How to Grow Goji Berries From Seeds (Yes, Even From Store-Bought Berries)
So you’ve bought dried goji berries for tea or snacks, and now you’re staring at those tiny seeds wondering… can I grow my own? The answer is yes. With patience and the right start, you can coax those little seeds into thriving plants that will one day gift you with their own ruby harvest.
Preparing Goji Seeds
Most goji berries sold in stores are dried. That means the seeds need a little extra love before they’ll wake up. Here’s the tried-and-true method:
- Soak Overnight: Place dried goji berries in a cup of water and let them soak overnight. This plumps them back up and softens the fruit.
- Extract the Seeds: Gently squeeze the softened berries to release the seeds. Rinse off any pulp.
- Paper Towel Method:
- Place the cleaned seeds on a damp paper towel.
- Fold the towel over and slide it into a plastic baggie.
- Seal loosely and set in a warm, bright spot.
- Wait for Sprouts: In about 7–14 days, you’ll see tiny sprouts poking out.
Potting Up Seedlings
Once your seeds have sprouted, it’s time to move them into soil:
- Use small pots, cups, or seed trays with drainage holes.
- Fill with a light, well-draining potting mix (seed-starting mix or soil blended with perlite works great).
- Carefully transfer each sprout into its own container. Handle them gently with a spoon or tweezers.
- Keep soil lightly moist, never soggy.
Transplanting to Larger Containers or the Garden
When seedlings are 4–6 inches tall with a few sets of leaves:
- Containers: Move them into pots at least 1–2 gallons in size.
- Garden Beds: Transplant outdoors in spring after frost danger has passed. Space them 4–6 feet apart if planting in rows.
- Gradually harden off seedlings by placing them outside for a few hours each day before planting them out permanently.
Caring for Your Young Goji Plants
- Sun: Give them at least 6–8 hours of full sun.
- Water: Keep evenly moist but not waterlogged. Established plants become drought-tolerant.
- Fertilizer: Go easy - too much feed = more leaves than berries. Compost or light organic fertilizer once or twice a year is plenty.
- Support: Young plants may sprawl. Train them on a trellis or trim to shape.
Growth & Harvest
- Year 1: You’ll mostly get leafy growth.
- Year 2: Small harvests begin.
- Year 3 and beyond: Plants hit their stride, giving up to 6 pounds of berries per year. Prune well and watch for overgrowth they will grow wild!
Pick berries when they’re fully red-orange and slightly soft. Eat fresh, dry them, or toss them in teas and recipes.
Tips for Success
- 🌱 Start multiple seeds - not every one will sprout.
- 🪴 Containers are perfect if you’re short on space or worried about plants spreading.
- 🍂 Mulch around outdoor plants to keep roots cool and moist.
- 🍇 Don’t panic if flavor seems mild the first year. Berries often taste better as the plant matures.
⚠ Cautions
- Spreading Habit: Goji plants can send up suckers and spread aggressively in the ground! Read that again! Use containers if you want to control them and prune them well!
- Unripe Berries: do not eat green or underripe berries - they can cause stomach upset.
- Patience Needed: From seed to full harvest takes time! Don’t rush it.
- Thorns: Watch for huge thorns!
There’s something magical about taking a dried berry from your snack mix and coaxing it into a living plant. With a bit of care, those tiny seeds will grow into lush shrubs that reward you with your own supply of superfood berries. Slow gardening at its finest.
