Growing Goji berries here in the States is a relatively new trend, but it’s picking up steam fast! While you can find plenty of high-yield varieties at your local nursery these days, these plants are naturally vigorous growers. That means they are incredibly easy to propagate yourself if you want to expand your berry patch without spending a dime.
Goji Berries Can Get a Little Wild
I should give you a heads-up: the Goji berry (also known as Wolfberry) has a serious urge to spread. For some gardeners, this “wild child” attitude is a dealbreaker, which is why many folks prefer growing Goji berries in containers to keep them in check. Those underground runners can definitely become a headache for your garden (and your sanity!) if left to their own devices.
If you’re planting them directly in a garden bed, I highly recommend installing a root barrier—just like you would for invasive bamboo. Generally speaking, there are three main ways Gojis spread:
- Underground runners (rhizomes)
- Seeds
- Cuttings
Propagating Goji Berries from Seed
Inside every Goji berry are tiny little seeds. If you scoop them out, you can use them to grow brand-new plants. Fun fact: this even works with dried berries! Just place the seeds on a damp (not soaking wet) paper towel and let them germinate in a bright spot. Don’t bury them in soil yet, because these guys are “light germinators”—they need sunshine to wake up.
Once they’ve sprouted, you can move them into a pot with some high-quality seed-starting mix. Be careful, though—the seedlings are super delicate in those first few days. They need tons of light and consistent moisture. Whatever you do, don’t let them dry out! I find it helps to place a pane of glass or some plastic wrap over the pot to create a mini greenhouse effect.
Propagating Goji Berries from Cuttings
If you want an easier, more reliable method, go with cuttings. Since Goji bushes grow like crazy anyway, you’ll have plenty of pruning material to work with! You can take greenwood cuttings in early summer or hardwood cuttings in the fall. Personally, I recommend the fall cuttings; they’re more mature and usually give you better results.
Just snip off a piece about 8 inches long and stick it into a pot filled with starting soil. Again, stretching some plastic wrap over the top helps keep the humidity up while they root. The best part about using cuttings? You’ll get your first harvest much sooner than if you started from seed. That’s why most gardeners (myself included!) prefer this method.
