Wolf Berries

Greg Burchell starts with ...
My question is about wolf berries. Is there any environmental problem with going theses berries? Example bird eating the fruit and depositing the seeds elsewhere creating a weed. I can not find much information on them. Other then where they are grown in china at the base of the Himalayas.

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Greg says...
I have no problem in getting them to grow. There growing like weeds at the moment. That’s why I have asked that question. If people are having problems in growing them. It mite not be a problem

Robyn says...
Where can we get some seed? I am dying to try some on the northern end of the Atherton Tablelands in Far north Queensland.

Ron says...
Robyn-- if you go onto Ebay and enter goji berries -- there are plenty of suppliers, soak the berries in water overnight then plant out they grow very easy-- good luck

Melissa says...
Someone on an American site said that they grew them from the dried fruit.Don't no anything further than that....but they are all going nuts for them ...a new health kick I think last year it was cranberries and before that it was blueberries....Does anyone know what they taste like? Fruit is god for us so it is all interesting.:)

Ron says...
I recently bought dried goji berries that were a little too dry matter of fact they were hard and not really nice to eat--- so I put some into an airtight container with a damp paper towel, sealed the lid, and the next day they were fine to eat--- also to make a healthy drink, soak some goji berries in water overnight until they swell up then add some other of your favourite fruit like blackberries, stawberries, mangos, bananas or whatever you prefer place into a blender until all mashed up-- less water makes a smoothie more water makes a healthy fruit drink ideal to keep colds and flu at bay

Roy says...
What area in Vic are you referring to Cornucopia? It's just that there are plants concidered to be weeds in the Dandenongs that would have buckleys around our parts.

We've been thinking about buying goji but, would be interested to know if it may cause any great environmental problems before we do.

Cheers

lachlann says...
I purchased seeds over the internet from Richters Herbs (Canada). Good service and good germination.

blueflame says...
I took the dried berries straight from the package and just put them in soil and watered them. I have over 100 of the tiny plants! Now how to grow them into a 12 foot tree and see the berries.

Julie says...
Rev

Doesn't wine go off once you expose it to the air? I would like to know more.

Thanks

Anonymous says...
Are any nurseries in Brisbane selling them? I started growing them but this is going to take forever.

Diny says...
Someone at our local market was selling Goji juice at $80 a bottle!

Shaun says...
Tass-1-Tree in Baskerville (WA) has stock of Goji berry plants.
Selling for $20.00 a tube of plant.

Julie says...
Ellen, I also tried growing from seed, bought online. Some germinated, some were eaten by slugs, and four are still alive, but not growing much.

I will repot and see what happens, but meanwhile, I hope Bunnings in WA have the same plants you bought - I am getting impatient!

Eve says...
Does anyone know if these bushes/trees need to be grown against a support. They look quite soft stemmed and the ones in the pot in our neighbourhood nursery seem to lean over. Thanks.

peter says...
some of mine are nearly 10 feet tall
and are getting quite heavy and breaking
the tomato stakes they are tied to.
i have now changed to star droppers.

Eve says...
Thanks Jantina. Mine are still in pots too and that will be the job for the weekend - putting in a frame for support and then planting.

If they are anything like Peter's maybe I will tie them to a wrought iron archway.

Jantina says...
Thanks Peter.

Mark says...
Juanita of Melbourne.... PLEEEZE, What Nursery did You get Your GOJI At?? My Dear Wife would really love to get a plant!! Thanks in Advance. Mark.(in Frankston)

Mark says...
Julie, a good wine will last about a week or so,once the bottle is opened.So yes you are right.(That's in the fridge!) Get around this by brewing yourself,& adding the GOJI Berries while brewing. Should keep forever,almost. Try it,& let me know,or give me a bottle to be the 'tester'!"Hic-Up"

Julie says...
Ellen - hey, I repotted my gogi and gave them a feed and they have added a few centimetres in a week or so! So I will wait a while and see how they do. If they are not a reasonable size by the end of summer I will buy one.

It isn't much warmer, we are having a cool spring/summer so far. They just needed more space to grow.

Mark, thanks for the answer. Haven't made wine for years - fibro house too hot in summer and too cold in winter. It all turns out like sherry! But I would like to try again when I eventually move to a better-built house.

Tanya says...
I saw goji berry bushes at Bunnings Capalaba Qld today if any Brisbane readers are interested. Other stores may have them as well.

juanita says...
Just to let you know that BigW's plant nursery section has lots of goji berry plants in stock for $15.00

peter says...
my plants grew to about five feet in
their first year and you could take
cuttings from it before it got to that
size.

Julie says...
Hi all

I just read somewhere on the net that it is a good idea to nip off the tips when they are still young. This encourages branching.

I like the idea of a shorter, branched shrub, rather than a tall spindly one, so I have nipped mine off. Here's hoping I did the right thing!

denise says...
To select a really good plant you need to grow a few. Some will have a few thorns. Only grow from sweet berries.They germinate 100% in Jiffy-7 peat pellets. The soft leaves easily damage and rot from hail, sudden drought, lengthy rain or wind rubbing. I applied a series of sprinkling diluted biofeed for 2 days which miraculusly restored the entire leaf.Biofeed is a NZ brand of organic compost tea the leachate of hot composted animal manures.

Mark says...
Goji Juice costs a lot everywhere! We've seen it at the market for as Low as $20something for a small bottle! A Really Good & CHEAP Goji Drink my wife has found(by doing herself),,, Get some Dried Goji Berries, & fill a jam jar with Honey Mead.(Home made is BEST.)Leave a bit of room in the jar. Now, Soak as many Dried Goji Berries in it as you can,& leave to soak for a week or two. Then,take the berries out& dry in the sun in a window. Now, You have Goji Berries that taste like Mead,& Mead that taste like Goji Berries!!

Mark says...
Is the Goji Bush an 'Evergreen' or is it 'Deciduous'? Does anyone know? I'm asking this because my wife's Goji bushes have lower leaves turning yellow & a few even drop off,just like one would expect from a 'Deciduous'Tree. Also,it is Autumn,the time for trees to lose their leaves unless they are 'Evergreens'. So, can anyone tell me which the Goji is so I can tell my wife? Oh,, If it is Deciduous,then why could the leaves(at the bottom of the plant)be turning yellow & dropping?

peter says...
mark,
yes goji is deciduous.
you probably have no hope at all
getting an acai plant.
if you do let me know.
you could try asian supermarkets or
health food stores for dried products.

denise says...
You can import acai palm seeds from Tropilab in Suriname. It is a clumping palm with an edible heart. and the scanty pulp around the seed is compensated by the huge size of the crop.I dont know if your biosecurity people will let them through the border. It is Euterpe oleracea. Not to be mistaken with the poorer assai palm which is Euterpe edulis. The seeds grow easily but the season is nearly over.

peter says...
ellen,
mark from a few posts above was asking
the same thing,
goji are deciduous so this is normal
although mine still have green leaves
and the odd flower on them.

Geoff says...
Bunnings has had them on occassions. Also some independent nurseries seem to have them. They dont seem to be that hard to find.

Geoff says...
Diggers seeds at heronswood @ Dromana, vic, were selling them a couple of months ago at a reasonable price. They may be able to offer some more info on their growth habbits.

amanda says...
Is anyone's Goji Berry fruiting and/or look like it has weed potential yet?
I planted one a cupla months ago and then read above that they are like a box thorn....these are invasive weeds here...not worried about birds getting them (I will net) but can mice spread seed in their poo too?

amanda says...
Hi peter - thanks for letting me know this - I might have a talk to Ag dept I think.

I would say the box thorn berries could very well be edible - I have seen fox poo on the block full of the berry casing and seeds. Most wild dogs will forage like this - including the fox.
I don't have foxes inside the home paddock - but would guess that rodents could carry the seed too.

I have done lots of camping and seen tomatoes n chillies growing out in the middle of nowhere from human poo!

I destroyed all the boxthorn on our block - didn't really think about tasting them to be honest! Where they any good anyway?

amanda says...
Think u may be right Peter - the dried ones don't do it for me. I thought fresh might be better?

amanda says...
Hi Julie - I would guess that u need to find out if they fruit on new growth/wood? If so - then prune away!
(sorry - I don't know the answer to this!) Adelaide Peter would tho'

I know the box thorn does which is the same genus...

amanda says...
That is interesting Julie! must check my dried goji pkt! I got my plant from diggers - it's a barbarum. Have u tried a fruit off yours yet? were they better than dried ones? Is yours a barbarum?

amanda says...
yea julie - good idea. adelaide peter said his were suckering too (above). They seem so flimsy - i will be giving mine a prune to shrubby it up too.

snottiegobble says...
If you go to your local Coles or Big W you will find all the Goji seeds you will ever need in the health section. Packets of Goji berries for under $6 & every one has seeds in it. Also there are always a few seeds left in the bottom of the packet & that where I got my 6 plants from. Kept in the house by the heater until germination ( sown July ) then into greenhouse. potted on twice & now 6 ins tall.
The main reason African Box Thorn is a noxious weed is because of its deadly thorns. I ended up at the Emergency with pierced eyeball after trying to remove unsightly plastic bags from such a menace.
Yeah they obnoxious weeds in Vic alright but try telling that to all the dairy farmers who use them as hedges to keep their cattle in.

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amanda says...
Hi guys...I am ashamed to admit this but I think I have released wild rocket onto my block by accident. At least the seeds are not easily dispersed. Snottiegobble - box thorn is a noxious weed because of other reasons than it's thorns - ease of seed dispersal is a big factor and also displacement of native fauna. It's a big problem here - thorns are not a problem in a bush/remote setting or 1,000 acre property.
I ended up in ED from pruning roses and a scratched eyeball - but they are not noxious weeds....
Anyway - back to the point...I am a bit concerned about Goji - has anyone had problems in WA yet?

Julie says...
I have four gogi plants from seed sown in spring 2008.

I just noticed today that one has flowers - I nearly missed them, as they are not very large. The other three show no signs, but I will keep watch.

As it is less than two years, about 16 months since I sowed them, I'm quite pleased!

Dennismychina says...
Hi all, I just had an interesting read of your forum. Very nice. And well done to all those “pioneers/experimenters with wolfberries. Gougi berry or as many people say goji. I’ve lived in China for a while and a couple of them where in Inner Mongolia, which is a autonomous region (very similar to a province) in the north of China. My wife’s mom farms gouqi berries up there so I got a bit of info from her.
Firstly, the tree is the Lycium barbarum L in the Ninhxia region hey have a Lycium barbarum var. Ningxia. They are grown in temperatures varying from – 20 and below to as high as +35/40 centigrade. The berries are not coloured red, they are red. There are three harvests of the berries. The first is a natural growth (no fertilizer is used). The second harvest some fertilizer is used and the last harvest a lot of fertilizer is used. And not always organic. (in fact due to costs, organic fertilizer is seldom used. (This is possibly where the colouring of the berries comes in. Obviously the fruit of the first harvest is of a much higher quality. And the last harvest could get cheap-skate commercial companies running for their red dye. Traditionally the fruit is air-dried on framed hessian mats, in the open air. This time of year is also the rainy period so a inside storage shed is also needed. They should be “shaken” (the frame is shaken to rotate the berries) often to prevent mildew and to dry evenly. Trees, actually more shrub size, are heavily pruned each year. For better fruit production as well as ease of harvest. The fruit has a sweetish taste, somewhat like a raisin with a strong woodish flavor. It certainly has all the goodness that the hype is all about. But as far as commercial drinks are concerned I’d be very skeptical. We don’t use it at home as often as we should but when we do, we put it in most cooked foods, especially in stews and soups.
Hope this was informative.
Enjoy,
Dennis.
PS. You can find a lot more info here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry#Leaves_and_flower

Julie says...
I put one of mine in a Bonsai bag, so it will be interesting to see if this dwarfs it at all. The others are in deep pots, so I'd need to plant in the ground to see a comparison.

Ron, how do you support yours? They flop all over the place! Are you growing in pots?

Julie says...
So there is a Nelly Kelly brand of Gogi? I didn't know there were named varieties.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi Richard,

I think your plants are doing ok. Some of the leaves of my plants are yellowing and droping off too so I think just the weather. They are quite a tough plant BTW. I would give the plants some ferilizer and water well.

Good luck.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Yes, It is very true. I have 3 different varieties in my garden. My latest one is named variety.

The other two, one sort of rounded leave, one pointy leave flower occationally but never fruit (may be they are not mean to fruit).

I use the leaves to make soup with either chicken or pork stock. Very nice similar to spinach. It is a Chinese medicine indeed. In Asian groceries. A bunch is $1.5 enough to make a few cups of soup. The dried fruits of the named variety are used in soups too.

Very easy to propagate. I got my first 2 from the shops in Melbourne.

Julie says...
Is it fruiting already gus? Mine seems to be on its way, but no actual fruit yet.I haven't got around to tasting the leaves!

Julie says...
Of the four I grew from seed, only one has flowered so far. The fruits were TINY! I'm glad I kept them all, as the others may do better next year.

April has been much cooler than usual, and many of the flowers didn't turn into fruit.

Julie says...
gus, mine are very sweet, but no bitter aftertaste. I think maybe being seed grown they might vary a bit from one plant to another. I hope the others turn out a bit bigger!

Gaardenier says...
I have plants here since about 4 years. Rooted cuttings (large leaves) as well as seedlings (narrow leaves) All was easy to cultivate, but till now only a few flowers and fruit.
Do you had already real bunches of fruit as on Chinese pictures?

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snottiegobble says...
yeah Julie, they dont seem to like our WA climate. mine grew like mad till summer then all those in the ground carked it! the ones in pots just went pale & spindly so you could say I lost interest. Easy to germinate from seeds left in the bottom of the Goji berry packets health aisles Coles, Safeways etc. Under $6.00 a packet!

Julie says...
It's not so much the look of the plant, but the size of the berries. They are so small they are hardly worth picking! I sort of expect the plant to go off a bit in this cold weather.

And they have been getting lots of goodies - not sure of the pH though.

Simon says...
Hi Julie,

It’s interesting to read about your experience in growing goji berries; enthusiastic in looking for one, the excitement of it fruiting and the disappointment of the size of berry it produces. If there is any consolation, I shared the same encountered as well!
I live in metro Perth, had a goji plant from about a 30 cm tall to now about two meter tall. It produces quite a lot of fruits/berries now but like yours they are rather small. I don’t harvest them any more, only pick them to eat occasionally. However, when it is flowering; and when the berries turn red, it is certainly a very beautiful tree/bush. I admire it the same way as I admire a kumquat tree when it is full of orange fruits. They are both so beautiful to look at.

My Goji tree branches were all over as well, I had to provide support to train it upright to the current 2-meter height. Earlier this month, I dagged it up from ground into a 50-cm port. I hope I did not kill it as it lost all the leaves. I thought if I am going to treat it as an ornament tree, better of in a pot than in the ground. I would suggest that you grow it in a pot as well. Any comment?

Jim says...
has anyone in perth area had success in growing goji berries to full size fruit?

Simon says...
Hi Julie,

If you get discouraged by Goji berry plant, another insteresting one is Jujube or chinese red dates. There are quite a lot in Perth, very hardy to grow, produce nice crunchy fruits if you pick them early (just about to turn red). I have two varieties both in the pot. I was told try not to grow them in the ground as they tend to produce runners (off shoots from the roots) just like the curry leaf plant.

john says...
Try tass 1 1trees he has 5 varieties and all good size.

Simon says...
Hi Julie,
I know there is a middle age man that sells jujube plants in the Canning market at week end cark park sales. Not sure if you go that way. There is a jujube orchard in Gidgegannup along Toodyay road that sells them as well. As I am currently working away in the bush, I will find out more details when I get back to Perth.

I think I saw some plants at Wandilla Plant Nurseries in Welshpool Road WATTLE GROVE. They sell a lot of exotic Asian fruit plants. I have not seen any in Bunnings. Jujube plants are generally slightly dearer (range from $45 to $100 depending on the size of the plant). I am not sure if you can geminate from the red dates them we buy from shops.

I am sorry Julie, looks like I am not very helpful in giving you nursery locations (as I normally visit them without looking at their names and address). I promise to get more details when I get back to Perth.

Jim,
Chico is the crunchy bell shape variety. I have one in the pot. I am not sure of the name for the spongy variety (which produce oblong shape fruit similar to the picture in above Forum entry “JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE's Edible Fruit Trees”). The label on my plant has disappeared a while back. Chico fruits are nicer to eat as they are crunchy but the spongy ones are good if you pick them just when small red patches starts to appear.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi all,

Chico jujube fruits is round but flattened, very cute like a little apple.

The spongy one is the Lang variety. This variety fruits are available in a dried form in the Asian shop imported from China.It is more suitable to be used as dried fruits than eating fresh.

They all sweet and crunchy if pick at the right time and best in the morning where they are juicier.

Simon says...
Hi Julie,

I managed to contact a friend who said there is an outlet at Kelmscott which is nearer your way. I have not been there myself. the address is : 9 Alola St, Kelmscott;
Email: gqinsley@bigpond.net.au
Contact person : George Qinsley
Telephone : 93905338

You should be able to buy un-pitted red dates from the asian shops I think.

Hi JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE ,
Thanks for info on Jujube varieties.

Thea says...
My name is Thea from Yinchuan, Ningxia, which is the land of Goji Berries.

Chinese wolfberry, mainly in Ningxia, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Gansu, Qinghai provinces, Ningxia produces better quality products.Ningxia Goji berries has been approved the best Goji berries in China.

Climate requirments for planting Goji Berries as follows for your reference:
1. Annual average temperature: Optimum: ５.4℃-12.3℃
2. Sunlight:: It needs full of sunlight. If it grows under shade cloth, the fruits will be less.
3. Moisture: Moisture content should be kept between 16-20% in fruiting season
4. Soil: <0.1% salt in high fertility soils

Hope my answer is helpful for your concern. If you have any further qustions,pls feel free to contact me.

Thea Cheng
NINGXIA ZHENGYUAN FOODSTUFF CO.,LTD.
E-mail: theacheng@gmail.com

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Mark says...
Carl,, Tibet is a part of China! If you get the dried Goji Berries you can soak them in water to get the seeds as you have done. But Don't throw the water away! drink it. It makes a really nice & healthy herbal tea! ... On the subject of Soaking Goji Berries, Try soaking a handful of dry Goji Berries in a jam jar full of home made Honey Mead!! The Longer you can leave them, the better it will be! As they get soft & have been soaking for a few days, take some out & put another handful in. Dry them on a cloth or eat them straight away. .... What you end up with is Goji Berries that taste like Honey Mead & Goji & are now alcoholic ,, & you have a jam jar full of Mead now with the Goji Berry flavour & a reddish colour! ........ The HARDEST Part of doing this is,, Leaving them alone!!

Julie says...
Isn't annato a seed from a tropical tree? Should be OK, unless it has some properties I don't know about. Used to be used for bead necklaces.

vitafreenet says...
Premium Organi cun-dried Goji Berries are available!

Check them here:
http://www.himalayanorigin.eu

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Mark says...
Amanda, That may be so of commercial & dried Goji Berries, but I'm sure that the berries from my wife's tree don't get soaked in anything but the mead! ... And IF Anyone is going to be so concerned about the Red Food Dye, why not just forget about the mead, leave the Goji berries alone, & just drink the Red Food Dye!? "YUKK!!" (did that just answer my own question? I think so.)

amanda says...
Lucky u Mark - I would love to know how to make mead - I also like to have it warm in a pottery mug in winter...mmm...almost as good as my Mum's Rum-toff...a fruity brew..very nice.

amanda says...
Thanks Rev - it doesn't sound as hard as I thought it would be. A new project on the horizon!
Just got my self an aquarium bubbler - so I am going to play around with compost teas. It would be great to have a chat with you sometime about mulches and teas? As you have lived in Gero u may have some ideas. I am currently using less thick layers as I read Julie Firths book regarding mulches in arid/semi-arid zones. But I am still not happy with my set-up.
I am considering overlaying the mulch with heavy shade cloth 'rounds' - to keep the roots cooler and the mulch/soil etc protected from the wind and sun - maybe even moister for longer so the worms can do their thing?
What do u think?

amanda says...
He he! Rev - that's exactly what I do in summer! There is just no point in doing anything other than turning on a tap every few days...
Interesting about the worms - I have never seen a native worm here.
We had one of those aestivating frogs in our spud patch though! I was so pleased that it thought our veggie garden was a nice place to be (no chemicals ever used in it - we happy to share)

amanda says...
Ta Rev - looks close - what a cute name. My 5yr old holding it here - it's a bit puffed up - in a huffy! :)

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amanda says...
Hello Lorna - I would love some seed if it's ok? I was going to ask u about your sunshine special passionfruit also - as mine has a low grade woodiness virus - but I am very keen on the fruit...?

I have a few things I can swap also - my email sunley@wn(dot)com(dot)au. Would be great to hear from u. thanks!

Brian says...
Growing goji
We have been growing goji since 2004 in Victoria and the key point is to get some good plants that produce fruit with good taste. If you just grow from seed you usually get poor quality plants and disappointing results. Most of the commercially avaliable plants seem to come from such stock and all the ones i have bought have not done well - you can get a few fruit but not enough to make it worthwhile.
Regarding weediness, we have not had any cases of self seeding but plants will sucker up and spread as a patch. I you want to get rid of plants, they are not hard to remove. So they they do not have the tenacity of the boxthorn. But we do use a selected variety, not a wild type.
If you have a good location - well drained, dry, sunny, alkaline then you should try a few goji plants. But ask me about the pitfalls of cultivation first - they you'll get some nice ones to eat - good fresh ones are very nice!

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Mark says...
Jantina,, We got our Goji tree from Bunnings,& it is fruiting well. ... I asked where I could get one on this forum too & someone told me at Bunnings.

Jantina says...
Thanks Mark but the way I read Brians post he said most commercially available stock comes from seed grown (and I would have thought Bunnings are seed grown, there is certainly no cultivar name on them that I've seen). It sounded like he might have some good goji plants for sale.Perhaps he was just teasing us.

zak says...
i would like to buy some goji plants,im in PERTH,can i get them send over by post?

gero says...
the berries contain some amounts of toxic alkaloid and can cause a narcotic effect? sounds good eh?
we eat them all the time and the local farmers market sells jam from them.
have never had any effects from this so called toxic! and they are very delicous.

Lan Nguyen says...
Could anyone help me out with my Goji Berrie please. I got one plant from Daleys about 4 months ago, and it has a lot of fruit now, but the fruit taste a bit bitter. Does anyone know why? What should I do to make the fruit sweet?
Many thanks
Lan

Paul says...
I bought a small goji plant a couple of years back & de-potted it & planted it out in the garden, after some initial growth it then lost all its leaves & became very woody, so I cut it right back (scary stuff ..... looked even more dead!) then I dug it up- doused the root bed in worm juice & put it in a medium sized pot, & it's re-sprouted & quite vigorous at the moment (summer 2011), the only thing is going forward, if I leave it in the pot how am I going to grow it- the branches are really thin- sort of bramble-like- do people who have grown then successfully have them growing out in the garden proper or in a pot, & do you give them something to grow on like trellised wire, or similar?

Many thanks for a reply,
Paul

recher says...
weeds are a subgroup of naturalized plants. to be a weed you must have serious impact on agriculture, and / or environment ... and / or

almost any overseas exotic has an eco-niche somewhere it could naturalize

i'd love wild goji berries

brett says...
my bush just keeps flowering and fruiting and wont grow not that its a problem but will it kill itself :??

Annie says...
Hi Paul,
I nearly ditched mine thinking they had died but thankfully I didn't.
Goji Berry plants (aka Wolf Berries) do naturally die back in winter giving the appearance of dead plants where ever they are growing.Apart from natural rain they need no extra watering in winter esp if kept in a part shade position and in summer I only give mine a good watering once a week unless it is extremely hot and the leaves are starting to wilt.
I brought mine as young plants and have been growing them in pots for the past 3 years though I am still waiting for them to flower which can take 2 to 3 years. I have been making the mistake of cutting them right back in winter rather than giving them a light trim leaving the stronger branches alone which can deter flowering during the late summer,I will know more this summer - early Autumn which is when the fruit should be set.

Dr greenthumb says...
Hey it's Brett just diff email :p and it is in a pot it gets seasol fortnightly in warmer months eg now and once again still just pumping out fruit and no real growth :/