Goji Berries! I am starting se from seed !

[Northernfox]

I found a variety that is not only an heirloom but acclimatized to winters here in zone 3a. I plan on Growing them over the winter and planting outside in a pot (to control the spread. )

Any tips on starting them and caring for them in the house this winter ?

[applestar]

Not having grown them before, I can't say for sure, but I find local zone hardy perennials/shrubs/trees can be grown from seeds by sowing them in larger containers (1qt to 1 gal depending on seed size) and leaving them in sheltered location outside to go through the winter cold stratification. You want the location to get rain/snow but not puddle when wet. If freeze drying of the soil is more of a concern, put them in a vented plastic bag.

You can also try "wintersow" techniques.

[valley]

I planted a couple last spring, they seem to have done well. No sign of berries, we'll see how they over winter.

They are said to grow wild in Nevada high desert, getting both snow and cold to -5 F, if that's so they should do well where you are.


Richard

[Northernfox]

Do you think it would work if I piled a whole bunch of snow on them ? I usually have a a TON

How large of a container should I put them in?

[valley]

I think they'll do fine, if you're thinking to use the snow as insulation, mulch would be better. I think they will do well without it. I've planted mine in the earth not in a bucket.

Richard

We got a foot of snow today and more coming, I'm not ready for snow, gimme another month.

[Northernfox]

Thanks valley

We usually have a few feet of snow now and nothing

enjoy the snow my friend!

[valley]

If these a little more than seedlings I think I'd cover them with sawdust or other mulch and a bucket. The Goji plants I planted are at the lower ranch. I didn't cover them with duff, or sawdust.

I just asked wifey if she though I should. She said "probably" Maybe I'll cover them with hay, when we go down, we don't get much snow down there.

When we get more plants we can over winter them without cover. Sorry for the flip flop.

How many plants do you have started? Have you tasted Goji berries or juice?



Richard

[Northernfox]

I actually am waiting on the seeds still I was planning on starting them in the house this winter and then planting them out in a permanent container ( so they don't succer) this summer and then over winter them and the such!

No I have never had the juice but I have had the fruit and I like it !!

We are expecting our first winter dump and plum it into freezing conditions. Then that is that. No more warmth until April !

[valley]

I ordered two plants form Home Depot, I think, I planted them here at the lower place in a wire cage inside the fenced and netted area, with hot wires for the rabbits. There's a small type of squirrel that found a way in an ate them. Well, we caught the little rats and the berries grew back and did well but gave no berries this year. We'll see how they hold up and how they do next season.
I'm looking forward to them, never tasted one.

Richard,

[Northernfox]

Monsters I only have a vole problem. I started my seed already and a few of them poped up

Did the plants so well?

[valley]

Update: We were talking last fall in this thread about gogi berrie plants Over wintering. Well, the ones I have here in the Nevada garden are coming back and seem to have wintered well. I noticed a couple days ago they we sprouting. So I think that's the proof of the pudding.

Richard

[Northernfox]

I am glad yours are coming back ! So far mine are doing very well. I decided almost on a whim to prune them to see if I could get a more robust plant before I moved them outside this May. They were looking tall and spindly.

So I did this video three weeks later the plants are exploding with growth !

[Joyfirst]

I wonder, how your goji berries are doing? I got couple of plants from my garden neighbor, and I tried some fresh berries from her -I love them much better than dried ones. Not very sweet, but sweet enough for me (I rarely eat concentrated sugar like honey or even dried fruit). They didn't like our winter (zone 10 or 24) too much, but now they are letting our bunch of leaves, so hopefully they will have some fruit this year.

[Northernfox]

Mine are happy sleeping outside in the winter. I probably won't get any fruit this year but I should in 2016 as I started from seed. I look forward to trying my first fresh ones. Ill likely use them in tea myself! I can't wait!

[Joyfirst]

Cool! How do you use them in tea - dry and pour hot water over them?

[Northernfox]

cut them in half and steep with green tea

[Rairdog]

I bought a Goji plant today at Meijers for 10 bucks on the right and a hardy kiwi for 7 on the left. They both looked so healthy I couldn't resist. I will be searching for growing tips so if anyone has grown them post here please.

[Rose bloom]

gojis grow ridiculously fast. i think kiwi needs to be protected from cold. gojis usually flower at 3 feet high. theyre very sturdy, and bees love the flowers

[Rairdog]

The kiwi is hardy to zone 3. I have read this variety is not as tasty as the southern varities. The box says partial shade and it likes the North side of buildings. Looks like I have to find a male to pollinate also.

[Northernfox]

You will want to find a trellis for that Kiwi she will get large and produce heavily !

I started my goji from seed and they did really well this year!

[Rairdog]

The kiwi is Actinidia Kolomikta which is only suppose to get to 10-15 ft compared to the Actinidia Arguta which gets to 40 from what I've read. It is also more shade tolerant. I plan on growing under deck which it 14 ft to rail. It also says it will produce better with better sun so I need to make a decision on shade or late afternoon hot sun. I did find a pollinator on the bay. Does it have feet or tendrils or do you just weave it in a trellis? I have a morning sun partial shade spot if it will climb a block wall.

I've looked for Goji berry's at the markets and never found any to grow from seed. Have you tried propagating any branches? It looked like you can just stripe some leaves and plug it into the ground from one vid I found.

[Northernfox]

Unfortunately I don't know anything else about the Kiwi. I built a trellis for them and when I went to buy mine I found out the hard way I have a severe allergy to them. not a fun day. So instead I have grapes

I have not tried propagation yet but I hear they sucker so id probably snatch a sucker if I wanted more. Ill be building a Tee-pee style trellis for my goji this summer while my plant gets more sturdy.

there is a place here in Canada we can get the seeds from. it was easy and the germination rate was great!

[Joyfirst]

Green tea with gojis sounds delicious! I would love to grow some kiwis too. We need a male and a female for the fruit, right? I will see, if your nursery will have some.

[Northernfox]

That's right you need both male and female.

Good luck !

[Rairdog]

Green tea with gojis sounds delicious! I would love to grow some kiwis too. We need a male and a female for the fruit, right? I will see, if your nursery will have some.

Gojis are self pollinating. The kiwi's need a male. It will pollinate 5 or so females. Make sure they are the same species of male/female kiwis because they flower at different times. Don't make an impulse buy like I did. Then research and frantically search for a male. There are many varieties for different zones. Some them can get to 40 feet and eat your house.

[Joyfirst]

Oh boy. Then I think it is best to buy the same variety of both -male and female. How long do they take to get fruit?

[Rairdog]

My Goji is already fruiting

[Northernfox]

They will get bigger soon ! They take a long time to harden off FYI

Mine are featured in my last YouTube video

[Joyfirst]

Very cool! I will go check it out. But I have to tell you, that after I read more about gojis, I am starting to freak out a bit . I planted my in the ground, and now I read they can grow 12 feet tall and spread to 8 feet wide...My whole plot is 17 by 17, paths and storage included. They can be kept a bit more compact by pruning, so I will start wacking them soon. If I plant them into pots, soon my whole plot will be just pots...

[Joyfirst]

Would you give me a link to that video? It doesn't seem to be even in the first page, that youtube gives me of your uploads. I don't like it, that I can't search for specific word on person's channel in the videos.

[Northernfox]

Here are the three videos I did on the subject. I am still waiting to see if they break bud and go nuts this year

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... R2T-8IouAv

[Delvi83]

Remember the difference between:

Lycium barbarum : Sweet Goji...it has narrow leaves

Lycium chinesis : Bitter Goji, with larger leaves