Does anyone have any experience of growing this berry, from the Himalayas, which is apparently hardy?
I've never even seen one, but read about them in the papers. Did you see the Thompson and Morgan advert for Goji berries in the Sunday supplements? Nothing about cultivation: how big it gets, what kind of soil it needs, how hardy it is etc.
Yes, I saw the advert which suggests that they are fully hardy. Will need to do some research.
I'm trying them for the first time this year and I think that the seedlings require a bit more heat than is reported. The seeds germinated well enough but I lost most of my first batch. Second batch due to be sown this week, space permitting.
After 2-3 years the plants can get quite large and will require a good amount of space but it has to be tried.
I did some Googling and one site suggested that the plants reached over 1 m in height. They are apparently quite easy to grow from seed, but will take several years to fruit.
Did a bit of googling myself.
If it is health benefits you are after you must get the real tibetan goji berry. Not the wolfberry or the chinese goji.
I just bought a few pods (containing 25-30 seeds per) on eBay.
Ill post the growing instructions when they arrive but int eh mean time, I came across this website...........
http://www.gojijuices.net/growinggojiberries.html
There was an article about the alledged health benefits of Goji berries in the last issue of the Sunday Times. The Food standards Agency is worried about all the claimed, but unsubstantiated heath benefits of eating the bitter red Goji berry. It is even being marketed as a "natural Viagra"!
As someone familiar with naturopathic nutrition, I can tell you that half the "superfoods" are hyped to the last and all are hailed as having the highest levels of this and that. Funny thing is that it is probably true but all of these foods are to be taken in moderation and just eating a hanfull a day will not cure what ailes ya.
Goji berries, the right ones (tibetan variety), do contain high levels of antioxidants et cetera but are not a "superfood". They should be taken as part of a varied diet..........same goes for everything else!
'goji berry' is' lycium chinese', with a host of other names including Chinese Boxthorn, Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree ... etc, etc.
There was one in the herb garden at Glasgow Botanics - it is the most non descript looking plant, the flowers are nice but sparcely produced .
The plant is one of the most important chinese tonic herbs said to increase longevity and much more...
Some tesco stores have the dried berry.
I have seed of the standard Chinese one but never grown it, anyone can also buy the dried fruit in a chinese supermarket and i presume, grow from that seed.
It aint fast growing.
I dont think there is such a thing as the 'right one' - the himalayan variety isnt the only one with anti oxidants and the like.
Can anyone tell me if the berries sold in the health food shops and organic stores are the real mcCoy or the no good waste of time ones?
there are no 'no good waste of time ones ' , the 'Himalayan' variety may have slightly more antioxidants than other varieties but who knows for sure ?
The dried berries in the chinese supermarket are likely to be the the most potent , life enhancing variety/ cultivar as the Chinese have been using such plants for thousands of years.
In my opinion a more worthwhile plant is Schisandra Chinensis(Wu Wei Zi).
Also known as Magnolia vine this has beautiful fragrant flowers, is faster growing and has more appeal as an ornamental. It also produces red berries which are as highly regarded as Goji - sort of equal second to Panax Ginseng, the 'daddy ' of them all.
So where would I get that.. Hesperis.. I like the sound of it even as an ornamental
???
yes, sorry, i am pooping the party here - the 'goji berry' plant i saw was about 3 ft high and the yield of berries was really low, typical of something wild or unimproved and they are medium/slow growing (4yrs or so from seed to 3ft).
The variety offered by t+m may be better but i reckoned one person would need a few bushes at least to have any kind of worthwhile' longevity enhancement'.
I did think a good old blackcurrant would yield a whole lot more from a similar space and its funny that blackcurrant was a highly regarded tonic and life enhancer in the middle ages.
To grow Schisandra Chinensis at minimal cost (£1 odd) i would try dried fruit from chinese supermarket, got mine(now lost) from Chinese herbalist .
A plant could be got for money through googling or plantfinder , i havnt seen it for sale locally but i wouldnt be surprised if it becomes the next 'superfood'
Hi
I bought some Goji berry seed over the internet £2.99 for 15 seeds. I went into local Health Shop and saw some dried ones so thought I would try them!
Nice - but nothing special but then I noticed that there were seeds in the berries and lo and behold LOADS and LOADS of seed! They came up as well as my bought ones and seem pretty tough little plants although still only 2" high yet. So don't buy the seed on internet just get some dried berries and a sharp knife!
Good luck
Old Bird
;D 8)
T&M have plants.. I was a sucker and ordered a few, 'cos I'm curious about unusual fruit plants.
Having done my research, they've been planted along the east coast to prevent erosion, like Sea Buckthorn, and have naturalised in a similar way. Probably not the same strain as commercially available, but interesting still. Fully hardy, tolerates coastal gardens, likes sun. Will give 'em a go, anyway.
HI
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6614755.stm
Actor STEVEN SEAGAL'S 'LIGHTNING BOLT' energy drink It includes Asian Cordyceps (which boost energy, vitality and longevity, apparently) as well as Tibetan goji berries (a powerful anti-oxidant) and claims to be the first energy drink to be made from 100% natural juice.
Cant wait to try
Camborune7
Quote from: hesperis2000 on April 30, 2007, 20:58:25
'goji berry' is' lycium chinese', with a host of other names including Chinese Boxthorn, Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree ... etc, etc.
I hope you don't mind me joining in but I happened to stumble upon this thread and joined the forum to add some comments.
I never realised that the lycium plant was goji berry since we've got this growing in or hedge and I have spent years cutting it back - it's growing in the middle of a privet and laurel hedge! It grows to about 3m high and is very lax in habit - not ornamental at all. The flowers are pretty but small and appear in August. The stems also have long thorns which may catch you out since they are well spaced out along the stems so you might not spot them.
My parents were Chinese and I've been fed goji berries since a small child although I never knew what they were called. We always got them in my mum's 'medicine soup' which was slighly bitter. Let me say that you never wanted to be ill as a child - the remedies tasted awful!
I shall look on my hedgerow shrub in a new light.
If it doesn't taste nasty, it won't be good for you!
thompson and morgan must be listening to us
http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/product/82004/1
there selling the plants now.
I might try a few next time i am near a health food shop before i think of planting any more stuff on my plot :-)
Bought a packet from a Health food shop, £1.29 for 75 g of dried Tibetan Berries. There must be several hundred Berries in the pack, roughly the size of a small raisin, and full of seeds. A rather dull taste and not worth getting excited about.