Goji berry, how to cultivate it in a garden or a pot
We plant goji berry, the famous superfood with high nutritional value. Goji berry is a perennial shrub with small long green leaves that live up to 100 years. Originally from East Asia, goji berry belongs to the same family as the tomato, eggplant, pepper, and potato. From the first or second year of cultivation, goji berry gives us red-orange fruits that are usually eaten dried and contain many antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
What are the conditions for growing goji berries?
Goji berry is a fairly hardy crop that has the ability to adapt to difficult situations in both low temperatures and dry thermal conditions. It thrives in sunny or semi-shady places and is planted more in alkaline soils (with high pH 7-8) where it gives better quality fruit production, while it is necessary to ensure satisfactory drainage of water. We plant the goji berry at a distance of about 1.5 meters between the plants and 3 meters between the planting lines. We can also plant goji berries in a pot with a diameter of 30-40 cm. For growing in a pot, we use general-purpose topsoil, which ensures good drainage.
What watering and what fertilization does the cultivation of goji berry require?
Goji berry is quite resistant to lack of water and drought. Systematic watering, however, helps ensure rich 
production. We water once a week during the spring and autumn and twice a week during the summer. Goji berry does not have special requirements in nutrients to give us satisfactory growth and fruiting. It is important every year to incorporate well-digested manure and compost into the cultivation of goji berry and during the spring period to add additional complete organic fertilizer with the high potassium content.
How is goji berry pruned and propagated?
The pruning of goji berry plants is done by cutting the shoots to 2/3 of the original length in order to be able to maintain the height of the plant at about 1.5 meters. We remove internal shoots from the center of the plant, especially dry and weak so that our goji berry has better ventilation and sunshine. In addition, we remove the branches that come out of the base of the plant, which exhausts the fruiting potential of the plant. The propagation of goji berry is done with seed, as well as with cuttings 15-20 cm long. Goji berry cuttings take root easily in a humid environment within a month even without the use of the rooting hormone.
And a secret for goji berry
Goji berry is relatively susceptible to insect infestations such as meligra and thrips as well as fungal infections of powdery mildew. To prevent them from ecological means, spray with a solution of natural pyrethrin or potassium salts in combination with wet sulfur.
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