goji berries

[Sparkly]

Does anyone grow these? What do they taste like and how do you use them?

http://www.vermisell.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_GOJI01

[Sparkly]

[Suzanne]

I haven't grown them - but was given some seed in a PTP swap. I have sown some and awaiting germination. I eat goji berry muesli so I think they are fine - taste a bit like a dried cranberry in my muesli. Thye are supposed to be quite tough and hardy so I am hoping to get enough plants to put in a little hedge to the side of the allotment - sort of an edible windbreak.

[caseylee]

I have just potted some seeds up at the moment, will let you know I get on.  They are suppossed to be brilliant and really good for you

[star]

Im doing the same yay! Does anyone know how big they actually get, and do you just let them grow or can they be trained? ???

[Jeannine]

They were in T&M recent plant catalogue, I don't remember the details but I think it said you can get 1 kg of fruit from a mature one, and I believe it said in it's second year.. sorts thinking back I got the feeling that they were rather like cranberries for plant size..small up to 18 inches maybe but it is just a feeling I have got from somewhere??

XX Jeannine

[goodlife]

Last year I bought some sun dried goji berries from Holland& Barratt..and they were sun dried indeed...
I got some seeds out of the berries and sowed like I would tomato seed ..maybe quite not as deep...And HEI PRESTO!..within 2 weeks they were germinated.
I kept them in frost free greenhouse over winter and now they have started to show new growth.
I think after first year plants are fully hardy and they should start cropping within 2-3 years. They grow about 1.5 metres high and wide and can be grown almost any soil...I would think any soils avoiding extremes.
So..as for my little plants they are going out this summer and then we will just see what then..

[Jeannine]

O boy was I ever wrong, they grow to  10 feet with vines of of 12 feet coming off them, will stand frost and heat up to 100. There are qyite a few articles on them on the net,,wish I had bought them fromT&M now with my £5 off they would habe been cheap enough . There is a farm in Utah that sells them all over the US with a" how to grow site"XX Jeannine

                            http://timpanogosnursery.com

[star]

I just googled as well, Yep they're big.

In the GYO mag this month (April) if you subscribe for 6 months you get 3 Goji Berry Bushes free ;) 

[goodlife]

"Once they're a year old, however, they are perfectly winter hardy. Unchecked, they grow into a thick bush that reaches up to three metres tall, with vines that can grow to nearly four metres. If regularly pruned, they will form attractive small bushes that produce more berries as a result."
http://www.fruitexpert.co.uk/GrowingGojiBerries.html

Whoops..got the size wrong...well there is some work ahead for my shears...

[sawfish]

I seem to remember Bob Flowerdew saying they were rather tasteless , but I dont know as I've never tasted them myself.

[star]

The dried ones are ok, not sparkling but definatly ok. I like strong tasting things, I can imagine the fresh ones to be sweeter and obviously more succulent.

They are ok enough for me to want to give them a try ;)

[goodlife]

I have never eaten them as fresh, but dried ones are bit like rasins but with slight resinuous after taste...not bad,,but I would not describe as delicious neither.

[Baccy Man]

They have considerably more flavour once dried than they do when they are fresh, fresh berries are not that sweet & taste a bit like liquorice. The berries are very easily damaged when you pick them it works better to put an old sheet down & shake the bush to harvest them.
You can also use the young leaves as a vegetable lightly steamed or stir fried the taste is difficult to describe it's kind of like a cross between cress & mint which sounds strange but it is actually quite pleasant.
As has already been said first year plants need protection from the frost but after that they are nearly indestructible. They seem to grow better if you mulch them quite heavily and they like a lot of water.

I normally use the berries to make goji wine there are 2 methods for this either use the fresh berries in place of grapes in your preferred wine recipe. Alternately dry the berries then steep 50-100g of berries (depending how strong you want it to taste) in 1 litre of neutral spirit (vodka will do) for 3-6 months.
The proper wine is said to offer more health benefits but I find the second method makes a nicer drink.

[Sparkly]

I have bought some dried goji berries and will be planting the seeds tommorrow, so here is fingers crossed!

[star]

Snap Sparkly, we can compare as they grow ;D

[caseylee]

I got som dried goji berries from the last seed swap, soak them for about a hour in water then open up, tons of little seeds inside there.  I planted mine nearly two weeks ago and I have three that have come through today, very small but they are there, let me know how you guys get on

[Arumlily]

Such an interesting thread, I never knew one can grow goji berries in Uk. I will try and grow them too. Should I grow them in the greenhouse I wonder?

[caseylee]

mine are inside kept very warm, I believe they need to be kept warm until they have a a few leaves on them then slowly put outside to get used to the weather.  When they are establiseh they are hardy plants I beleive

[Suzanne]

I put mine in a propagator which I gerninate my toms in. I now have 9 little seedlings - I planted two to a module - so good germination rate. Thanks Natasha for the berries I only used two.