Kitchen Garden Forum

I am growing Goji berries (new plants bought this year) and have some in a Poly Tunnel and some outside. One of the ones in the tunnel is starting to flower.
I read on here that bees rarely visit poly tunnels, so does anyone know how best to pollinate the plants in the poly tunnel (do Gojis need to be pollinated?)?

Also, is it too late in the year for the plant to be flowering? Can flowering and fruiting periods be varied (different times of year) or extended by growing plants in a poly tunnel? It is an unheated open-ended tunnel - but the ends can be closed during winter months.

Thanks,
Kranser.

Dear Kranser, goji berries are something i know nothing about, looks like you may have to google it.

Sorry to be of no help.

Thanks for your reply OH.

I've been pollinating using a paint brush on the assumption that Goji berries are like any other berries and do not have separate male and female flowers - but instead have both pollen and stamen together in the flower.

However, though it may be too early to tell, it seems that the flower heads are turning yellow and falling off after the flower has faded.
Could this be because it is too late in the year for the bush to fruit or because I haven't pollinated correctly?

Kranser.

Morning Kranser, i don't think it will be down to a lack of pollintion, quite often when flowers drop off like that it is because the plant is getting stressed. This makes the problem even harder to solve as it can be caused by the plant getting too wet, too dry, too hot or too cold or any combination of them. It can also be temperature or feeding thats causing it.

So i'm afraid it is very hard to give you the right answer.