Growing your own Goji plants from seeds?

I want to share some information here, as I know many have asked the question, how do I grow Goji plants from seeds? I have done a whole lot of research, and there are several ways that you can do it. I have tried several methods and I will tell you what works the best, (at least for me so far.)

Sun dried, vs shade dried? Seeds vs planting seeds from dried berries? Oh what to do! I tried growing 3 types of seeds. Wolfberry seeds ordered online, seeds from pods (actually a dried berry - ordered online,) and seeds that were taken from edible berries that were soaked overnight. I planted seeds in "Jiffy 72" greenhouses, planters filled with potting mix, and some were simply put on cotton in a small plastic dish and covered with a plastic lid. I used a recycled dish from a frozen dinner.) You do not need a fancy grow system, I learned. The first seeds to come up were the seeds from the edible berries that were placed on the cotton, covered and placed in a cupboard in my laundry room. Close to 90% of the seeds did germinate this way. I inspected my other seeds and this morning one of the wolfberry seeds is growing. It is growing in the container with the potting soil. These were planted at the same time that I placed the seeds on the cotton, which was 1 week ago. The seeds placed in the Jiffy Greenhouse were planted 4 days later.

Okay, so we know that works. You can plant the seeds from edible berries, they can be sun dried, and they will germinate! Cool! No need to buy expensive seeds, pods, plants, etc... and no need to buy expensive seed starters if you do not want to. Simple works!

Now, what to do with the seedlings once they have germinated? Wait. Wait until the seedling has two leaves on it and then very gently transfer it to a larger pot, with a mixture of potting soil and sand. The plant requires good drainage in order for it to survive. Keep in mind if you do use the cotton or paper towel method, you will have to plant your seedlings into larger pots in a couple of weeks, and you might lose some. If you start out using the Jiffy greenhouses, you can transplant the peat pellet and seedling directly in to a larger pot, filled with the potting soil/sand mixture. You would probably not lose many this way. I have read you can also plant directly into the ground at this point, but several sources have said that for the first winter you should keep the plants greenhoused, so for this reason I will keep mine in pots until next spring. Also note, you will not get berries until the second year, and plants are fully mature at 4-5 years (when you will get the best yield.)

Cow dung, duck dung and seaweed fertilizer are the best fertilizers for your Goji plant. They do have to go dormant in the winter in order to get berries in the late spring or early summer. They do best outdoors, but you can grow them indoors (and get less berries.) You have to self pollinate them this way, however, and I do not have a clue how you do that. They are pollinated by bees.

There is much controversy on the web as to what seeds produce the best berries and from what regions. I have done some pretty indepth studies in this area and it all comes down to this:

Himalayan goji is traditionally grown and harvested "wild" rather than "farmed". Dedicated users note that the mountains of their origin are the only place where the berries are considered to have full beneficial properties. Inner Mongolia, (Mongolia includes Tibet and Nepal,) the provinces of Ningxia and Xingjian, and the Heavenly Mountains of western China contain the primary growing grounds for "real" Himalayan goji.

A good source for information on the Lycium Barbarum plant is from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry

Mom (http://whtoakranch.biz) and Al (http://smallmtn.net) now have their seeds planted. Mom is using the Jiffy 72 Greenhouse, and Al is using Jiffy 7's in his greenhouse. I will report back as to their success and time frames it took their seeds to germinate.

If you have questions or would like to comment, please feel free to contact us.
blhamann83856@aol.com
http://windtalkers-siberians.com