How to Care for a Goji Berry Plant

Overview

Goji berry plants are native to China and Tibet. They are tough plants that tolerate extremes of temperature and soil condition. Goji berry plants survive drought, but they grow and produce better when they are evenly watered. They can be grown successfully throughout the US. Goji plants can be started from seeds indoors, or you can start new plants from cuttings. Goji are perennial, and they will grow permanently when you set them outdoors.

Growing Goji

Step 1

Give your goji berry full sun. Goji need lots of sunlight as young transplants as well as when they are mature. Watch your goji for the first six months, the most critical time in getting it established. Give it plenty of water, and use organic mulch to limit weeds and retain soil moisture. Use light organic fertilizer or compost every three to four weeks.

Step 2

Give your Goji plant plenty of room for its extensive root system. Plant goji away from drain lines and underground utilities and plumbing. Goji's well-developed root system is one reason it grows and produces so well. When goji roots hit the bottom of a pot, the plant stops growing. You can grow goji in containers, but they will not produce many berries when their roots are restricted.

Step 3

Prune your established goji berry plant to keep it a manageable size for harvesting the fruits. Mature goji shrubs grow to 8 to 10 feet high and can have viney branches 12 feet or more in length. Trim them back to keep dead or damaged branches out of the plant, and to encourage blooming and fruiting on new growth.

Step 4

Watch for tomato hornworms, and remove them by hand or use biological controls like trichogamma wasps which feed on them. Wild animals like birds, rabbits, squirrels, and deer eat the leaves and berries. Control animal pests by covering the goji plants with netting.