Log in

View Full Version : Goji berry (Lycium barbarum)


Richard
11-03-2014, 07:30 PM
The Goji berries you buy in the store typically come from Lycium barbarum (http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?22939). This plant originated in temperate parts of China; i.e., zones 9-10. In the western U.S. it is propagated commercially by LaVerne Nursery (wholesale plant grower) and sold to retail stores. It does very well here in San Diego county - in fact it can be invasive if you don't control the seedlings and suckers. On the flip side, it has bountiful harvests. I've been harvesting about 1 cup per day for the past few weeks.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=57002&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=57002)

pmurphy
11-04-2014, 03:44 PM
My bush is finished for the season and surprisingly it produced fruit TWICE this year - we had a mild spring for the first small crop and then a second larger one that finished about a month ago :)

FYI, Aldergrove - here in BC - now has the province's first commercial goji fields, and they are zone 7b

Aldergrove farmer believes goji berries have a bright future in B.C. (http://www.theprovince.com/Aldergrove+farmer+believes+goji+berries+have+bright+future/10025719/story.html)

Richard
11-04-2014, 05:24 PM
... FYI, Aldergrove - here in BC - now has the province's first commercial goji fields, and they are zone 7b ...

Not sure which species they are growing: L. barbarum or L. chinense. The latter are not as sweet. Here's two photos from the article
Aldergrove farmer - photos (http://www.theprovince.com/touch/m-photo.html?id=10025719&p=1)

BTW, the article states that the plants don't bear fruit the first couple years after planting. That would be true if they are planted from seed. Otherwise Goji plants at nurseries are typically already at fruit bearing age.

pmurphy
11-05-2014, 11:57 AM
Not sure which species they are growing: L. barbarum or L. chinense. The latter are not as sweet. Here's two photos from the article
Aldergrove farmer - photos (http://www.theprovince.com/touch/m-photo.html?id=10025719&p=1)

BTW, the article states that the plants don't bear fruit the first couple years after planting. That would be true if they are planted from seed. Otherwise Goji plants at nurseries are typically already at fruit bearing age.

I double checked my plant and it is L. barbarum, which is the only one that can be purchased retail at garden centers here.
Not sure which type the farm has but I'm sure the info regarding fruiting in the article could be an error, or misquote as don't think they would plant 10 acres from seed....probably took a couple of years to just acquire and plant that many. And they probably had fruit those first few years but this is the first year for a commercially viable crop.

Richard
11-05-2014, 03:43 PM
I double checked my plant and it is L. barbarum, which is the only one that can be purchased retail at garden centers here.
Not sure which type the farm has but I'm sure the info regarding fruiting in the article could be an error, or misquote as don't think they would plant 10 acres from seed....probably took a couple of years to just acquire and plant that many. And they probably had fruit those first few years but this is the first year for a commercially viable crop.

Yes, I agree. The article also states:

With a few helpful connections in China, and all the expertise of the Fraser Valley’s blueberry and raspberry growers in his backyard, Breederland set out to become B.C.’s first commercial goji berry grower.

I think they are implying knowledge of cultivation from China and not the plants themselves. They are definitely available wholesale in the western hemisphere. La Verne Nursery (http://www.lavernenursery.com/) alone produces several thousand plants in #2 pots per year.

merce3
11-05-2014, 08:56 PM
what do you do with all those berries? eat them fresh or preserve somehow?

Richard
11-05-2014, 09:55 PM
what do you do with all those berries? eat them fresh or preserve somehow?

Save up a week's worth in the refrigerator then make a reduction using a Champion Juicer (http://www.championjuicer.com/). Freeze the reduction into 1-cup packets and use later for glazes, pastries, bbq sauce, ...