- Goji in the garden - video
The fashion for goji berries is growing at a tremendous rate. Some seek to show their effectiveness with excess weight, while others talk about the enormous beneficial properties and unique vitamin and nutritional composition, which makes the berries almost a panacea for many diseases.
Botanical Reference
The question immediately arises of where the goji berries grow and what it generally is. The plant is a deciduous shrub that belongs to the family of the nightshade. Also, the plant is styled wolfberry( in the people, although it has nothing to do with them), red loquat, Chinese wolfberry, Chinese wolfberry, common wolfberry, zamaniha, Tibetan barberry. Homeland - Ningxia Hui( Tibet), China. The area of distribution captures the South-Eastern and Central Asia, the Caucasus, Primorye, central Russia, Ukraine.
In an adult state, the height of the plant reaches 3 m, and the crown is 6 m in diameter( photos of goji shrub are presented).The branches are drooping and prickly, with small foliage, painted on top of light green, and on the bottom - gray shade. The root is very powerful, growing in the ground, and not on its surface.
Flowering begins in June and continues through October with the blooming of purple, pink, brown-purple buds with a pleasant aroma.
At the end of flowering oblong berries of crimson-red or orange color are formed.
It is categorically impossible to eat fresh fruits because they contain poisonous components. But after drying, the berries can be put into use.
Goji berries: planting and care in the suburbs of
This is a heat-loving plant, therefore, for excellent development of goji, care and cultivation must be optimal or approximate to it. In the northern climate, the weather is completely different and efforts should be made to grow berries.
Choosing a site
The plant grows very quickly and at the same time has a well-developed root system. It should be planted either in areas devoid of vegetation, or along supports, to create a hedge.
When choosing a place, you need to be extremely careful, because dereza can "crush" nearby plants.
It is best to pick up sunny areas or located in a slight shade. Also note that the height of the plant reaches three meters - take care of a reliable support.
Temperature, Humidity and Soil Requirements
As was said, the hardwood is cold-resistant and can withstand temperatures in the range from -26 to + 40ºС.There are no special requirements for humidity. Calmly endures drought.
The shrub is not capricious to the soil. Favorite are alkaline and neutral substrates. In acidic, you can also plant a plant, but there it will develop somewhat worse.
The only thing that does not tolerate dereza is water stagnation. Therefore, you should be very careful when watering and do not plant the plant in areas with a rocky substrate.
Watering and feeding
Tibetan barberry is watered depending on age. In the first year, watering should be no more than twice a week. When the plant grows up, it will be possible to water less frequently and regulate according to the weather and aridity.
Only young animals should be fertilized. For these purposes, use superphosphate or humus. After growing into an adult plant, feeding is not necessary, as dereza feels fine even on very poor lands.
Reproduction
Three methods are used for reproduction.
Seed
Seeds are taken from pre-dried berries. To obtain seeds, take dry fruits, soak them in water and, when they are soft, pull out the seeds. In order for them to grow well, you need to endure in a growth stimulator. After they are sown in a container with a mixture of ordinary earth and peat in a ratio of 1: 2, they are buried 2-3 mm in the substrate.
To maintain the necessary conditions for germination, the container is covered with a film and sent to a warm, inaccessible to light place. When sprouts hatch, they take out the box to the light and protect it from cold and drafts. Watering is done from the spray. 
After a week, the film can be removed, and when 3-4 leaves are formed, pick the pick( transfer) of the seedlings into separate pots( deep).
Continuously in the open ground, the obtained seedlings of goji, grown from seeds at home, are planted in the spring, when there is confidence that the frosts will not return, or already in early summer.
Planting seedlings
This option is acceptable if you managed to buy home-grown goji seedlings, or you purchased the planting material from your hands.
With this method, two weeks before disembarkation, holes should be made, 40-50 cm in size. If for the southern regions “harvesting” is done in the autumn, then for the colder ones - in the spring. This will allow the plants to tolerate frost well.
A large fraction of sand is poured into each well, and half of it is covered with a substrate consisting of humus and fertile land of 8 kg each.30 g of potassium sulphate is added there( it can be replaced with a glass of wood ash), 0.15 kg of double superphosphate, mixed directly in the pit and the seedling is planted, covered with fertile soil, and then watered. 
Pristvolny circle must be mulched using humus or peat.
The distance between the specimens must be at least 2 m.
Grafting
And now we will tell you how to grow goji from cuttings. From an adult plant cuttings are cut in lengths of 10-12 cm each. Then they are placed in a root-forming solution and planted for rooting in the constructed greenhouse and put it in a warm place. It is best to disembark the material at the end of July - beginning of August. In the spring, the root will grow enough to plant a goji in open ground. Caring for a young plant is not particularly different from an adult.
Pruning and hibernating
The shrub needs regular haircuts. In the first years of growth, 3-6 strongest branches are planned. They are taken as a basis and have a haircut around them. Then, on these basic skeletal branches, shoots capable of fruiting will form.
If the tree is grown for decorative purposes, then choose one main shoot, drive in a long peg, and then carry out a "haircut", trying to form a tree. The procedure is done as soon as numerous fruit-bearing shoots appear and the total height of the plant exceeds 1.2 m.
, lutrasil), folded in several layers, or sacking. You can also play it safe, additionally putting a lap branches on the landing, and, as soon as the snow falls, make big drifts.
Pests
The plant perfectly protects itself from pests. However, for preventive purposes, one should regularly inspect wolfberry for any signs of disease or pests. If there is one, prune the affected parts and, if necessary, spray the insecticidal preparations, spreading them in the amount indicated by the manufacturer on the package. Do not forget that the treatment is not done once, especially if the invasion of pests is huge.
Use and storage
Harvested fruit should be stored in a dry, light-free place. If an infusion is prepared, it should be kept only in a cool place and not more than 2 days.
Goji berries are used not only for weight loss, but also as an ingredient in the preparation of wines, fruit puree, desserts, soups, pastries, yogurts, tea, juices, cereals. Seeds go for oil production. To taste fresh berries have a hint of melon. But as soon as the fruits freeze or dry, the taste disappears, and the berries acquire a taste similar to dried apricots.
In the garden, a wolfberry is mainly planted for a healthy harvest, as well as plant hedges. The plant is unpretentious and will not die if you have not watered or introduced fertilizer. But if you are going to plant goji berries on the plot, you should consider all varieties in advance and select the most suitable ones.
Berries have also found widespread use in medicine. So, they are taken for: pain in the back, diabetes, insomnia, anemia, obesity, excess cholesterol, problems with adenoids, vision problems, athletes thus restore their strength, etc.
As you can see, goji berries are an exotic shrub, but you don’t need to go to overseas countries or buy at a fabulous price. It is enough to observe some nuances, and you can grow a plant on your site without problems and collect a very considerable harvest.
