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Why are the leaves on my goji berry plants turning yellow and falling off?

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  • Why are the leaves on my goji berry plants turning yellow and falling off?

    I have managed to grow 5 goji berry plants from seed, they were planted early spring this year and have been growing in multi purpose compost. 2 of my best plants have grown to around 1.5 metres in plant pots. But over the past 3 months the leaves have started turning yellow and falling off. Why is this happening? I keep them in my greenhouse with the door open so it doesn't get to hot, and i'm not planting them into my garden just yet as my soil stays quite damp for ages after its rained. I read somewhere the problem is due to over watering, since then i've cut down the watering to less than twice a month, but no change. Why is this happening, please help!

  • #2
    They are a deciduous plant so they will shed their leaves in winter - they probably shed earlier in this country than our native plants as they are from a warmer climate.

    For the first year until tehy are well established you may need to bring them indoors if they are pot grown or protect with fleece if they are in the garden, they are not hardy as young plants!
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    • #3
      I bought plants, they were very bad plants,they died, i grew seed, the slugs ate them, im not having much luck with them!
      But If there not hardy in the UK when young, how come you get them growing wild in the UK?, in areas were it does get quite cold , Weve found places plants grow listed on the internet and gone looking for them and found them in yorkshire, the wirral etc
      Living off grid and growing my own food in Bulgaria.....

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      • #4
        I'm in year 2 of my growing from recovered seed. They are deciduous and will shed all of their leaves. They'll appear as pathetic weedy specimens - just a stalk and nowt much else. Just keep the faith - if they're outside you may want to bring them in if pot grown or fleece them. They will return to growing health next year and hopefully give you the promise of fruit in year 3. Year one sees the start of growth and year 2 bulking up. There was an outside chance of fruit this year but I'm not disappointed by a no-show. I do however expect something next year - so will offer some TLC to the little darlings starting around March - feeds etc.

        Mine were started indoors and spent their first year in the sunlounge.

        They were potted onto bigger accommodation this year with the intent to leave outside in their second year. They are frost resistant down to quite a few degrees of frost.

        They have been grown almost wild in this country for many years before they became popular as a 'super' fruit.
        Last edited by quark1; 08-09-2009, 10:08 PM.

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        • #5
          I was given some by one of the neighbours who grew them from seed and didn't know what to do with 40 plants. (A bit like your first season with courgettes eh?) I shall overwinter them in the greenhouse this year I think.


          The Almost Wild version is called The Duke of Argyle's Tea Plant (cracking name eh?) and there's one by the banks of the River Hull!
          Last edited by Flummery; 09-09-2009, 08:46 AM.
          Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

          www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

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          • #6
            My two year old plants - grown from seed- are planted outside having overwintered there. 2 out of 11 survived the first winter. The remaining ones? One straggly and looks half dead: the other lots of shoots and green leaves about 45cms tall. ALl leaves fall of iirc about October.

            benign neglect is my gardening style with them...
            Last edited by Madasafish; 09-09-2009, 10:32 AM.

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            • #7
              Oh, I've got the same problem with my Goji plant too. I thought it was me not giving it enough love in the last few weeks which caused all the leaves to go yellow and drop off

              After most of the leaves fell off and few new shoots have come up with fresh green leaves - but these have now got white patches on them - could this be a fungus??

              I've found 3 berries on the bush though as early September there were a few purple flowers

              I got the plant at the end of July - it was said to be 2 years old by T&M but arrived as a bare twig. I planted it on and it grew so fast - some of the stalks were over 2 feet long in a matter of weeks!! It looked really healthy and well, but due to the size and speed it was growing I potted it on and placed it next to a fence - since then it's not been very happy with me. Not sure if it's what I did or the weather/time of year.

              Should I be putting this plant indoors - as it's quite big? Or should I prune back now and move to my cold plastic greenhouse?

              Any help/advice is very gladly received.

              Thanks for your time.

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              • #8
                They are hardy. There is a wild version that grows in this country - it's called The Duke Of Argyll's Tea Plant. There's one growing by the river in Hull.
                Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

                www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

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                • #9
                  Mine have white on the leaves too - I've assumed this is mildew. They have grown really tall - at least 3 foot - and are straggly. They are going to get chopped back to confine them! At the moment they are covered with red fruits - which I have absolutely no idea what to do with!
                  Whooops - now what are the dogs getting up to?

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Jeanied View Post
                    Mine have white on the leaves too - I've assumed this is mildew. They have grown really tall - at least 3 foot - and are straggly. They are going to get chopped back to confine them! At the moment they are covered with red fruits - which I have absolutely no idea what to do with!
                    You eat the fruit.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by WrexTheDragon View Post
                      You eat the fruit.
                      Wrex it is so bitter - how do I use it? Cooked with sugar?
                      Whooops - now what are the dogs getting up to?

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                      • #12
                        If bitter then they are not true Tibetan Goji, but Wolfberry (same species).

                        Mine taste like dates, not bitter.

                        It may be worth trying to dry them as this may convert the sugars and become sweet.

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                        • #13
                          Yes, thought it might be mildew. Took a look at it earlier today and it's not as bad as I feared - lots of new green leaves coming back through

                          I might just give it a neem and milk spray though - just in case of any mildew attack.

                          The Goji berries are lovely when dried, I've never eaten them fresh. I eat them daily dried which is why I wanted to attempt growing them

                          They should be sweet and juicey. If they're bitter they may not be fully developed so need more heat and sun (like most berries). As suggested why not try to dry them and see if that concentrates the sugars. You can then cook with them or just eat them as they are. A few people have had some minor digestive disturbances eating Gojis - but these are mostly from plants that were contaminated before DEFRA stepped in.

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