Have you ever had goji (go – gee) berries (also known as Wolfberries and Lycium barbarum).

They’re classified as a “super food” – a food high in phytonutrients… chock full of nutrients that fight back undesirables.

Such a little berry, so many nutrients. Gojis have:

• 18 amino acids
• 11 essential and 22 trace minerals
• calcium
• potassium
• iron zinc
• selenium
• B’s – B1, B2, B6
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• 5 Carotenoids – Beta Carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, Zeaxanthin, Cryptoxanthin
• Essential fatty acids – Linoleic acid, Alpha-linolenic acid
• 12% protein, 10% fiber and fat, 68% carbohydrate

Gojis are considered the most powerful anti-aging food because of their antioxidant properties… They completely ring the bell on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale (a measure of antioxidant capacity) – scoring 25,000. By comparison blueberries score 2,400.

Gojis have been grown in the Far East – mostly China for a bazillion years.

They’re used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and said to be beneficial for:

• liver function
• improving circulation
• decreasing blood pressure
• enhancing the immune system
• improving eyesight
• anti-fungal, anti-bacterial
• anti-inflammatory
• calming nervousness
• enhancing memory
• lowering cholesterol
• improving fertility and sexual function
• increasing longevity

I get dried goji berries from time to time as they’re one of my favorite foods. You really can’t find fresh ones unless you’re in China… near where they’re grown.
When fresh they’re very tender… so they don’t travel well.
When dried they’re similar to raisins in shape and texture and slightly sweet and sour, a bit tangy.

I got a bag from Live Superfoods a couple months ago.
Just for kicks I thought I’d try to grow some.

I put a handful of them in a dish and covered with water.
Let them sit on the counter for a number of days until they (oopps) started to mold.
I dumped them in some fresh dirt in a pot and kept watering them.
(Unfortunately, I didn’t keep track of the time line).
Eventually little green shoots popped up through the dirt.

These are about a week above dirt

How excited was I…
After clicking my heels 3 times and shouting YAY!, I scurried back in the house and pulled out a bigger handful.
This time I split open each berry with my fingernails… since the seeds are inside the berry.
Dunked them in water for two days and then tucked them into some fresh dirt… this time four small pots.
In a little over two weeks I had some green shoots popping out of the soil.

Meanwhile the other pot-o-gojis was doing well… but then got chomped on.
Over the weekend I split that bunch up into four pots and all pots are now under a grate to hopefully out-foil whatever animal is snacking on them.

Goji about 4 weeks above ground

Yes, I’m working on my goji empire now.
I’ve never actually had a fresh one. Should be interesting.

They’re supposedly rather hearty plants, easy to grow once you get them going.

They like well-drained soil. They prefer full sun but do ok with partial shade. Can tolerate winter temperatures of slightly under 0 degrees Fahrenheit and summer temps that stretch above 100 degrees. Drought tolerant. Extensive root system. Disease and pest resistant. Self fertilizing.

You can prune them into a bush that can stretch up to 10′, or a vine that can grow up to 12′.

I think that means I can plant them EVERYWHERE… better get some more seeds going.

They flower in early summer with purple and white small trumpet flowers. Bright red berries emerge in later summer with harvest August through first frost. Takes two years to get them producing.

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Our fine looking raspberry bush.
We got a cutting last spring from Robin’s magnificent raspberry patch and planted it.

This summer it’s kicking out a few raspberries… not enough to need raspberry ideas. Just a few pick and pop ‘em your mouth… very delicious.

They’re neighbored by two blueberry bushes.

Those we got bare root from a nursery and put them in a couple months ago.
Hopefully they’ll produce next year.

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