The name “wolfberry” is known to many, but few people know that under this name a variety of plants can be hidden.

Most often we are talking about wolfberry - a flower, many species of which are poisonous, but, nevertheless, are found in gardens and parks.

General information

Dereza (Lycium) belongs to the Solanaceae family and includes more than 80 species of trees and bushes. This plant is distributed throughout the world and can often be found in arid or salty soils.

Represents perennial shrub, covered with thorns, its height on average is 2-3 meters, but there are also giants up to 10 meters. The leaves are small, up to 8 cm. The flowers grow separately or in small inflorescences and have white, purple or greenish petals.

Flowering lasts all summer, making the shrub excellent honey plant. The fruit looks like a thin capsule of red, yellow, orange or even black or purple flowers. Ripening occurs in mid-summer - early autumn.

It is important to know: Previously in Russia, wolfberry was called zamanikh, zhivoblot, devil's lashes; in the Caucasus the name tkenna was common.

Wolf fruits contain vitamins A and B, nicotinic acid and polysaccharides, but they are extremely poisonous due to their alkaloid content. In small doses they can be used in medicine to treat the liver and kidneys, but due to high toxicity this happens extremely rarely.

It is important to note that dereza has a huge number of species that are distributed in many countries. There are African, Chilean, Tibetan, and Shanghai dereza.

The Chinese species is known as Goji berries (berries of happiness), sometimes the word “Shambhala” is added. These berries are edible and help strengthen the immune system, get rid of the blues and depression; local legends even endow them with the ability to give immortality.

Dereza vulgaris or Lycium barbarum- This is one of the most widespread species in the world, whose homeland is considered to be China. This is a tall, up to 3 meters, bush, covered with thorns, with deep and strong roots.

Its branches are long and thin, bending downwards under their own weight, the crown is quite dense. The leaves are narrow, with short petioles, the flowers are purple, small, up to 2 cm in diameter, and have a pleasant smell. The berries are small, up to 2 cm in length, oblong in shape, warm red-orange in color, and contain several seeds inside.

Note: at the wild common wolfberry There are thorns, while its “cultured” counterparts practically do not have them.

Dereza grows along roads, in forest thickets and on the edges, on embankments, slopes, wastelands and other places that are not suitable for growth, for example, at an altitude of up to 4 thousand meters above sea level. The bush can be found in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Primorye, Central Russia, the Caucasus and Kuban, as well as in Ukraine.

Thanks to its unpretentiousness, it can be planted even on poor soils. Some of the most popular varieties are the Lifeberry and New Big varieties, which can be grown at home.

Gardeners are attracted to lycium primarily by the duration of its flowering: it lasts from early summer to mid-October. Dereza also looks great as a hedge.

Another reason is its fertility: starting from the age of three, the bush is capable of producing more than a dozen harvests per year, 1-10 kg from each bush. The fruits appear in early summer and continue to grow until early autumn. Wolfberry berries can be dried and eaten, as well as used in cooking. Dry fruits taste like raisins, but contain more vitamins.

Basic rules for planting and care

Dereza is quite easy to grow even in the Moscow region, the main thing is to properly care for it. When choosing a location, it is worth choosing on sunny sides, as this plant is quite heat-loving.

It is worth moving further away from walls or fences, and close proximity to other plants will not benefit: thanks to the strong developed roots, the wolfberry will take away all the nutrients. But the composition of the soil does not play a special role: even slightly saline soils are suitable for wolfberry.

Good to know: Despite their unpretentiousness, you will still have to feed the bushes: this will help to get good harvest and a strong bush.

The entire landing takes place in several steps:

1. It is necessary to dig a hole in the ground about 40 cm deep.
2. You need to place a layer in it cow dung or compost, lightly sprinkle with soil on top.
3. Afterwards, the wolfberry tree itself is planted, slightly deepening the root collar, the soil is pressed down and watered abundantly.
4. Then the ground around is mulched with sawdust.

If a bush is transplanted from a pot to open ground, clods of earth do not need to be removed from the roots: this will help the lycium to adapt faster.

Aftercare

Caring for the plant is not particularly difficult. In dry summers, wolfberry must be watered regularly, 1-2 times a week: the soil should always be slightly moist.

If the weather, on the contrary, is rainy, watering is not required. In mid-July it is worth making a comprehensive mineral fertilizer, it is also necessary to regularly remove weeds.

If the bush has grown greatly or it is necessary to give it a certain, more accurate shape, it is necessary to prune it. It can be done with any tool, as long as it is sharp enough. Typically, gardeners remove three-year-old branches, since they practically do not bear fruit and only interfere with young shoots.

The plant has good frost resistance, easily survives cold down to -20-25 degrees and does not need special wintering. But it is still recommended to cover the bush for the winter so as not to freeze it.

Spruce branches or simple fabric tied on top are suitable for this. If the plant “lives” in a pot and was simply taken outside, it can be put in the basement or other cool place (the temperature should not be lower than +10 degrees).

Take note: The wolfberry needs support, as it has too thin branches that bend under their own weight.

If this is not part of the gardener’s plans, it is necessary to tie up the bushes immediately upon planting. The simplest option is to drive a support up to 1.5 meters high near the bush and tie branches to it. When the bush reaches this height, its top is cut off to stop growth. At a height of 1-1.5 meters, the side shoots are also thinned out so that the bush does not “fall apart”.

Reproduction

In nature, lycium propagation occurs by self-seeding. Gardeners use other methods:

1. Seeds: This is a fairly simple method that does not require any preparation. The seeds must be removed from the fruit and soaked in zircon for a couple of hours. Then they are planted in a mixture of 1 part peat and 2 parts loam, watered abundantly and covered with glass or film. This helps create a greenhouse effect and speed up germination. The pot must be placed in a warm place, carefully ensuring that the seeds do not get too cold or overheat.

After 2 weeks, sprouts should appear, after which the pot is removed to partial shade. When leaves appear on the surface, the sprouts need to be transplanted into deep individual pots. If the pot turns out to be small, then after some time, when the wolfberry gets stronger, it can be transplanted into a larger container. At the time of transplantation, it is recommended to place the plants in nutrient solution.

Gardener's advice: When the seedlings are actively growing, you need to pinch them to get a thick crown.

1. Cuttings: this express option is suitable for breeding domestic hybrid varieties. The best time for such reproduction is the second half of summer. To do this, it is necessary to obliquely cut off a young branch, not yet covered with hard bark, with several buds about 10-15 cm long, and place it in a nutrient solution for several days. Then transplant into a mixture of peat and loam and create a greenhouse effect using transparent plastic bottle or glass.

When the cutting takes root and is strong enough (this may take 2-3 weeks), it must be transplanted into a larger pot and moved to a greenhouse or greenhouse in mid-autumn. The cuttings can be transplanted into open ground next spring.

Pest Control

Dereza itself is able to resist pests and diseases. For prevention, it is enough to regularly inspect the leaves and young shoots, cutting off the affected parts, and spray against insects.

Dereza vulgare is excellent for creating vegetable hedges and growing healthy berries Goji on summer cottage. She is unpretentious, does not demand special costs and easily adapts to a wide variety of conditions: the bush can do without water or fertilizing, grow without pruning, etc.

For interesting information about goji berries, watch the following video:

Goji, Tibetan barberry, wolfberry, lycia, buldurgun, wolfberry - all these names belong to a plant that is unpretentious by nature, successfully conquering more and more new regions of the globe. It provides us with valuable raw materials for the preparation of healing compounds. Our article is devoted to the issues of its breeding.

There are about 90 species of this plant. Used in Chinese medicine since ancient times healing properties Chinese wolfberry (this is the world-famous goji). The fruits, bark and leaves of this plant have found their use in medicine.

The distribution area is very wide. Each species has its own roots: African wolfberry comes from the Cape Province of South Africa, Carolina wolfberry comes from the southwestern part North America, the Chilean dereza came from Argentina and Chile, the Russian dereza originally grew in Central Asia, Transcaucasia and the southeast of the European part of Russia. This plant feels good near roads and in rocky crevices, as well as on the slopes of the foothills and in the mountains (dereza “rises” to a height of up to 2500-3000 m above sea level).

Selecting a site for planting wolfberry

If you want to plant a wolfberry on your site, remember that it is easier to grow this plant than to then get rid of it. Dereza is unpretentious and willingly grows, occupying an ever larger area and displacing other plants. It makes sense to plant dereza near gardens and apiaries, on ramparts, along roads and ditches, as well as in vacant lots. The plant thrives in semi-saline and poorly moistened soils. Dereza is quite happy with drained, infertile soils. Cold resistance different types may differ significantly, but the love of the sun is the same for everyone. It is worth allocating an area open to sunlight for planting wolfberry.

Choosing the type of wolfberry

Dereza vulgaris - it's short thorny bush with twig-like, drooping branches and oblong leaves. It blooms in mid-summer, and in the fall spherical or oblong-spherical fruits of red or orange color appear on it.

D Heresa chinensis is a creeping shrub with flexible, climbing stems covered with short spines. The leaves of this plant species have an elliptical shape. It blooms in September, and red juicy multi-seeded berries ripen in November.

Dereza Russian is a low, thorny, branched shrub with narrow cylindrical or ovoid leaves. The plant blooms from April to July. Bright berries appear closer to autumn.

There are other types of wolfberry that can be grown in our country ( Turkmen wolfberry, curved wolfberry, European wolfberry etc.).

Methods of propagation and planting of wolfberry

Any type of wolfberry is easily propagated by both cuttings and seeds. The seeds are extracted (washed) from the fleshy berries and sown in moist soil ( optimal temperature germination - 18–25º C). Used for germination surface sowing. If the quality of the seeds is in doubt, they are kept in a warm water and treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. Constant humidity is maintained during the germination process.

Used for cuttings one- or two-year-old shoots length 10-15 cm (with 3-4 buds). The bottom edge is cut obliquely using a very sharp knife or pruning shears. The cuttings are planted in a greenhouse in a mixture of peat and sand (you should not use a substrate rich in organic matter). The cutting is deepened into the soil to a depth of 3-5 cm (the lower bud should be in the ground).

It's worth remembering that root suckers wolfberries very quickly increase the area occupied by this plant (the need for artificial propagation disappears on its own).

Caring for wolf bushes

In March, about a third of old shoots cut at the root. Dereza actively suppresses the plants surrounding it, so it does not need weeding. She does not like excessive moisture, so the plant should be watered only during the rooting period, as well as in dry summers.

Until recently, many of us perceived wolfberry as a “weedy” shrub that did not bring any benefit. Recently, interest in it has increased noticeably, and perhaps you will want to plant a dereza in an empty plot of your garden.

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Common wolfberry (other names: Chinese barberry, Berber wolfberry, goji, Ningxia goji / “goji of the Ningxia region” /, Tibetan barberry, Chinese wolfberry, barbary wolfberry, wolfberry fruit, “female ginseng”, paradise berry, longevity berry, red diamond wolfberry berry, Barbary matrimony -vine, Duke of Argyll's teatree, Matrimony -vine, Goji -berry, Wolfberry... The names indicate the territorial affiliation of the plant) - a species of woody plants of the genus Dereza (Lycium) of the Solanaceae family. There are about 83 plant species.

Dereza is a thorny shrub with a height of 1 to 3.5-6 m, with vines hanging down. The branches are initially erect, but then droop, covered with thin spines. Leaves are narrowly elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, on short petioles. The flowers are bell-shaped, lilac-purple or brownish, or violet-pink, about 2 cm in diameter, solitary or collected in groups of 2-5 in the leaf axils, with a pleasant scent.

The fruit is a small oblong, coral-red or orange, multi-seeded berry. The fruits ripen all summer.

The berries are juicy, with a bittersweet, sometimes slightly sour taste. Dried berries are similar in size to raisins, only slightly larger.

Part used: fruits, leaves of the plant.

Chemical composition.

The berries of the plant contain withanoids, nitrogen-containing glycosides, minerals, vitamins, carotenoids (lutein, beta-carotene, lycopene and polysaccharides), iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, potassium, calcium, selenium, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, vitamins: beta-carotene, vitamins C, E, B1, B2, B6, as well as 18 amino acids. In terms of protein content, wolfberry fruits exceed cereals by 15%, and up to 40% polysaccharides. The composition includes volatile substances such as steroids and flavonoids.

Beneficial features .

Dereza (goji) have a tonic, restorative, anti-stress, antioxidant effect, normalize blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels in the body, strengthen the immune system, help the liver and kidneys, and stop premature aging of a person (the berries are believed to promote longevity). Berries quench thirst and have a calming effect. Wolfberry preparations promote the absorption of calcium, which is important in old age, especially for people prone to osteoporosis.

Application:

- in the treatment of various diseases, including high blood pressure, fever, hyperlipemia, hepatitis, male infertility, diabetes, anemia, thrombosis and disorders of the immune system, diabetes mellitus, eye diseases associated with aging. Wolfberry is also used to treat wet dreams, pain in the lower body, dizziness, amblyopia, dizziness, hearing loss, blurred vision, anemia, impotence and infertility. Chinese doctors believe that they improve liver and kidney function.

— for more than 2000 years, berries have been a traditional seasoning of national Chinese cuisine; goji berries have also been actively used in Asian medicine for many centuries.

- are a source of vitamin C.

- taken for decreased immunity, syndrome chronic fatigue; for sleep disorders associated with overwork,

Juice, tea, wine and medicine are prepared from this berry. The juice is included as a main ingredient in many preparations for the treatment of eye diseases.

Bees readily visit wolfberry flowers, especially in the morning and evening, collecting nectar and pollen.

In combination with ginseng and turmeric, wolfberry fruits regulate cholesterol levels and are indicated in old age.

For eye diseases, the use of wolfberry reduces the risk of cataracts; it is indicated for weakened vision and rapid eye fatigue.

In the East, goji berries are considered one of the best herbal aphrodisiacs.

Scientific studies have shown that wolfberry (goji) berries increase testosterone levels in the blood, thereby enhancing libido in both men and women.

Asian doctors long time The berries are used as a treatment for infertility - both male and female.

The fruits are used in fresh, dried form, in the form of juice and dry extract of dried fruits.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the bark of the roots is also used. It is collected in early spring or late autumn by digging up the plants and, after washing the roots properly, removing the bark and then drying it in the sun. It contains β-sitosterol, polysaccharides. It is used for fever, cough and even tuberculosis.

Contraindications for the use of wolfberry.

Not recommended for people with pollen allergies.

In high doses, wolfberry (goji) can cause diarrhea.

In the first two weeks of use, there may be symptoms of digestive and kidney problems. In this case, you need to reduce the dose and gradually increase it. The body must adapt.

Goji berry may also reduce the effectiveness of blood thinners such as warfarin. The same applies to medications to lower blood pressure and treat diabetes.

The use of wolfberry is contraindicated during elevated temperature body, during pregnancy and food poisoning.

Recently, goji berries have gained great popularity. They are used both to replenish the body with nutrients and to reduce the number of fat cells. However, not everyone knows that scientific name This crop is the common wolfberry (Lycium barbarum). The fruits of this plant are also called “wolfberry” or “Tibetan barberry”. The name “goji” itself came to us from China, where the fruits of the common wolfberry have this name. Goji berries are today grown in the fertile Himalayan valleys. Their homeland is considered to be Tibet, the Ningxia Hui region. These fruits today rightfully belong to the most valuable medicinal crops existing in the world. Next, we will tell you how to plant and grow common wolfberry in Russia.

Dereza vulgare. Characteristics of culture

The goji plant (wolfberry) is a low-growing shrub belonging to the nightshade family. The plant is cultivated in various countries. Let's look at where the common wolfberry grows. Thus, the culture can be found in China, Asia, Kuban, the Caucasus, Ukraine and some regions of Russia.

The common wolfberry shrub has the following distinctive characteristics:

• The fragile shoots of this crop are covered with thin spines. The branches reach approximately 340 cm in length and hang down. They have a yellowish tint. Thanks to the beautiful color scheme plants, it is classified as an ornamental species.
• The bark usually has a gray tint.
• During flowering, the flowers are purple or soft pink. The soft aroma of the flowers is also noteworthy, thanks to which dereza is popular among summer gardeners.
• Goji fruits are usually small in size, up to one and a half centimeters in length, and their color is bright red or orange. The appearance of fruits can be expected in the 2-3rd year after planting the crop on the site.

• The berries of the common wolfberry are quite juicy. It is worth noting that they should never be eaten raw. Therefore, the fruits are usually dried in the shade; only after drying can they be consumed. Dry berries taste sweet and salty, sometimes sour. They taste the same as nightshades.
• These berries contain very a large number of various nutrients, vitamins, calcium, antioxidants, zinc, phosphorus, iron and other useful components.
• The diameter of the crown of wolfberry bushes is about 600 cm.
• The plant has a large root with many branches. Due to the massive root system, the crop cannot be planted on all types of soil.
• The leaves of wolfberry have beautiful shade. They are colored green above and bluish below. The shape of the leaves is elongated, oblong.
• Common wolfberry seedlings begin flowering in early summer. The culture pleases with its flowering throughout the summer. In September, after the plant has finished flowering, fruits can be expected to appear.

Varieties of wolfberry

Propagation of wolfberry occurs in several ways:

• Seeds. This method is the most popular. Seeds of wolfberry can be purchased at any flower shop or you can collect them at your summer cottage. If planned planting material If you sow in open soil, it is recommended to carry out the stratification procedure for the seeds. If sowing is carried out in a greenhouse, then stratification can be dispensed with. Seeds are planted in greenhouses spring period. Sprouted seedlings are pinched. This allows you to increase the number of shoots on one crop bush.
• Vegetative method. IN in this case propagation takes place using small cuttings, the length of which does not exceed 100 mm. The shoots that are selected for planting must be semi-lignified or lignified. This improves the survival rate of the crop. Cuttings are planted in greenhouses in summer period. You can buy wolfberry seedlings in flower shops or from summer residents. To improve the formation of the root system, you can pre-plant the cuttings in the fall in containers with fertile soil. Containers with seedlings should be placed on a warm balcony.
• Self-seeding. In this way, wolfberry reproduces in Caucasian fields.

Benefits of wolfberry fruits

We can talk quite a lot about the benefits of wolfberry fruits. Therefore, we will focus only on the main points:

• One of the most valuable properties is that the substance contained in these berries helps fight harmful tumors. According to studies, people who regularly eat wolfberry fruits are less susceptible to serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
• In addition, wolfberry fruits have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. The work of the heart muscle is normalized.
• These berries contain a sufficient amount of polysaccharides. Thanks to them, the fruits of wolfberry have a tonic effect. Eating these berries stimulates cells to actively perform their functions.
• It contains a valuable adaptogen that gives the body vigor, activity and endurance.
• In addition, these berries can replenish the beneficial intestinal microflora and also support its vital functions.
• In addition, the fruits are used to prevent high blood pressure. The beneficial substances contained in the berries make the walls of blood vessels more elastic.
• Lutein, which is contained in the fruits of wolfberry, is beneficial for the eyes. In particular, it prevents the occurrence of lens pathologies.

• With regular consumption of fruits, excess accumulation of fat cells is eliminated.
• Eating this berry helps normalize gastrointestinal motility and also helps remove harmful toxins from the body.
• Phytosterols found in fruits help balance hormonal levels.
• In addition, eating berries eliminates anemia, mineral deficiency and increases hemoglobin levels, helps with stress and improves sleep. Therefore, these fruits can be safely called natural remedies for insomnia and depression.
• Brain function improves.
• The berries contain lycopene, which activates the immune system and prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system. Improves the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa.
• Due to the content of glycosides, these berries cause a decrease in blood glucose levels in patients with chronic diabetes.
• They cleanse the blood well and are a means of preventing various pathological processes in cells. At the same time, their aging is delayed.
• It should also be noted that these berries restore, in some cases, the damaged structure of DNA molecules. This fact has even been confirmed by scientific research. Perhaps this is the reason why the Chinese who live in the Himalayan regions are considered to have longevity.

Growing wolfberry

Selecting a site for planting wolfberry

Before you decide to land of this plant on your site, you need to understand that it is quite unpretentious and grows very quickly. If you don't take care of it, it can grow throughout the entire area, adding to the nuisance of other plants. It will be difficult to remove him from the site. This plant is often grown in vacant lots, along ditches and ditches, as well as in apiaries. Any soil is suitable for planting wolfberry. It feels great even on well-drained, infertile soils. The only condition for normal growth of a plant of any variety is sufficient sunlight. Therefore, for planting it, it is better to choose well-lit areas without shadow from other trees and plants.

Planting wolfberry

The optimal period for planting this plant is spring. In autumn it is planted extremely rarely, although it can tolerate light frosts. In the southern regions, where winter temperatures rarely drop below zero, autumn planting possible. The wolfberry plant should overwinter in a shelter. It is unpretentious in the choice of soil, but the most good results gives on slightly acidic-strongly alkaline soils. In this case, the area should be well lit by sunlight.

The procedure for planting wolfberry:

1. To plant a wolfberry seedling, you need to prepare a hole 0.4 m deep and about half a meter wide.
2. Before planting, the hole is watered abundantly and mulched with humus or peat.
3. After planting a plant seedling, which needs to be buried a little, soil is prepared for backfilling. To do this, 30-45 grams of potassium sulfate or wood ash, 150-230 grams of superphosphate and up to 8 kg of compost are mixed with the soil.
4. It is necessary to plant wolfberry seedlings with a small interval so that they do not interfere with each other’s development. The optimal distance between holes is 1.5 - 2 meters.

Dereza vulgaris: care

• During its growth, the plant does not require special care and grows on its own. It should not be watered abundantly, even if it is a dry summer. It requires abundant watering only during the planting process. Otherwise, watering once a week will be enough.
• The plant needs feeding only during the growing season. In other cases, wolfberry develops quite normally even without fertilizers, because it takes root well on poorly fertile soils.
• The plant is quite resistant to pruning. Young shoots quickly grow in place of the cut branches. Mechanical pruning, which is often used in ornamental gardening, will not harm the wolfberry.
• During severe frosts in mid-latitudes, the plant may freeze and die. To avoid this, it is covered during the winter. Cover them with spruce branches or polyethylene. It creates inside optimal microclimate in slight frosts. If the winters in the region are very harsh, many gardeners replant the crops in deep containers and put them in a warm room.

Dereza vulgaris: photo

Dereza vulgaris: video

The fashion for goji berries is growing at a tremendous speed. Some seek to show their effectiveness against excess weight, while others talk about colossal beneficial properties and a unique vitamin and nutritional composition, which makes berries almost a panacea for many diseases.

Botanical certificate

The question immediately arises: where do goji berries grow and what are they? The plant is a deciduous shrub belonging to the nightshade family. The plant is also called wolfberry(popularly, although it has nothing in common with them), red medlar, Chinese wolfberry, Chinese wolfberry, common wolfberry, wolfberry, Tibetan barberry. Homeland - Ningxia Hui (Tibet), China. The distribution area covers Southeast and Central Asia, the Caucasus, Primorye, middle lane Russia, Ukraine.

In adulthood, the height of the plant reaches 3 m, and the crown is 6 m in diameter (photos of the goji bush are presented). The branches are drooping and prickly, with small foliage, colored light green above and bluish below. The root is very powerful, growing into the ground, and not on its surface.

Flowering begins in June and continues until October with the blooming of purple, pink, brown-violet buds with a pleasant aroma.

At the end of flowering, oblong berries of purplish-red or orange color are formed.

It is strictly forbidden to eat fresh fruits, because they contain poisonous components. But after drying, the berries can be consumed.

Goji berries: planting and care in the Moscow region

This is a heat-loving plant, so for excellent development of goji, care and cultivation must be optimal or close to it. In northern climates the weather is completely different and effort must be made to grow berries.

Selecting a location

The plant grows very quickly and at the same time has a well-developed root system. It should be planted either in areas devoid of vegetation, or along supports to create a hedge.

When choosing a place, you need to be extremely careful, because the wolfberry can “crush” nearby plants.

It is best to select sunny areas or located in slight shade. In addition, keep in mind that the height of the plant reaches three meters - take care of reliable support.

Temperature, humidity and soil requirements

As was said, dereza is frost-resistant and can withstand temperatures in the range from -26 to +40ºС. There are also no special requirements for humidity. Tolerates drought calmly.

The shrub is not picky about the soil. Favorite substrates are alkaline and neutral. The plant can also be planted in acidic areas, but there it will develop somewhat worse.

The only thing that dereza does not tolerate is stagnation of water. Therefore, you should be very careful when watering and do not plant the plant in areas with rocky substrate.

Watering and fertilizing

Tibetan barberry is watered depending on its age. In the first year, watering should be no more than twice a week. As the plant grows, watering can be done less frequently and adjusted according to the weather and dryness.

Only young growth should be fertilized. For these purposes, humus is used. After developing into mature plant There is no need for fertilizing, since dereza feels great even on very poor lands.

Reproduction

Three methods are used for propagation.

Seminal

Seeds are taken from pre-dried berries. For getting seed material You should take dry fruits, soak them in water and, when they soften, remove the seeds. In order for them to germinate well, they need to be kept in a growth stimulator. Afterwards, sowing is carried out in a container with a mixture of ordinary soil in a ratio of 1:2, deepening it into the substrate by 2-3 mm.

For supporting necessary conditions For germination, the container is covered with film and sent to a warm place, inaccessible to light. When the sprouts hatch, the box is taken out into the light and protected from cold and drafts. Watering is done from a spray bottle.
After a week, the film can be removed, and when 3-4 leaves are formed, pick (transfer) the seedlings into separate pots (deep).

The resulting goji seedlings, grown from seeds at home, are planted permanently in open ground in the spring, when it is certain that frost will not return, or already at the beginning of summer.

Planting seedlings

This option is acceptable if you managed to buy goji seedlings grown at home, or you purchased planting material from your own hands.

With this method, two weeks before planting, holes should be made 40-50 cm in size. If for southern regions“harvesting” is carried out in the fall, then for colder climates - in the spring. This will allow the plants to withstand frost well.

Coarse sand is poured into each hole and half filled with a substrate consisting of humus and fertile soil, 8 kg each. 30 g of potassium sulfate (can be replaced with a glass), 0.15 kg of double superphosphate are also added there, mixed directly in the hole and the seedling is planted, sprinkled with fertile soil, and then watered.
Tree trunk circle Be sure to mulch using humus or peat.

The distance between copies must be at least 2 m.

Cuttings

Now we’ll tell you how to grow goji from cuttings. Cuttings of 10-12 cm each are cut from an adult plant. Then they are placed in a root-forming solution and planted for rooting in a constructed greenhouse and placed in a warm place. It is best to plant the material in late July - early August. In the spring, the root will grow enough to plant goji in open ground. Caring for a young plant is not much different from an adult one.

Pruning and wintering

The bush needs regular pruning. In the first years of growth, 3-6 of the strongest branches are planned. They are taken as a basis and a haircut is carried out around them. Then shoots capable of bearing fruit will begin to form on these main skeletal branches.

If the dereza is grown for decorative purposes, then choose one main shoot, drive in a long peg, and then carry out a “haircut”, trying to form a tree. The procedure is done as soon as numerous fruiting shoots appear and the total height of the plant exceeds 1.2 m.

To prevent freezing of the root system in winter time, the bush should be hilled up to 10-15 cm. The branches are protected with non-woven material (for example, agrofibre, lutrasil), folded in several layers, or with burlap. You can play it safe by additionally throwing spruce branches over the planting, and, as soon as the snow falls, make large snowdrifts.

Pests

The plant perfectly protects itself from pests. Nevertheless, for preventive purposes, the wolfberry tree should be regularly inspected for the appearance of any signs of diseases or pests. If this is the case, prune the affected parts and, if necessary, spray with insecticidal preparations, diluting them in the amount specified by the manufacturer on the packaging. We must not forget that the treatment is done more than once, especially if the pest infestation is huge.

Application and storage

Collected fruits should be stored in a dry, dark place. If an infusion is being prepared, it should be kept only in a cool place and for no more than 2 days.

Berries are used not only for weight loss, but also as an ingredient in the preparation of wines, fruit purees, desserts, soups, baked goods, yoghurts, tea, juices, and cereals. The seeds are used to produce oil. Fresh berries have a nightshade note to their taste. But as soon as the fruits are frozen or dried, the taste disappears, and the berries acquire a taste similar to dried apricots.

In the garden, dereza is mainly planted to obtain useful harvest, as well as vegetable hedges. The plant is unpretentious and will not die if you do not water or apply fertilizer. But, when planning to plant goji berries on your plot, you should consider all the varieties in advance and choose the most suitable ones.

The berries are also widely used in medicine. So, they are taken for: back pain, diabetes, insomnia, anemia, obesity, excess cholesterol, problems with adenoids, vision problems, athletes thus restore their strength, etc.

As you can see, although goji berries are an exotic shrub, you don’t need to go to overseas countries or buy them at an incredible price. It is enough to follow some nuances, and you can easily grow a plant on your site and reap quite a considerable harvest.

Goji in the garden - video