Growing Goji berry plant in Ohio

Question

I am entertaining the idea of growing a Goji berry plant in my backyard. I have several fruit trees already and have good soil conditions. The plant would be permanently outdoors and would not be brought in during the winter. I live in Northeast Ohio (Zone 6) and so winters can get a little harsh.

1. Can Goji berry plants survive an Ohio winter?
2. Does anything special need to be done to winterize them?
3. Is there any kind of special soil prep or maintenance that should be done?
4. Is this plant a complete waste of time? ;)

Answer 1

They are very hardy, and will survive in zone 5 or so... There have been feral populations in northern Utah since the railroad was joined... Most of the Goji plants in the US market are from this stock from one supplier in northern Utah. I have grown them for a few years, and have been surprised with how many berries I get from such small plants, but the berries themselves don't taste like much... Maybe they will get sweeter and more tart when the plant gets bigger.

Answer 2

Sorry I can't just add a comment yet. But I can say that ours do fine in zone six. Winters have been mild the last few years but they are happy. I have a fence of sorts around them and this helps support the snow when there is lots. I under stand they can have a good sized root system when growing strong. We dry them and use them in smothies.