Popular superfood. Some see them as a means of losing weight, others as a source of health and longevity. In any case, these small red berries are not a cheap treat. Good news- you can grow this magical remedy yourself in your garden.
In the article we will look at what goji berries are, the features of their independent cultivation and care, and what is required for this.
Goji berries appear on the tree (when proper care can be 3.5 m high and higher) Chinese wolfberry or common wolfberry.
Did you know? The second popular name is Tibetan.Apparently this is a mistake, an incorrect translation of the scientific name - Lycium barbarum. In fact, it is translated as "Berber tree", not "barberry". The name Tibetan barberry is popular in Russia. Goji is a Chinese word. And the British call it in their own way - tea tree Duke of Argyll's teatree, in honor of a Scottish duke.
If Chinese view plants in our latitudes are not very common, then the common wolfberry quite accessible and takes root and grows well.
The goji plant is a deciduous shrub with a spreading crown. The leaves are oval, fleshy, small, located along the entire length of thin branches. The roots are powerful and deep, producing many shoots. Besides healthy berries
The plant is also beautiful. The shrub blooms with lilac or violet-pink flowers. Flowering begins in May and continues until September.
Is it possible to grow it yourself? The common wolfberry, the planting and care of which is discussed in the article, is well grown on personal plots and even in room conditions
. The shrub is unpretentious and frost-resistant. It can be used both around the perimeter and inside the site.
The wolfberry bush does not require special care and attention. But still, when planting plants, some points should be taken into account.
Dereza is a fast-growing plant with powerful roots. It should be planted as a hedge or in empty areas.
Important! Be careful when planting on the site. Goji can destroy other plants.
The shrub will grow well in both light shade and sun. Tolerates urban conditions. You can even grow it at home, but it requires special conditions when wintering at home.
Due to its durability, it does not impose any special requirements. Grows well in neutral and alkaline soils. It develops a little worse on sour ones.
Dereza does not like stagnant water. Therefore, try to plant the bush in places with rocky soil.
As already mentioned, there is There are two ways to propagate this plant:
Seeds can be obtained from dried berries. To do this, soak the berries and wait until they soften. Now the seeds can be easily removed. For better germination, keep the seeds in a seed solution, after which they are ready for sowing. Sowing is carried out in a container filled with a mixture of regular soil (ratio approximately 2:1). Sowing depth - 2-3 mm.
To increase the humidity in the container, cover it and place it in a dark, warm place. After the first shoots appear, take the container out into the light. Protect from drafts and hypothermia. Treat young plants using a spray bottle so as not to damage the shoots. After a week you can remove the film.
After 3-4 leaves appear, the plants can be picked and planted in individual pots. The container for replanting must be deep. Goji roots develop quickly and grow downwards, not outwards. When transplanting, hook the seedling as low as possible and plant it together with a lump of earth.
Disembarkation at open ground spend in early summer or spring, after the frost stops.
Plant wolfberry seedlings in the spring. In autumn, planting can be done in warm regions.
Prepare holes about half a meter deep and wide, where you will plant the cuttings in two weeks. The bottom of the pit is filled (stones, sand), with a mixture of soil and, add -,. Place the seedling so that the root collar is at ground level. Cover with soil and water. Tree trunk circle better . Tie the young bush to a support or immediately install a trellis.
Important! Place seedlings at a distance of at least 2 meters.
Plant small goji berry seedlings, grown independently, in 20 x 20 cm holes filled with soil and, this method of planting will ensure good care after them.
Young goji plants require attention during the first year of growth.
wolfberry bush withstands drought well. during the first year it is required no more than 2 times a week. In the future it can be done less often, depending on the dryness of the weather.
Only young plants should be planted. Humus and superphosphate can be used as fertilizers. In the future, the bush does not need feeding. Goji performs well even on poor soils.
Goji or Tibetan barberry is a fairly famous plant all over the world. The pleasant-tasting berries of this shrub are considered almost universal remedy from most diseases. They are indecent high price does not stop people who want to improve their health or join healthy image life.
The great similarity between goji and ordinary barberry suggests that we can try to grow these berries here too. Tibetan barberry is very hardy and unpretentious plant. It easily tolerates all the vagaries of the weather - heat, drought, rain, frost. It does not require special care, practically does not suffer from diseases and pests and can bring big harvest even in the northern regions.
The biggest and only problem is to grow good seedlings and plant them in accordance with all the rules and recommendations. A seedling grown from seeds with your own hands is much more reliable than those that can be purchased at any nursery.
Freshly harvested seeds (from fresh berries) are perfect option, but not real in our area. Therefore, to plant goji you will have to use seeds from dried berries. This will not significantly affect their germination. Before planting, the seeds must be kept for at least a couple of hours in one of the preparations or infusions that stimulate the growth of future plants. Epin, Zircon or infusions based on folk recipes using ash, aloe, honey, potato juice and onion peels.
The soil mixture for planting seeds should consist of ordinary soil (sixty percent), peat (thirty percent) and ash (ten percent). It is poured into a container, furrows are made and the seeds are sown. The top is crushed with a half-centimeter layer of peat and covered with a transparent film. The box should be in a warm and darkened room until the first shoots appear.
Immediately after the first shoots appear, the container should be moved to a room with good lighting or placed on a windowsill. Tender young shoots need constant maintenance humidity. Spraying with a fine spray will help with this.
Picking is carried out only after the appearance of a full-fledged fourth leaf. Each young plant must be transplanted into a separate deep pot or glass (with a volume of at least 500 milliliters), since the plant has long roots. This must be taken into account when replanting and use only the transshipment method, without separating the earthen ball from the root system.
Tibetan barberry is planted in open ground at the beginning of summer, when the soil is already well warmed up and there is no danger of night frosts.
The site for planting goji must be chosen to be sunny and without the danger of stagnant water, that is, somewhere on a small hill or hill. Any soil is suitable for the plant, but alkaline and rocky soil will be preferable.
It is necessary to leave a distance of at least one and a half meters between seedlings. The depth of each hole is 20 centimeters. Before planting the seedling, each hole must be filled with a small amount of ash-humus mixture.
When planting large goji seedlings purchased from a nursery, the holes should be twice as deep (at least 40 centimeters) and the nutrient mixture should be poured large quantity. For each plant you will need one bucket of peat and compost, as well as wood ash (about one liter jar). If you wish, you can add superphosphate (200 grams) to the soil.
Immediately after planting young shrubs, abundant watering is carried out, the soil around the seedling is mulched and a support is installed for tying up the branches.
Tibetan barberry does not require feeding, and watering is carried out only in very hot weather and long absence of precipitation - no more than twice every seven days. At other times, watering is not necessary.
Pruning is carried out in autumn time. Most often, the formation of a bush occurs in two ways: in the form of a tree or in the classical way.
Classic pruning begins in the first year of the plant’s life. During the first three years (every year), it is necessary to carefully inspect the entire plant and select the strongest and longest branches (there can be about five of them), and cut off all the rest without hesitation. After three years, on each such branch you need to leave one (or two) shoots with an average length of 30-40 centimeters. IN next season these shoots will produce new fruiting branches, three of which (the strongest) should be left and the rest cut off.
You can form a bush with one stem. This method is used from the second year of the plant’s life. Absolutely all branches are subject to pruning, except for one - the strongest and longest. This pruning is carried out regularly (every year) until the only branch grows to one and a half meters in height. To support this branch, you need to take care of support and garter.
All further trimmings are carried out according to the script classic way for the purpose of forming fruit branches.
Don’t forget about “health-improving” trimmings. It is necessary to promptly rid the plant of damaged and dried branches. The shrub does not need branches located at a height of up to 40 centimeters from the ground, as well as branches that do not bear fruit.
Goji is a frost-resistant plant, but at temperatures below 15 degrees below zero it can die. To prevent this from happening, you must use any suitable covering material (for example, vegetable tops, spruce branches, or others).
The method of propagation by shoots has proven itself to be excellent. IN summer period Young goji branches can be buried in a separate container, and by autumn they will already be able to take root. Such shoots can be replanted at the end of next spring.
Probably everyone has heard about the miracle remedy for weight loss - goji berries. However, not everyone knows that these berries are not at all exotic for Russia, and many domestic gardeners successfully grow them on their plots.
And with proper care, anyone can get real goji, no worse than in advertising!
The scientific name of goji is common wolfberry (nightshade family), but in simple terms - wolfberry, or Tibetan barberry. Just do not confuse it with real barberry, as it is completely different plants! And don’t be alarmed by the name wolfberry - many shrubs are popularly called by it. The fruits of some of them are poisonous, but goji berries are quite edible. Dereza grows in Central Asia, Southern Europe, in Ukraine and Russia (mainly in the Caucasus, Primorye and Kuban). But for some reason, the berries are exported mainly by the Chinese, who call them goji. They are advertised under this name.
The culture is propagated by seeds. They are sown in autumn or spring in open ground under film cover. Dereza is also propagated by cuttings. To do this, in July or August, cut off lignified branches 10 cm long, dip the cuts in nutrient solution, and then stick the cuttings into moist soil. Leave up to 2 m between bushes. landing hole size 50x60x40 cm, fill with compost mixed with 30 g of potassium sulfate and 150 g of superphosphate. After planting, mulch the ground under the seedlings with humus. By autumn the branches should take root. The easiest way to grow goji is from root shoots, which are always abundant in adult bushes.
Young plants begin to bear fruit after 2-3 years. Seedlings a year later. To prevent young plants from freezing, dig them up in the fall and store them in a cool room. In the spring, plant it in the ground again. The crop can tolerate frosts down to -25°, but requires good winter cover with spruce branches or non-woven material. Light frosting is not dangerous for the bushes; they quickly recover due to young growth.
Dereza is a perennial deciduous shrub. It grows up to 3 m in height, and spreads up to 6 m in width. The branches are prickly, drooping, with small leaves. The culture blooms from June to October. The aroma of the plant is not strong, but pleasant. Throughout the season, oblong berries of orange-red color, up to 2 cm in size, ripen. They taste sweet with a slight sourness, and there are many small seeds inside. When harvesting, they are knocked down with a stick onto a cloth spread under the bush, and then dried. It is not recommended to collect wolfberry fruits by hand due to the caustic sap, which can cause skin irritation.
Water goji sparingly. Feed only during the growing season. When the fruits begin to ripen, stop feeding. Pinch the tops of young seedlings so that the plant bushes better. Subsequently, regularly conduct formative and sanitary pruning. It is advisable to leave the bushes low to make it easier to cover them for the winter. Wintering wolfberry is perhaps the only difficulty when growing it in the middle and northern latitudes: Russia. But the heat-loving crop requires little care.
In traditional Chinese medicine, a decoction of the bark of the bush is used as a laxative and diuretic, to relieve fever, for bronchitis, and to remove cholesterol. The leaves are brewed and drunk as a tonic. However, in domestic medicine, the benefits of wolfberry are still controversial. So before using goji for treatment, be sure to consult a specialist.
Let's start with appearance. Goji is evergreen shrub up to 3 m high, whose branches hang down under the weight of the fruit. Therefore, at a “youthful” age, they need to be tied to pegs so that they do not spread along the ground. Goji has thorns, but they are small and not at all scary. I think that many people confuse this plant with barberry, which has thorns. Over time, goji grows as wildly as raspberries. Well, we’re not going to give up raspberries because of this, are we?
Now about the most important thing - the poison. It is a myth. For example, the Chinese consume not only goji berries, but also its leaves, bark and roots (they are dried and added to herbal teas and tea). There this plant is considered, so to speak, waste-free. Yes, you can’t eat green goji berries. What other unripe fruits are possible? The same unripe black currant can also poison your dear soul. Then what does goji have to do with it?
And harvesting from the bushes is quite simple - lay some material under the plant so that the berries do not fall to the ground and get dirty, and you will be happy. Many summer residents even spread film under the gooseberries for this purpose. And the fact that your hands turn black during the collection of goji is unprecedented: from the same black currants or mushrooms, the skin on the palms also darkens. And what, is it from poison? No, from organic acids
What's so difficult about drying goji fruits? I brought it home, laid it out on a mat, and let it lie there and dry. You can, of course, do the same in an accelerated way - in an electric dryer or oven - but this is not for everybody. By the way, slightly dried goji berries can already be eaten, and they are even much tastier in this form. And dry berries have their advantages: a long shelf life, their volume and weight are reduced, which is convenient for transportation. If desired, you can make jam or jam from them, but doctors do not recommend doing this, because heat treatment destroys the beneficial substances in the fruit.
In one of the issues, I remember reading how one summer resident complained that she only took three kilos of fruit from one goji bush. But is this really not enough? I just want to ask: how much do you collect from a currant bush? They just plant it several bushes at a time, so it seems that its yield is huge.
And I want to talk about one more thing here important point remind you, goji is medicinal plant. Where have you seen people take medications without the slightest idea about the dosage? After all, even infusions medicinal herbs You can't drink as you please. And no one does that - everyone is afraid of getting poisoned. Why then is there a different attitude towards goji? Where is the logic? Therefore, I want to write about how to properly consume these berries. Well, first of all, you need to know that children under three years old should not be given them (if a child picks one or two ripe berries, then nothing bad will happen).
But for children from three to seven years old the norm is 1 tsp. per day in the morning.
Adults can also use 1 tbsp. l. in a day. But those who definitely should not eat goji under any circumstances are those with hypotension (berries lower blood pressure) and those who suffer from food allergies.
Goji berry, or Tibetan barberry, or barbaric wolfberry, comes from Tibet, where it grows wild. The plant was found by monks, and, thanks to its qualities, became effective medicine from many diseases.
Growing goji in an apartment or in a country house is becoming popular, as the berries are an excellent remedy for the treatment of ARVI, flu, and colds in children and adults. The healing fruits of goji contain 500 times more vitamin C than citrus fruits, and in terms of mineral composition they have no analogues among other representatives of the flora. The berry contains 21 types of mineral salts.
Goji berries have revolutionized the weight loss market. The results of using Tibetan barberry are stunning: without diets and grueling exercises, you can lose up to 10 kg in a week (see video). The berries are poisonous fresh, but once dry they are quite edible. The plant belongs to the nightshade family, which is why it has a specific taste.
For cultivation, Chinese agronomists specially created a variety with larger berries and perfect taste. Chinese goji, unlike the wild plant, produces fruits only after 2-4 years of growth. At home, the seeds of Tibetan barberry sprout quickly, and the cuttings take root without much difficulty or additional stimulants. How to grow Tibetan barberry in a garden plot or at home in a pot?
Goji Tibetan is a shrub with creeping stems, in the wild reaching a length of 8 m (see photo). The branches have sharp thorns along their entire length, the leaves are long and narrow, completely covering the stem. Flowering occurs in spring and summer. The fruits are formed at the top of the stems. The berries are bright red in color and resemble cherry tomatoes in appearance. Inside there are small seeds, 8-15 pieces. Goji tastes sweetish with bitterness and slight sourness. The first harvest is harvested in the summer and continues until late autumn. Not only the berries are useful, but also the bark and leaves. In China, goji is popular as a seasoning for cold and hot dishes.
Goji berries are watery and difficult to dry. There are about 40 species in total, of which only Chinese and Tibetan goji have healing qualities. Fresh berries upon contact with human skin, they cause severe oxidation and darkening of tissues. The whole plant is poisonous when fresh! The crop is harvested on burlap, spread under the bush, and the ripe fruits are knocked down with a stick.
The climate conditions in central Russia make it possible to grow goji in the country. Rocky soil is suitable for the plant; on fertile soil the plant also grows and reproduces well. Care consists of watering, pruning, harvesting, and preparing for winter.
At home, the plant is provided with:
Goji is propagated by seeds and cuttings. In specialized stores you can purchase seeds, seedlings and adult plants, but it is not always possible to grow and maintain fruiting. Growing Tibetan barberry from seeds and seedlings is a labor-intensive, time-consuming process. The plant begins to bloom and bear fruit only in 2-4 years.
To grow a plant at home from seeds, collect mature large berries. Soak the berries in water for a couple of hours. Small seeds (about 1 
mm - see photo) are selected from the fruit shell of the berry and soaked for 1-2 hours in a plant growth stimulator. Epin and Zircon will do. The seeds have good germination.
Prepared for seedlings soil mixture from loam and peat (2:1) neutral PH reaction. Arrange drainage in the pot (1.5-3 cm). The soil is deeply moistened. Several seeds are planted in one container. The seeds are buried 2-2.5 cm into the soil. The soil is constantly watered, preventing it from drying out. It is important to ensure favorable conditions without temperature changes, protect from drafts. After 2 weeks, the first shoots appear. After germination of the seedlings, the container is moved to a bright place, but without direct sunlight.
The seedlings are transplanted into individual pots immediately, or after the appearance of two true leaves. The root system of goji seedlings is very developed and grows deep. Therefore, there is no need to waste time with the transfer. Pots for seedlings are chosen at least 7 cm deep. A plant grown from seeds at home begins to bloom the very next year.
The technology of growing fruit-bearing plants at home from cuttings can significantly speed up harvesting. To do this, cut the adult stem at a height of 35-40 cm. The cut stalk is cut at an angle, 10-15 cm long. The cuttings are placed in wet soil, close glass jar. Regularly moisten the soil. After the leaves appear, remove the jar. Rooted cuttings with 2-3 leaves (see photo) are planted in a pot and provide constant care.
It is easy to grow goji at home using purchased seedlings. average cost seedlings for Russian market is 300-600 rubles. The rooted seedling should be transplanted into a larger diameter pot and provided with appropriate care.
To plant seedlings in open ground, prepare a sunny place. When choosing a site, take into account that there should be at least 1.5-2 m between plants. Dig a hole with a diameter of 50 cm and a depth of 40 cm. Fill it with a mixture of humus, earth and coarse grains. river sand. The plants are planted in a row, with a row spacing of at least 2-3 m. The seedling is slightly buried.
Conditions for growing goji can be easily created at home on a windowsill or in a garden plot in central Russia. The plant tolerates frosts down to -30 degrees, gusty winds, frosts, dry air and heavy rains in summer. Seeds and cuttings take root well and produce a harvest the following year. This resistance to weather changes is due to the Spartan lifestyle of the wild plant in the mountains of Tibet. The value of goji berries is incomparable to any other fruit plant.
The foothill regions of Tibet gave us amazing plant- goji, also called Tibetan barberry and common wolfberry. The bush has slightly hanging soft vines. They have spines and can reach up to 80 cm in length. The leaves are lanceolate-shaped, tapering to the tip, green, with a gray tint. The flowers are five-lobed and reach 3 cm in diameter. The flowering period lasts from early June to mid-August. Color purple. The growth of the perennial ranges from 6 to 9 meters. The berries are bright red, oval, no more than 2 cm in length.
Goji has one peculiarity: when touched by a person, it causes an oxidation reaction, at which point the skin turns black. Therefore, during harvesting, they do not pick up the fruits with their hands, but stretch a special flooring and shake the branches. IN natural conditions found at an altitude of 3 thousand meters above sea level. Habitats include China, Australia, America and Africa. It is actively used not only for decorative, but also for medicinal purposes.
Tibetan barberry is an indispensable design element garden plot. Specialists, by cutting and modeling it, create exquisite compositions. It is actively used by gardeners to create hedges, group and single plantings, as a way to zone a site.
This unpretentious garden plant thrives in winter gardens and container plantings. In any case, the common wolfberry perfectly complements the landscape. The perennial has long become a permanent participant. In them, it acts as a lawn frame, protecting fragile flower beds from wind and trampling.
Most often combined with different varieties. Can be used as the main or background. Bright flowers and prominent berries appropriately fill contrasting accent areas. Harmonious compositions can be created in partnership with:
The lower tier of the ensemble is filled with:
When selecting “neighbors”, it is important to take into account agricultural requirements and color compatibility.
Small sizes planting material do not provide pre-planting preparation. But for better germination you can soak them for 3 hours in the Zircon solution. The soil must be prepared in advance (a mixture of loam and peat in a ratio of 3:1). You can purchase a ready-made soil mixture with a neutral reaction at a specialized store.
The seeds are not buried in the ground, but sprinkled on its surface in a thin layer. They are covered with a small layer of substrate on top. The container is placed on a well-lit, sunny side. Humidity and temperature regime must remain stable. There should be no drafts or heating devices. After the first shoots appear, the pot can be moved to a more shaded place.
As soon as 2 or more full leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into individual containers. But you shouldn’t be late with diving: the root system develops quickly. To enhance branching, pinch the tops.
Strengthened plants are planted on permanent place in a planting hole 35 cm deep. A complex of mineral and organic fertilizers. For a more favorable effect on the roots, they are mixed with soil. The seedling is slightly deepened and the soil around is carefully compacted. The process is completed with abundant watering and mulching. Goji are planted in pairs.
IN natural environment"berry of happiness" grows in the most extreme conditions. Therefore, there are no special requirements for site selection. Garden planting feels equally good in the shade and in sunny flower beds.
The plant adapts well to different soils. It is important to choose a soil with a neutral reaction. In acidic species it grows poorly, flowering and harvest are poor.
It is better to plant the eastern miracle in mid-spring. Cross pollination requires 1-2 more representatives to be located nearby. Suitable size holes - 35 cm deep and 45 cm wide. The optimal distance between them is 130-140 cm. The distance between the rows is at least 250-300 cm. The soil that is poured into the planting hole is mixed with compost in large quantities.
The root zone, after planting, is mulched or covered with straw. The tree can be strengthened with a support; its height should not exceed 2 meters.
Loosening and mulching. Have a beneficial effect on growth and development. It is important to carry out shallow loosening to avoid damaging root system. During this process, all weeds are also removed. With the help of humus or peat, young plants are protected from moisture evaporation during planting.
Watering should be scanty but regular. Over-watering should be avoided. This is especially true for young seedlings. They are more sensitive to both the abundance and lack of water. Drying out of the soil and the formation of crusts is unacceptable.. If there is heavy rainfall for a long time, the root zone is covered with plastic film to prevent the roots from rotting. Instances planted without a drainage layer are covered on the very first day of heavy rains. The irrigation regime is closely related to weather conditions. During drought, it is carried out every 3 days. Young specimens are watered more often. Unlike adults, they are not able to withstand dry soil. Inhabitants of sunny areas require more moisture.
As for fertilizing. Unpretentious shrub able to grow even in poor soil. There are no special requirements for minerals. It is enough to add compost and a complex with phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium in the spring.
The most common problem is the appearance powdery mildew , during the rainy season. It does not cause significant harm to the ornamental bush. For prevention, the bush is sprayed with a soap solution. Special chemicals do not apply. They can start on young shoots Colorado potato beetle, caterpillars and aphids. The affected areas are treated with a strong wormwood solution.
Pruning begins with the formation of the “skeleton” of the garden planting. The method is very similar to crown formation grapevine: only fruit “shoulders” are left on the main branches (branches no more than 30 cm). By pruning and shaping, you can create a columnar shape of a perennial with drooping branches. The standard is selected to be 100-150 cm high. It is supported by a metal rod. During the period of crown creation, support is required.
Severe winter conditions will immediately destroy a useful representative of the flora. It is very important to conduct a thorough and proper preparation to the cold season.
IN middle lane In Russia, the shrub is carefully removed from the soil, having previously dug up its root circle, and, together with a lump of earth, is placed in a deep container.
It is transferred to the basement until it warms up completely, winter Garden or a warm veranda. If the climate is mild, then mulching the trunk will help protect against temperature changes. The first layer is applied from sawdust. It must be at least 13 cm. They are covered with spruce branches on top.
To date, more than 35 species of this useful representative of the flora are known. Shrubs and their fruits, different varieties, have significant differences:
