Red Zeppelin^® Goji Berry Lycium barbarum

This variety is no longer available from Proven Winners^®. The information on this page is for reference only. 

It's easy to grow your own goji berries!

Though they seem like something exotic and tricky to grow, goji berries are durable, productive plants that can be grown without any special sprays, fertilizers, or even fussy pruning. Just plant them in full sun, stake them, and wait to reap a bounty of bright red fruits in autumn. Red Zeppelin^® goji berry was selected especially for its very large fruit, which makes harvesting easier and more fun. 

A few things to note about growing goji berries:

- they prefer an alkaline (higher pH) soil and don't grow well in acidic conditions. 

- goji has a natural habit of creating lots of thin, vine-like stems. To save space and make harvesting easier, we recommend that you put a very sturdy stake near the shrub after planting, then bundle the stems around the stake, tying with sturdy twine so that about one-quarter of the tops of the branches cascade downward, like a fountain. 

- Goji is generally a heavy feeder, and regular fertilizing is recommended. Apply a tomato or rose fertilizer in spring and again in early summer.

- The fruits are a bit bitter, like a green pepper, when they are fresh. To develop sweetness, they must be dried. If you don't have a dehydrator, spread ripe berries in a single layer on a piece of newspaper in a cool, bright spot with good air circulation. After about a week, they will feel leathery and can be stored in the fridge or freezer.