Cuttings are rooting - Day 75 - Daily Haiku
Cuttings are rooting
Seeds are beginning to sprout
Planting time is near
Cori MacNaughton
We are coming into one of my favorite times of year, when the danger of freezes will be finally behind us, and we can plant all the plants I've rooted and seeded over the winter.
Pictured are two of our pots of goji berry cuttings, out of several, as I purchased cuttings of three different varieties in the hopes that they will do well here. Related to tomatoes, potatoes and peppers, goji berries, also known as wolfberries, are a deciduous perennial, hardy at least from hardiness Zones 8a to 4a, and according to some sources, to Zone 2, though I suspect that may differ with the variety planted.
I have wanted to grow goji for a long while now, as it is the single most medicinal plant according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM); though I was surprised to learn that in TCM, although the berries are used, it is actually the leaves and the root bark that are most highly valued. I was also surprised to learn that, rare among fruit, goji berries contain a good amount of protein, in addition to a host of antioxidants and micronutrients.
I was heartened by one article I read, that spoke of goji being deer resistant, and having no real pests here; but having now read a number of other sources, predation by deer and birds are real issues, as are our dreaded Japanese beetles. One would-be commercial grower in Kentucky had his plantings destroyed by deer.
And, like tomatoes, they are susceptible to aphids and a variety of plant pests, as well as fusarium wilt and powdery mildew. Drat and double drat. So not so resistant after all.
I will be using bird netting during the fruiting season, to try to prevent the birds from stripping the plants and planting them up and down our river, as although they are highly nutritious and attractive to wildlife, they are not native here, so I will do my best to keep them contained.
On the other hand, they are hardy and resilient enough to already be listed as Introduced in every contiguous state, except for Arizona and Mississippi, and in five Canadian provinces, as well as across much of Europe.
I know from research, and from friends, that they they are all over the High Sierra, occasionally at altitudes of 8,000 feet or even higher. They are naturalized all over California, and the West Coast, as they were brought over by Chinese immigrants in the 1800s, particularly those working on, or supporting those working on the railroads, as they were expanding their tracks throughout the American West.
I will post more on goji berries and their uses in future posts, as they are one of the best greens to grow for drying and powdering, along with chaya and moringa. I will also be posting more on chaya and moringa.
All of these can be grown by anyone, but goji is clearly the easiest, as it does not need to be overwintered indoors, can be grown in the ground across much of the world, and adapts well to a wide variety of soils and conditions.
The pot in the back, in the above photo, is chocolate mint, which has a more prostrate ground-hugging growth pattern than most mints. It really does smell like chocolate and mint, and makes a lovely tea, as well as lending its flavor wherever needed. It is a great addition around a flagstone pathway, especially in a partially shaded area, and smells incredible when you walk on it. And it helps to deter biting bugs, which is a huge plus.
As just one example, I made several bottles of blackberry liqueur this past fall, from part of our bumper crop of berries, and the bottles in which I infused a couple of sprigs of chocolate mint had a lovely, delicate taste that the others lacked. I'll definitely do that again.
And I would love to hear your take in the comments.
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good post i like it
Thanks! I'm glad you do.