How to Harvest Goji Berries
Most goji berries, also known as wolfberries (Lycium barbarum), are grown in Tibet and China. They can be grown in many other regions of the world as well. In Asia, goji berries have been used for thousands of years. Goji berries are beneficial to health because they are high in antioxidants and vitamin A, iron, protein and calcium. They are known to increase production of white blood cells and increase cardiovascular health and strengthen the liver and immune system. They contain eight essential amino acids and many essential minerals. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Grow your goji berry plants in moderate, well-drained soil. They do better in regions of higher altitude and full sun. According to the Timpanogos Nursery, goji plants don't begin to grow their fruit until about 2 years and will not start producing a heavy crop until they are 4 or 5 years old.
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Monitor your goji berries to see when they become ripe for the picking. In the Northern Hemisphere, they usually are ready for harvest between July and October.
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Treat the berries with care. Goji berries are somewhat delicate compared with other berries. In China and Tibet where they are grown commercially, the berries are not touched during harvest. The berries turn dark when touched by the oils in human hands.
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Use a sheet to collect them at harvest. Spread the sheet underneath the bush. If your bushes are still small, you may need a sheet that is only 4 by 6 feet or so, but these bushes can grow to be 10 feet tall. If your bushes are bigger, then you will need a much larger sheet to rest beneath its branches.
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Put your soft garden gloves on so that you don't touch the berries, and if you can reach the branches, then carefully shake them until all the berries fall onto the sheet below.
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Wrap up the sheet and then sift the berries from that tree into a bucket so you can use the sheet for the next bush.
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Use a long pole or stick to reach the branches of taller bushes when shaking out the berries onto the sheet.
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Tips & Warnings
If none of the berries fall off the branches when you shake them, then they are probably not quite ready for harvest.
Resources
- Photo Credit Picture courtesy of gojijuiceandberries.com
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Comments
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We live in Spain, I have lots of Goji Bushes, this is the first Year I have had fruit, and yes the fruit is small but I understand they get bigger as the years go by. My comment is, I have just tried a berry, it came off very easy and was soft, but when I tried one it was a little bitter, should it be, or have I picked too soon?
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I have several goji plants and they've sent runners out. Last year they produced a nice amount and they were 2 yrs old, this yr they had 3 berries on the bush and I'm wondering if maybe they got watered to much? Should they be pruned back or fertilized this year, we've had a very cool summer except for the past 2 weeks. Help, I love goji's but was very disappointed this year, if anyone has advise.
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wswlam
Feb 21, 2010
Instead of buying the berries, get the plants! The berries are healthy, tasty and juicy when fresh. The berries can be hit and miss with both taste and flavour. I bought plants from gojigrow . com - really heavy yields now that my plants are 3 years old
