How to Propagate Goji Berry Plants

Dried goji berries are bright red or orange.

The goji berry plant, also known as wolfberry or boxthorn, is a flavorful berry shrub commonly used in Eastern medicine. The plant is a perennial, meaning it will continue to grow for more than two seasons without needing replanting. The fruits of the goji plant are about the size of a grape and contain several antioxidants. Growing goji from seen will not produce plants true to the parent, so the best way to propagate the plant is through cuttings.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp knife
• Potting container
• Peat moss
• Coarse sand
• Rooting hormone
• Water
• Plastic bag
• Plant pot
• Potting soil

Instructions

1. Wait for autumn or winter to take your cuttings, after the leaves drop and the plant is entering dormancy.

2. Select a shoot from which to take your cutting. Pick a shoot that is hard to bend and is part of the current year's growth. Cut the last 6 inches off the end of the shoot with a sharp knife.

3. Fill a planting pot with equal parts coarse sand and peat moss. This will serve as your sterile growing medium.

4. Dip the cut end of the cutting into rooting hormone and gently shake it to remove extra powder. Insert 1/3 of the cutting, cut end first, into the medium. Water the medium until it settles.

5. Cover the cutting with a plastic bag and set it in a warm, sunny room out of direct light. Check the medium daily to make sure it is still moist. Water the medium if it becomes dry.

6. Gently tug on the cutting after three weeks. If you meet resistance, it has rooted. If not, leave it for another week and check it once a week until you meet resistance.

7. Fill a larger planting pot with regular potting soil. Use a hand spade to dig the cutting out of the rooting medium, taking care not to cut any new roots. Dig a hole in the potting soil big enough for the new roots. Lower the cutting into the potting soil and firm the soil around the base. Water until the soil settles and place the pot in a sunny window. Keep the goji plant inside until the last frost of spring passes, then you can transplant it to your garden.

References

• ARS: Cutting
• Local Harvest: Goji Berry Seeds
• Plants for a Future: Lycium barbarum