You should have no problems growing goji. They grow well in both temperate and hot climates, and they are drought tolerant.

They germinate easily from dried berries available at health food stores.

There is a variety that grows in the desert in arizona - lycium exsertum, which I hope to get some of at some point, but I've used up my seed budget:

�Lycium exsertum. (a!,h) LYCI-22. Packet: $2.50
'WOLFBERRY'. Profuse small lavender flowers followed by abundant bright red edible berries. Spiny shrub to 3 - 6 feet. Low deserts, Arizona and M�xico. Very drought resistant. The berries were eaten in great quantities by the Indians, fresh, cooked, or dried like raisins. Good wildlife shrub. Germinates in 2 - 6 weeks.

Here is a link that might be useful: jlhudson seedsman

I got a lot of sprouts from a few old old old berries I had in the back of my cupboard, but none of them survived past a few weeks. Any advice?

Only real advice is to try again.

Even at $30 a pound at whole foods, an ounce of dried berries is under $2, and pretty sure that is more than the number of seeds found in a $3.00 pack of seeds. But as I said, I pick up the spilled ones for free.

I'd soak them overnight first, then gently open up the berries and spread the seeds around a pot with potting soil. Cover with a light dusting of soil and keep them moist and warm.

I a goji berry plant from Armstrong Garden Center. I don't know if they have any more. I heard that they do pretty well, and they are easy to grow in containers. I think they were somewhere around 20 bucks if not less. Its definitely worth a try to get a plant. Nothing better than growing your own fruit/veggies/berries.

I am not too far from you, i am in Los Angeles.

Good Luck

I hope the fresh flavor is as good as the dried. I'm not usually a dried fruit fan but I do like these.

Many Home Depot's have it available and is usually placed near the potted fruit trees. Good size and around $20 if I remember right. Very unfussy bush, and not too picky about soil and doesn't need a lot of water, just decent sun. A bit gangly looking. I have a very easy time with it.

www.groworganic.com has a how-to video on gogi bushes and sells organic ones.

Addendum: I'm in the valley area just above LA. If I can grow, you should be able to in Orange County.
Thanks for the info that the ones from China are somtimes tainted.

This post was edited by Ineffectual-Idealist on Sun, Feb 24, 13 at 1:42

I wonder how many Goji berry bushes one would need to produce two handfuls of dried berries a day. Is there any way to figure it out?

Someone on the fruit forum said that these plants can be invasive and difficult to remove. Think carefully before planting in the ground.

Do you know where that fruit poster was from? A lot of things that are invasive east of the Rockies can't survive without irrigation out here. I planted a goji bush and it died, but I didn't water enough and I think a gopher or dog may have gotten to it.