Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum) Cuttings

Here at ECHO North America we love using our Polypropagators for rooting cuttings in a semi-controlled micro-climate. Using Poly-Propagators for Rooting Cuttings One species we have had a lot of success with in the Polypropagators is Goji Berry - Lycium barbarum.

We take cuttings from the healthy upright shoots of new growth. If the tips are still green and flexible we discard them, choosing to use the middle section of growth. We take cuttings that are approximately 5 inches (12cm) long. We strip all but the top 2-4 leaves, which we cut in half to reduce transpiration. No rooting hormone or scaring is used to stimulate root growth.

A 50/50 mixture of perlite/vermiculite has proven to be extremely successful for us, but similar results could probably be achieved using pure sand. We place these cuttings in a Polypropagator for several weeks until we see root development.

We’d love to hear from you! Do you use another rooting medium for cuttings like these? Does pure sand work well for you, or do you add another media component like charred rice hauls?

Other ECHO Observations on Propagation

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I find that goji roots easily, pretty much regardless of soil or conditions. I prefer non-clumping media like coconut fiber or sand.

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Thanks Joseph for sharing your experience with us!

Will goji berry plants survive freezing cold?

@Layni_Soderberg Goji berry grows in Zones 5-9 and can take quite low temperatures, possibly even down to -10F. I have seen them growing very well in the High Dessert of California which gets heavy frost and some snow. They actually produce a bit better with some cold. In SW Florida we often don’t get very much fruit off of our plants because we are pushing the warmer end of their growing Zone. Hope that helps!