What a great way to grow your
own vitamins! We've all read about their high antitoxidants and health benefits
that have given rise to their 'superfood' status! Vitamin C, iron...
We've chosen this variety
especially for it's cropping potential. Gorgeous looking fruits grow to about
2cm and have a mild flavour. Some say they taste of liquorice. Eat fresh or dry
them to add to muesli or baking.
Goji need a big pot and some
care if not planted in the ground. Goji plants grow to about 1.8M and ours are
already about 60-90cm tall! Goji need a sunny position if possible. They'll put
up with partial shade, but won't necessarily crop as prolifically and are
generally happy in the UK climate. Goji are self pollinating and are pretty
hardy. Fleece them if it gets below -15! They are drought tolerant, so useful
for permaculture. Although they like almost all soils, well-drained is best.
You'll need feet on your large pot to prevent the soil becoming waterlogged.
They do need regular watering, but let the soil dry between watering.
Goji are hungry plants and will
take all of the nutrients they can. This gives 2 challenges. Firstly, for
potted varieties in particular you will need to re-pot every year and change
the compost as they will have consumed all of the nutrients. However, secondly
be sure to use an organic rather than chemical fertiliser as they do need the
nutrition.
Prune regularly to control
their size and shape. They’ve been around in the UK for a long time now, and
are found naturalized in hedgerows. So, creating an edible hedge might also be
an idea if you are short of space (you’ll need 1 per metre)!
It's a good decision to buy a
young plant rather than seeds, as they can have difficulty germinating.
We’ll be sending you a 3L
potted Goji. For planting in the ground, dig a hole of about 50cm, and deep
enough to take the rootball and compost from the pot. Press down the soil
around the bush, water in (as for other fruit trees) and mulch well (organic
material such as leaf mould, garden compost). As well as helping to feed the
bush over time, this helps to keep the soil moist too. It’s a similar process
for planting in pots, except you start with some drainage material such as
broken terracotta, then some compost. You’ll need a pot of at least 50cm,
bigger if possible for your space.
So, when will you get some fruit? It takes a couple of years for
your plant to get started and you can expect a full crop from about 4 years.
Each year starts early summer with small, delicate, white or mauve blossom,
possibly at the same time. The flowers can continue all season. And then the
fruit starts to grow. Come late summer/early Autumn you’ll be picking the
berries. A beautiful plant through the year.