Goji berries: features of planting and plant care

Today, the trend of planting exotic crops in their backyards is quite popular.Therefore, along with tropical citrus, many gardens are actively engaged in the cultivation of goji berries. However, like any plant, this culture has a number of specific features that must be met before planting.

The popularity of culture is associated with a number of features due to which the dried fruits of common bastard are used as a means for losing weight, as well as during the general strengthening of the body due to the fact that the composition of fruits is enriched with a unique set of useful vitamins and trace elements.

The culture itself is a deciduous shrub from the family of nightshade, in some sources you can find several more plant names - wolfberry or red loquat. China is the birthplace of culture, but dereza is spread throughout Asia, goji berries can be found in the Caucasus and Primorye. Actively growing culture in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

The root system is very developed, therefore it is well deepened in the soil, on a surface, as a rule, does not grow. The flowering phase falls at the beginning of summer and can last until October. During this period, fragrant inflorescences bloom on culture, the color of which can be pink, purple and even purple.

In the autumn after flowering, the crop forms and ripens fruits, the color of which can vary from orange to red. However, despite the attractiveness and external harmlessness of the berries, it is prohibited to eat fresh goji berries because their chemical composition contains toxic compounds. Use the fruit can only be after drying.

Culture can multiply in several ways:

• seed method, which involves sowing material in a greenhouse;
• vegetative method, which is the use of stiff cuttings, their planting also implies initially greenhouse conditions.

In addition to the above-described options for obtaining a young culture, wood bark in some regions is able to multiply by self-sowing, using its own seeds.

Today, there are several main varieties of goji berries, which are most often grown in cottages or personal plots with a decorative purpose.

• "New big" - the variety is an artificially produced plant that bears fruits with rather large and sweet berries. In urban conditions, the culture shows a high survival rate, and therefore tolerates heat, drought and air pollution.
• Variety "Lhasa" zoned for central Russia, capable of early fruiting after rooting, and therefore bears fruit in open ground in the second year.
• "Chinese Goji" stands out for its large yields, however, the ability to fructification occurs no earlier than three years.

In addition to the three most popular varieties, on sale you can find a huge number of hybrids. But such cultures can be propagated only in a vegetative way. Among the advantages of goji berry hybrids are immunity to most diseases, as well as resistance to negative temperatures, which is important when planting in the Moscow region or Siberia.

Dereza vulgaris is a heat-loving shrub, so in northern climatic conditions it is necessary to make maximum efforts to grow a healthy and beautiful plant. Since the culture is prone to the rapid growth of the branches and has a rather powerful root system, it is necessary to consider the choice of the optimally suitable place for rooting deliberately.

The best option would be a plot without any additional vegetation, so that the bush would not oppress other garden crops. Dereza develops well in the presence of supports, so several plants will be able to act as a full-fledged hedge. The site for goji should be as lit as possible or have a minimum shade of buildings or other plantings. Due to its height, the presence of support for the culture is mandatory.

There are no special requirements regarding the type of soil, wood grain, but it is preferable to plant it in alkaline or neutral soil mixtures. As experience shows, soil with high acidity will slow down the development of the plant. Regarding the level of humidity, the plant is also neutral, therefore it tolerates dry periods in summer well, but stagnation of soil moisture can lead to the death of the crop, therefore the soil on the site where the seedlings are planned to be planted should not be stony.

Spring is considered to be the best time for planting, but recommendations can be found concerning the rooting of goji in the fall, but in this case there is a great risk that the young culture will freeze out in winter. In the southern part of our country, where the air temperature drops are rather insignificant, dereza hibernates beautifully even without additional shelter, in other regions preparing the culture for winter is mandatory.

Agrotechnical measures associated with planting, involve the preparation of a planting hole, which should be 50x40 centimeters. If rooting of several cultures is carried out close to each other, then the step between them should be about two meters.

For rooting, compost and superphosphate in combination with ash and potassium sulfate must be added to the well. Saplings go deeper into the pit, the root system spreads along the bottom, after which the plant is covered with earth. After planting the tree will need good moisture, to maintain an optimal level of soil moisture, it is recommended to cover the tree circle with a layer of mulch using peat or humus.

Agricultural machinery, dealing with tree trunks, includes a number of mandatory measures.

A young shrub requires a lot of attention, this also applies to the level of ground moisture in the circle of a tree. It is necessary to maintain an optimal balance so that the soil is not too dry or, conversely, too saturated with moisture, in particular, it is dangerous when the air temperature drops, as there is a likelihood of damage to the roots. Adult cultures are more resistant to lack of moisture, so watering adult shrubs can be carried out only in too hot and dry summer.

Caring for a decorative culture also involves the regular introduction of top dressing. In the first season, after planting the barbarum in the garden, the plant will receive the necessary nutrients from the fertilizer applied during planting, and in the future it is necessary to regularly add mineral substances or compost to the tree trunk.

Such a plant requires compulsory molding, otherwise the shrub will grow very strongly and will have a poor appearance, and the size of wood truss will be impressive.Pruning is necessary not only to maintain the decorative function of the plant, but also to increase fruiting. In order to grow a healthy and productive crop, in the first years after planting, it is necessary to remove excess branches, aiming to leave only the strongest shoots that will develop at the same distance from each other as a result. These parts of the shrub are responsible for the formation of the crop. As the culture grows, they will need to be shortened so that no more than four buds are present on each branch, due to which the natural process of stimulating the culture to fruiting will occur.

In order to successfully grow goji berries on your plot, you need to have an idea of ​​what insects and diseases can harm crops and berries. The most common pests include caterpillars, aphids and the Colorado potato beetle. For the prevention and control of insect pests, a method of treating a shrub with wormwood extract is used. The use of such a composition does not affect the properties of the fruit, in addition, it is not a chemical preparation, but is prepared solely from natural ingredients.

As for diseases, the culture can be affected by the following ailments:

• powdery mildew;
• late blight.

The reasons for the spread of ailments is the lack of necessary fertilizers, most often the shortage concerns precisely wood ash. That is why, for fertilizer and for the purpose of prophylaxis during rooting of young seedlings of wormwood, it is necessary to introduce this type of fertilizer into the planting pits. If signs of the development of the disease began to appear on the crop, dusting the shrub with ashes will become an emergency for the plant. But in the case when such an emergency measure does not bring results, it will be necessary to use fungicide compounds to treat the culture.

Dereza vulgaris can be described as a culture with moderate winter hardiness, since in practice it is noted that the plant is resistant to a decrease in thermometer performance to -15.25С. However, the viability of the shrub during the frost period depends largely on the level of snow cover in the winter period. If there is very little snow in the winter, there is a risk that the shrub will freeze over.

To avoid such situations, at the end of the fall, gardeners resort to additional shelter of the plant, using a lapnik.

But there are varieties of goji berries, which have a low level of resistance to frost, such plants are usually dug out of the ground along with an earthy clod, and transplanted until spring in a container. In this state, the culture is sent for wintering in a non-freezing cellar or basement, where the air temperature will not drop to negative values.

Fruits of wolfberry can be used only in the dried state, and it is necessary to harvest the crop, providing maximum protection to the skin, because the fresh juice extracted from the fruit can cause serious irritation on the dermis. Usually, berries are harvested by placing a cut of fabric or any other material under a bush, and you simply need to knock down berries from the branches. More experienced gardeners use special mesh bags that are also placed under the crop.

It is possible to pick berries only after they are fully matured, their color indicates - fruits will become bright red, the use of unripe berries is fraught with poisoning. Before using, the berries are dried, then the stalk is removed. Drying should be carried out in natural conditions without the use of any equipment and artificial heating of the fruit.

However, the berries are not the only useful part of wolfberry, for medicinal purposes they actively use the bark from the roots of the crop, which also undergoes natural drying before use. The green mass of the plant is also used, the leaves are collected and brewed as a tonic and invigorating tea.

To learn how to grow goji berries, see the next video.