bother.
  • neilbradburnneilbradburn Posts: 142
    They can be invasive if you let them layer themselves. However, you can keep them tied up. Equally, I gather its advisable to avoid haircuts as I think they fruit on 1 year old wood. 
    Re getting them to fruit, I think treating mean is the answer. I bought two plants from a local garden centre that had been in their 3l pots for a couple of years and they were both fruiting. I've tried growing them in the past and looked after them like babies for a couple of years without any success, so seeing these neglected plants fruiting did prove a bit gauling :-) 
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 1,906
    Thank you all. So many interesting ideas. Now we wait and see what happens in this year.

  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 1,976
    Goji berries not need layering, they sucker everywhere. They have vicious thorns as well. In the UK they seem to flower in late summer or early autumn,  having grown them and waited for 7 years for a single berry I then spent 2 years glyphosating them to get rid of them. Not worth the effort.
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