What's eating my sweet lifeberry goji?

Goji berry (Lycium barbarum) in the garden is targeted by aphids, spider mites in dry spells, and scale insects on woody stems. Birds actively eat the ripe red berries — a desired visitor for some, a crop loss for others. Deer and rabbits will browse new shoots if the plant is accessible.

Curled, yellow new leaves; sticky honeydew and sooty mould on stems; stunted shoot growth. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; encourage ladybirds and lacewings; use a strong water jet on mild infestations.

Fine webbing, silvery or bronze stippling on leaves, especially in hot dry summers. Improve irrigation and humidity; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap to leaf undersides. Repeat every 5–7 days until clear.

Ripe red berries pecked or entirely stripped from stems before harvest. Drape fine bird netting over fruiting plants as berries begin to colour; remove netting after harvest.

Waxy brown bumps on older woody stems; reduced vigour and sticky deposits below the colonies. Prune heavily infested branches; apply horticultural oil in late winter or early spring before bud break.