How to Cultivate Wolfberry
Wolfberry plants are sturdy, deciduous shrubs native to China and Tibet. Also known as Goji, this rangy perennial tolerates subzero winters as well as summer droughts and grows readily in USDA zones 5 to 9. Wolfberries contain protein, iron, vitamin C and A, and are used commercially for their antioxidant properties in juices and nutritional supplements. Wolfberry shrubs sport purple or white blossoms in the spring and bright, sweet berries in the late summer. They prefer a sunny location with well-draining soil with a pH of 6.5 to 8. While generally grown outdoors, wolfberry make attractive houseplants. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Plant starter pots or flats
- Plastic zippered baggie
- Sand
- Organic seed-starting soil
- Plastic spray bottle
- Water
- Shovel
- Organic balanced fertilizer
- Organic mulch
Instructions
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1
Pour 1/8 cup of damp sand into the plastic zippered baggie. Add 1/8 tsp. wolfberry seeds. Seal the bag and set aside in a warm place for at least 24 hours. Wolfberry seeds are very small and difficult to plant individually. Mixing them with sand ensures they are spread out evenly in the starter pots.
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2
Mix equal parts damp sand with damp commercial seed-starting soil mix. Fill your starter pots to within 1/2 inch from the top edge with the soil mix.
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3
Open the plastic bag and sprinkle the seed and sand mixture over the top of the soil in the pots. Press down gently on the surface to set the seeds.
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4
Mist the surface of the soil with water from the spray bottle. Keep the surface of the soil moist but not dripping wet.
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5
Set the starter pots in a warm, sunny location that receives filtered light. A west-facing windowsill is ideal. Watch for the seeds to begin sprouting, generally within two weeks.
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6
Transplant the seedlings outdoors when they have grown at least two sets of leaves, preferably more. Till the soil in a sunny well-drained area. Spread a 1-inch layer of sand over the area and dig it in to incorporate it. Dig a hole the size of the starter pot. Remove the seedling from the pot. Handle the seedling gently to avoid damaging delicate stems and roots. Place the seedling into the hole and back-fill with soil.
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7
Apply a 1-inch layer of mulch around the base of the wolfberry plants to help retain water. Water the seedlings thoroughly. Continue to water frequently, whenever the soil surface appears dry.
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8
Fertilize the wolfberry plants with a balanced organic fertilizer in the early spring while plants are still dormant, and again during the midsummer growing period. Mix and apply the fertilizer following the instructions on the packaging.
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Tips & Warnings
Transplant wolfberry plants in the early spring after all threat of frost is over.
Bushes begin fruiting within three years of sowing.
Wolfberries ripen from August through October in most locations.
Harvest the fruit when the berries turn bright red.
Prune the bush when it exceeds 8 to 10 feet or when the vine has spread more than 12 feet from the central trunk.
References
Resources
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