Goji berries are a red flag for some gardeners despite their vitamin-rich fruits, as even the varieties bred for cultivation in the garden tend to grow relatively quickly and therefore spread throughout the garden. That's why regular pruning is an important part of caring for a goji berry.
How do you cut a goji berry correctly?
Cutting a goji berry should be done in autumn. In the first year, the plant is cut back to a height of approx. 20 cm, and in the second year five to six 60 cm long shoots are left standing. From the third year onwards, a two-year training pruning is recommended, but long and overhanging branches should be cut back annually.
Consistently cutting the goji berries definitely makes sense
Pruning a goji berry is not just for visual reasons, but is an important contribution to plant he alth and fruit yield on various levels, not least for the following reasons:
- uncontrolled specimens are more prone to mildew infestation
- A shrub without regular care can quickly spread via subsidence and runners
- regular cutting usually promotes flower formation
While with other plants it may make sense to let them grow as young plants, shaping pruning measures are definitely beneficial for the goji berry. Basically, a goji berry should be cut in the fall, but if necessary you can also cut back particularly long shoots in the spring and shorten them to a maximum length of 60 cm.
Train the goji berries into a compact bush
In nature, the so-called common buckthorn (or devil's twine) does not grow exactly compactly, but rather spreads over open areas in a rather creeping manner despite its height. In order to make the best possible use of the available space at a suitable location in the garden, we recommend consistently training young goji berries into a bush. To do this, the plant is cut back to a height of around 20 cm in the first year. In the second year, around five to six shoots with a length of around 60 cm can be left standing. From the third year onwards, training pruning can be carried out every two years, but it is usually still a good idea to cut back particularly long and therefore overhanging branches every year.
Positive effects of regular pruning on yield
Since regular pruning provides better ventilation of the existing branches on the bush, powdery mildew infestation generally occurs less frequently. A goji berry bush benefits from this in terms of he alth and can put more growth energy into the formation of flowers and thus into fruit setting (€12.00 at Amazon). Shorter branches usually have a larger fruit population than extremely long branches.
Use the cut material from the goji berries for propagation
You can use the goji berry branches obtained from pruning as cuttings for propagation. If the cut has been overlooked for a long period of time, the depressions and runners that have probably already formed can be cut off with a sharp spade and replanted.
Tip
Be careful when it comes to fertilizing the goji berry. The garden's own compost is usually sufficient for this. If fertilizers that contain a lot of nitrogen are used, this greatly stimulates the mass growth of a goji berry bush, which runs counter to pruning in the sense of a compact growth habit.
