How to Grow Goji Berries in Hawaii

Growing From Seeds

• 1

  Begin in early spring by putting filtered water and seeds in a germinating tray. Place the tray in a warm window for 1 to 2 weeks or until you see roots form.

• 2

  Fill peat cups with potting soil.

• 3

  Sow each of the sprouts in its own peat cup, 1/4- to 1/2-inch under the surface of the soil.

• 4

  Place peat cups in a greenhouse or a warm, sheltered environment until the seedlings are 2 to 4 inches high. Keep the soil moist by misting the peat cups daily.

• 5

  Plant each seedling, peat cup and all, in its own 6-inch pot. Keep it in a sunny spot in your house or greenhouse through the first winter. (Skip to Section 3 Step 1 for outdoor planting instructions).

Starting From a Cutting

• 6

  Fill a 4- to 6-inch pot with moist potting soil.

• 7

  Place the end of a 10 to 15 cm long half-ripe woodcutting, heel first, 2 inches deep in soil.

• 8

  Place the pot in a sunny window until the following spring.

• 9

  Mist the soil with water daily to keep soil slightly moist.

• 10

  Transplant seedlings the following spring. (Go to Section 3, Step 1).

Starting Goji From Suckers or Plants

• 11

  Transplant in early spring, as soon as the weather is consistently warm and pleasant. Dig a hole in the ground in a location that gets full sun and has good drainage. Dig it twice as deep as the length of the plant's root system (or twice as deep as the pot it is coming from).

• 12

  Add sand to the volume of soil needed to fill the hole at a ratio of one part sand to five parts soil. Fill the hole half way with the mixture. This will provide extra drainage, compensating for Hawaii's high rainfall.

• 13

  Place the plant in the hole and fill the remaining space with the soil mixture, gently patting down the soil around the root system. Plant additional plants or suckers at a spacing of 12 to 15 inches apart.

• 14

  Water with a gentle spray. Keep the plant slightly moist until it becomes well established. Then water only after the top soil has become slightly dry.

• 15

  Prune early the following spring as desired. Remove any dead or wilted branches whenever you see them.