Goji berries

Do they need protection from birds? Cultivation advice on the net all seems a little incomplete to me so should they be grown in a fruit cage or are they okay just out on the plot?

Steve...

 

All fruit is better in a fruit cage, as my two year old Goji berry shrub has only just produced a few flowers and no fruit so far, the problem with birds has not reared its ugly head. Cheers, Tony.

 

Anyone with any loger term experience of Goji Berries out there? I dont want to take up valuable fruit cage space if it's not needed but I also dont want unprotected fruit either.

Steve...

 

Our bush is now about 4 years since first planted Steve, last year we had our first berries - six of them! This year we had none. I too have struggled to find much info about them but I do recollect reading that they can be found as hedgerow plants in the UK and I seem to recollect someone on GQT saying they should be left to spread out rather than pruned into bushes - this is what we are doing and the plant is now about 5 feet across growing along and over a wall.
I wouldn't sacrifice valuable cage space as I doubt if the crop size would justify it and if by chance you do get a bumper crop you could always chuck a net over the bush.

 

Thanks Dave, I'll do just that then.

Steve...

 

I have been growing my goji berry bush for about 3 years now. This year it has a fantastic amount of berries on it! I need to take a picture before i harvest them.

I haven't protected them from birds at all and i havent noticed any being eaten. I did see the birds eating my blueberries this year though.

 

I was reading up on Goji berries a while ago because we bought a few different types of soft fruit bushes cheap from Aldi, and is it true they go black if you handle them if so how do you harvest them? Also any other growing tips ?

 

I've no idea, however I may have to 'look it up' as there are quite a few lilacky blossoms on the long straggly branches this year (for the first time).

Cheers, Tony.

 

I bought mine from Aldi too, so will be following any advice on this thread.
I first tried Goji Berries in a Graze box.

 

Guys , this must be the 5th goji berry thread , It`s now 5 years since I got mine from a seed out of dry berrys ....I was reading that the plant should start fruiting from the 5/7 years of life ...as the plant should be a small bush between 1 to a max of 3 meters mine has reached 6 meters and still growing , is now completely covered in flowers , but not a single fruit yet ....this pictures was taken in June , the plant is now doubled up in size and still growing like mad ...for a strange reason it seams that the plant try to get inside the house , maybe looking for heat ...the run I hold in my hand it`s about 7 meters away from the plant .
I`m really looking forward to see what happen .

 

Ripped ours out last year as a waste of space and replaced with a dwarf Stella cherry.
Goji may be OK if you've got the space to let it ramble and are happy to wait a few years but we've neither space nor time!

 

I have finally quite a few flowers on my plant and now there are swellings behind the dying flowers, my fingers are crossed.

Cheers, Tony.

 

mine as well , i`ve seen few berry appears , finger cross

 

Just had my first taste of fresh goji berries, they taste of naff all! The Memsahib thinks likewise.

It may be coming out next year!

Cheers, Tony.

 

I read somewhere that there are varieties that never set fruit in the UK.
Mine never did so ripped them out ages ago.