Goji berries are quite undemanding as berry bushes in the garden and can produce good yields in a sunny location when the orange-red berries are harvested, even in Germany. However, only he althy plants can show he althy growth and produce large numbers of flowers.
What diseases can affect goji berries and how to treat them?
Goji berries can be affected by diseases such as powdery mildew and pests such as the Asian gall mite. To treat them, cut off infected branches and dispose of them with household waste. Good ventilation through regular pruning prevents infestation.
The powdery mildew and the goji berry
Goji berries are regularly affected by powdery mildew. If this occurs on the leaves and is not treated with chemical agents, the fruits can usually still be harvested normally and processed further without any concerns. As a preventive measure against powdery mildew infestation, goji berries should be trained into a shrub form with not too many shoots, where regular cutting ensures good ventilation and drying of the leaves. Branches affected by powdery mildew should be cut out as early as possible to contain the infestation and disposed of with household waste.
Not a disease, but just as harmful: the Asian gall mite
The presence of the introduced Asian gall mite has now also been detected in German cultivated areas. These animals, which are only about 0.3 mm in size, are hardly visible to the naked eye, but are noticeable through conspicuous bulges in the affected leaves on a goji berry bush. As with mildew infestation, cutting out affected plant parts is also an effective and gentle control measure for gall mites. If possible, the removed branches should not end up in the compost heap, but rather in the household waste in a plastic bag.
Goji berries without flowering are not necessarily diseased
If a goji berry does not produce flowers, this does not automatically indicate an illness. Sometimes the plants are simply too young or the right plant variety was not selected. It can also be due to fertilizer containing a lot of nitrogen if goji berries grow a lot but at the same time do not form any flowers.
Tip
Due to its late harvest time, the goji berry is considered a frequent host plant for the cherry vinegar fly, which lays its eggs in intact fruits. Since no pesticides against the cherry vinegar fly are permitted in private horticulture, only preventative measures such as regular pruning can be taken to ensure that the plant structure is as well ventilated as possible.