Has anyone grown goji berries?

Discussion in 'Fruit and Nut Trees' started by anituchka, Sep 15, 2007.

  1. cgjedi

    cgjedi Active Member

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  2. Blueridges

    Blueridges Member

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    Interested to know goji label has switched from 'Tibetan goji' to 'Mongolia goji'. Come to go-goji.com see the truth.
     
  3. cgjedi

    cgjedi Active Member

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    I'm not interested in your "truth". Kindly keep your disparaging remarks to yourself.
     
  4. jeanneaxler

    jeanneaxler Active Member

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    I had a plant in a pot. After 3 years it died.
    I never got s single fruit. It always seemed to struggle just to stay alive in summer.
    I think in got too dry. I live in Los Angeles.
    As I am reading this tread I am tempted to try again.
     
  5. 7263

    7263 Member

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    Hi Sengyan,
    I just came across your Goji post when looking for Goji seedlings.
    Can I please, also have one of your cutting? We live in Calgary. If you agree I would come to Edmonton to pick it up or gladly pay you for shipping cost.
    Thank you for sharing - will do the same.
    Thank you for taking time to answer.
    Regards
    Karla
     
  6. 7263

    7263 Member

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    Hi Sengyan,
    I just came accros your post when looking for goji seadlings. May I also get one cutting from you? We live in Calgary. I would come to Edmonton to pick it up or gladly pay for shipping.
    Thank you for sharing and taking time to answer.
    Karla
     
  7. Pipestone

    Pipestone Active Member

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    Hi Karla,

    If you would like a few seedlings, I could meet you when you come to Edmonton. I grew some seeds and wound up with about 165 plants! There is going to be a Seedy Saturday at the Devonian Gardens this Saturday: April 18 (11AM to 3 PM) and that would be a good place to meet if it works for you. I'm afraid to ship them as plants are pretty small right now (2-3") and very fragile as they won't get woody until later this summer.
     
  8. Blueridges

    Blueridges Member

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    cgjedi,
    Much impressed with your faith on a non-existing thing. If I were you I would do some independent research instead, not just say what others say and do what others do.
    Good luck with your 'Tibetan' or 'Mongolia' goji - maybe 'gobi' goji some day as long as most of westeners have little opportunity to travel there.
     
  9. greengarden bev

    greengarden bev Active Member

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    This has been a very interesting thread. Last spring I bought seeds from what I think is Lycium barbarum from a little seed house in Quebec called Solana http://solanaseeds.netfirms.com/. They called it "Lycium chinense / Chinese Boxheart / Lyciet de Chine" so I'm not sure if it's exactly the same as the barbarum.

    Anyway, they were easy from seed and grew like crazy. When winter hit, twelve plants were in the ground, all 2' - 3' tall. There is no sign of buds yet but, based on the posts here, I'm confident. It's still very early spring here in the Ontario banana belt.

    Not knowing how big these plants get, can anyone tell me how apart they should be spaced? I have a feeling I spaced them too close. Also, how well do they transplant?
     
  10. sengyan

    sengyan Member

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    To: Karka, Sarah, Pipestone, Greengarden Bev

    You are all welcomed to come to my home to get a few cuttings of Gayji ( Cantonese pronunciation ). Other readers are also welcomed to come. They are free. My address is:

    13812 - 119A street, Edmonton. I would suggest that you let me know before you come so that I will be home for your visit.

    Sengyan
     
  11. Blueridges

    Blueridges Member

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    Greengarden,
    'Lycium chinense' is called goji generally but it is not Lycium Barbarum (Ningxia goji or Zhongning goji). Lycium chinense is generally grow in southern China and its tender branches and leaves are mainly used as vegetable. While Lycium chinense also has medicinal value, it is not the 'goji' we truly mean. The variety Lycium barbarum is grown in northwestern China with Ningxia as its traditional cultivation region, so Lycium barbarum is also called Ningxia goji and Zhongning goji. The other variety grown in China is Xingjiang goji, which wildly grows in Xingjiang province. In recent years Ningxia goji (Lycium barbarm) has been introduced to many areas in Northern China including Heibei, Inner Mongolia and Xingjiang. You can visit go-goji.com, looking specifically 'goji knowledge base' web page.
    Good luck with your goji growing!
     
  12. Blueridges

    Blueridges Member

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    Without prunning goji can grow very big but yield poorly. So you need to prune goji trees regularly throughout year. The row spacing can be set to 2 meters and plant spacing can be fixed to 1.5-2 meters. Good cultivar+good environment+good management can make goji yield (fresh berries) as much as 5000-7000 kilograms per hectare.
     
  13. Pipestone

    Pipestone Active Member

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    I finally visited www.saskgojipower.ca and I can't figure out why they make growing goji berries from seed sound so mysterious. I took a 500 mL yogurt container, put in 2" of wet dirt, sprinkled the Goji seeds on top, covered them with a scattering of damp dirt, placed in a plastic bag in the back of my fridge for 6 weeks, pulled them out and placed them on a slatted shelf about a foot above a good heat vent and waited. They popped through in no time so I put them in a direct sun window (sorta South-West facing so it gets really strong direct light for at least 6 hours a day) until they were about 1" high. Then I transplanted them into those 1" square x 3" deep black plastic plant trays (they come in 6x2 or 3x3 packs) and put them back into the window until I plant them out the end of May. I have about 165 plants growing this year and successfully put about 50 out in the garden last year after using the exact same methods and some not very careful hardening off: they took off and grew like crazy. I'm not sure why Saskgojipower says they are so sensitive to UV: mine don't seem to be! My seeds come from Jim Ternier at Prairie Garden Seeds (he sent me some he grew and some he labelled as from a Chinese Market) although I am trying to grow some seeds I bought in dried fruit at Planet Organic, Edmonton, AB. I have also bought some plants from the Saskatoon Farm and from Dominion Seeds this year to make sure I have some known fruiters.

    Hi Sengyan, I will definitely take you up on your offer as I am interested in making sure I have some known to be hardy and produce fruit up here. Thanks again: I am Sarah and Pipestone ( Sarah as an ID was taken so I had to use Pipestone!).
     
  14. ChuckE

    ChuckE Member

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    hi everyone. was doing some research on the goji berry and stumbled upon to this site. really glad i found it too. :)

    sengyan if you are still offering cuttings please let me know at chuckmc420@yahoo.ca and i would gladly send you whatever you want for them. I live in Kelowna, BC

    how much fruit does everyone get from these plants in western canada?
     
  15. sengyan

    sengyan Member

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    Hi ChuckE,

    The gayji cuttings are free. You'll have to make arrangements to get them. My wife pick at least 3 icecream pails each year from the 1 bush that we have. She uses then fresh in soups and freezes the rest for use during winter. Some people I know add them to salads.

    Sengyan
     
  16. cphrdlicka

    cphrdlicka Member

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    Sengyan,

    I am also in Edmonton, and am looking to grow goji berries for use in cooking. Would I be able to get some cuttings from you as well?

    CPH
     
  17. Pipestone

    Pipestone Active Member

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    Hi Sengyan,

    The middle of May kind of slipped right past me... Is it too late to get cuttings and how do you root your cuttings?

    Thanks, Sarah
     
  18. sengyan

    sengyan Member

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    It is not too late, but must be done soon to allow the cuttings to root in order to survive the winter. Let me know when you wish to come and I will give you directions to my home. My email address is : sytoo@shaw.ca

    All readers who would like to get cuttings are welcomed as well.

    Sengyan
     
  19. jimmyt

    jimmyt Member

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  20. sengyan

    sengyan Member

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    My plant produced Gayji in 3 years.

    Sengyan
     
  21. jimmyt

    jimmyt Member

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    where did you buy the seeds from?
     
  22. et2007

    et2007 Active Member

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    Hi,
    Reading this making me just wanted to test from the dried berries that I use for cooking and now I have 7 of the seedling, I'm in Zone 5, is there any hope for fresh berry or berries? :)
    A friend sent me some cutting but didn't know if it will fruit, how do i know which is a veg. kind, they look very much alike. Thanks.
     
  23. sylvangardener

    sylvangardener Member

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    I came across this as well, and would also be willing to drive to edmonton or pay shipping, to get a cutting, and as well would share with whomever wanted. I look forward in hearing your response, and appreciate your time in this matter. Thank you. Sara
     
  24. sylvangardener

    sylvangardener Member

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    Does anyone know where i can find goji berry shrub?
     
  25. bedixon

    bedixon Active Member

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    we started some goji plants from the seed of a berry about 4 years ago. We'd bought a bag of dried berries and out of curiosity soaked a couple of them, and when they plumped up, split them open and scraped out the seed and dried it. The seed was really, really tiny. We tried germinating it and was quite surprised when a bunch of little plants popped up. I tried putting a few in the garden cuz I'd heard they can withstand somewhat cold winters, but they didn't do all that well. I've kept a couple in pots and they keep coming back every year after looking dead through the winter. Are they slow growers? They get just a little bit bigger every year, but no sign of flowers yet. Any advice on growing them outside would be appreciated, thanks!
     

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