The gojy berry is also known as red medlar or matrimony vine. It originates from China but it's more and more often grown in our own country. The bushy, large and sturdy shrubs produce a prolific amount of little red-orange, deliciously flavoured, egg-shaped berries. The branches are covered with sharp, sticky thorns. Because of this thorns, the picking of gojy berries is a real challenge. The young seedlings and plants have to overwinter indoors, because they can't witstand any frosts. After about 2 years the plant is frost hardy till about -12 °C. Use the berries as healthy snack, in soups, in smoothies, in tea and as juice, with breakfast and in desserts. The gojy berry is used in China in herbal medicin. The berries contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. It's often called superfood or superfruit. The berries can also be dried or frozen. The bushes are self germinating. Height: 150 - 300 cm.
Indoor sowing: February - April
Germination: 7 - 14 days
Germination temp. : 20 - 24°C
Sowing depth: ½ - 1 cm
Transplanting: after 3 weeks
Plant distance: 45 - 55 cm
Plant position: sunny and sheltered
Days till harvest: 2 years
Sow indoors from February on in a tray filled with moist potting soil. Sow thinly and shallow and cover the seeds with a very thin layer of soil. Cover the trays with a lid to retain the moisture. Put the trays away with a lot of light and warmth (propagator). Remove the lid when the seedlings emerge. Transplant the seedlings when they've 2 leave pairs to larger separate pots. Harden the seedlings of in the beginning of May for about 10 days. Put them outside during the day or put them in a cold frame. Put them on a very sunny and sheltered plot with free draining soil after the hardening of period. Give the plants a very sturdy support.
Let the seedlings and young plants overwinter indoors, because they can't witstand any frosts. The plants are hardy till about -12°C after 2 years. Pick the berries while wearing thick gloves because of the very prickly thorns. Eat the berries fresh or dry or freeze them. The berries can be kept for a couple of months when they're dried or frozen. Use nets to proctect Your berries against birds.
