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How to Grow Your Own Moringa Tree

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Moringa, the famous “miracle tree,” has many nutritional and medicinal properties and is one of the most efficient and influential plants out there. Even though it grows best in tropical and sub-tropical regions, people in many other climates can also enjoy the benefits of growing moringa in their own home with a few simple tricks.

Moringa trees can be grown from either moringa seeds or branch cuttings from a moringa tree. So unless you have a nearby friend with a healthy, well-established moringa tree who wouldn’t be opposed to lending you a branch, then seeds are the way to go. Moringa oleifera is a common variety of moringa and is a great choice for growing and consuming.

In the U.S., the only places moringa can grow outside year-round are southern areas of Florida, Arizona, California, and Texas. Depending on where you live, you may decide to grow moringa trees outside in the ground, in a pot to be kept indoors during the winter months and then to be moved outside during the summer, or in a pot permanently. Growing moringa trees in greenhouses is also an option, and is especially recommended for climates that regularly get below freezing temperatures. The optimal temperature range for moringa trees is 77-95 ˚F, but it can also survive in extreme temperatures up to 118 ˚F in the shade and down to a light frost. Altitudes lower than 1,970 ft above sea level are best, but moringa trees have been able to grow in the tropics up to 3940 ft above sea level. No matter where you decide to grow your tree, try to place it in a sunny location and give it plenty of water.

To plant moringa seeds in the ground, follow these instructions:

There is no dormancy period for moringa seeds, so you can plant mature seeds at any time.

– Find a spot with soil that is light and sandy, not waterlogged or clay-like.

– Dig a few 1 ft. x 1 ft. holes 1 ft. deep, and “back-fill” each hole a bit with soil.

– If you must plant in heavy soil, dig a hole up to three times as big as described in Step 2 and use a 1/3-sand, 2/3-soil mixture to back fill.

– Plant 3-5 seeds in each 1 ft. hole, spaced 2 inches apart.

– Be careful not to plant seeds more than ½ an inch deep.

To plant moringa seeds in a pot, follow these instructions:

Moringa trees can grow up to 50 feet tall, which is less than ideal for an indoor environment. These instructions will teach you how to grow a “dwarf” moringa tree, which is still the same plant that has just been pruned to grow less.

– Fill a pot that is 12-18 inches in diameter with loose soil.

– One pot can usually hold about five dwarf moringa trees, but it is a good idea to initially plant 7 or 8 in case a few seeds don’t sprout.

– Space out ¾- to 1-inch deep holes in the soil.

– Put a seed in each hole and lightly cover them with some soil.

– Once the plants have at least two layers of branches, it is time to start pruning. Cut back the tops of the seedlings and cut the branches back to half their length. When the tree is young, check the tree for new leaves at least once a week – new leaves usually appear on the tops and in a sort of “junction” or fork in branches – and cut these back as well.

– Pruning the tree will keep it small, and will also produce a LOT of leaves, which is all the better for you to use in your food!

If you do have the option to start your own tree from a branch cutting, follow these instructions:

– Use hard wood instead of green wood for cuttings, which should be at least one inch in diameter and at least six feet long. The best branches for cuttings are the ones that need to be cut off anyway after the tree has finished producing fruit for the year and needs to be pruned to promote new growth.

– Dig a 3 ft x 3 ft hole that is 3 ft deep and plant the cutting inside.

– Fill the hole with a sand and soil mixture. Pack soil firmly around the base of the plant.

Here are some general tips for cultivating moringa:

– Even though moringa can grow in a variety of conditions and in poor soil, using compost or manure mixed into your soil will help the tree grow.

– Be generous with watering, but don’t water too much. The soil should not be dry and cracked, but the seeds should not be drowning either. Seedlings also are a bit fragile when they have recently sprouted, so water lightly during this period. When watering a new plant that was started from a branch cutting, try to avoid watering the stem of the plant. Moringa can survive in very dry climates with little water, but regular watering during the first two months of planting seeds helps them develop properly. After the first two months, you can cut water back significantly and only water the tree when it looks like it needs water.

– All moringa trees need regular pruning to promote leaf growth, curb branching, and prevent the tree from being taller than you want it to be. If a moringa tree is left alone to grow, it will become tall with many branches and few leaves, and will only flower near the top, which is very unhelpful. A good height to aim for is 8-12 feet, and if you continue to prune the tree will keep growing lots of leaves and growing branches from the trunk instead of out the top of the tree. To prune, simply cut branches back to half their length and trim the top of the tree.

– The branch parts that you’ve removed can be chopped up into 4- to 10-inch bits and scattered underneath the moringa tree to serve as a natural mulch.

– Most moringa seeds sprout within two weeks of being planted.

– Moringa trees do not usually need fertilizer of any kind, but if yours needs a little bit of extra help, phosphorus will aid root development and nitrogen will help with leaf growth. Ammonium sulfate can also help your tree grow.

– Moringa resists a lot of pests, but termites still might give you trouble. If this is the case, use mulch with castor oil plant leaves, mahogany chips, tephrosia leaves, or Persian lilac leaves.

– If you live in a very wet climate and are growing your tree outside, Diplodia root rot can occur. To avoid this, try planting your tree on top of a small mound so that excess water can run off away from the plant.

– To harvest the pods for eating, pick them when they are about ½ an inch in diameter and come off easily.

– Older leaves are better for making moringa powder.

Resources:

• https://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa/faq/growing-moringa/will-the-moringa-tree-grow-in-my-area
• http://www.ilovemoringa.com/How-To-Grow-Moringa-In-Cold-Climates.html
• http://www.moringamatters.com/how-to-grow-a-dwarf-Moringa-tree.html
• https://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa/how-to-grow
• http://echonet.org/moringa/
• http://www.moringamatters.com/how-to-prune-moringa-trees.html
• http://miracletrees.org/growing_moringa.html

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These seeds are ORGANIC which means that they are not chemically treated in any way.

Planting from Seeds

• First, don’t store Moringa seeds in a freezer or fridge. They are heat-loving trees, and this will destroy the ability of the seeds to germinate.  Moringa seeds sprout in five to ten days.
• Store Moringa seeds in a dry, warm area in a sealed container. The perfect temperature is between 60 and 80 °F. Based on the quality of the seeds, they should last for 2-3 years.
• Moringa seeds should be dark colored and hard. If they are soft, they are old. If they’re a cream shade, they are old.
• If you planted your Moringa trees a year back, and they appear dead, they most likely are just dormant, unless they decayed with too much water or froze.  Use your fingers to press on the taproot.  If it’s mushy, it froze or decayed. If it’s hard, it most likely will come back up.
• Plant seeds in a sunny place.  For seeds, place approximately 1/4 inch into the soil and tamp own gently.
• From our experience, Moringa’s do not like peat moss; they prefer a sand and soil mix.
• Plant seed with the most pointed end down.  Plant ten seeds 2-3 inches apart.  Allow to germinate and grow for a month, then select the single best plant to remain and remove the rest.  The others can be carefully transplanted to a pot, where they may (or may not) continue to grow.
• Use loose soil or mixsoil with sand so that the area where the roots are growing has plenty of good drainage for the water to flow to and the away from the roots.
• Moringa Tree roots do not like to sit in water – it causes root rot.
• Watering the Moringa Tree
  • daily until the root germinates
  • every other day for the first two months
  • after that time period, rain water is usually sufficient
  • In dry climates adjust waterings to three, four and eventually every five days, adjusting every two weeks.  During times that temperature exceeds 100º water every second or third day
  • If the leaves (usually near bottom or middle) start to curl, then water manually.
  • If the leaves start to turn yellow, the plant is getting too much water.
• Frequent fertilization isn’t necessary for this type of tree.  It is well suited to hot or trropical climates and do very well in a natural, somewhat unattended growing method.  Fertilize initially, and then every few weeks during the first year, then every few months after that.

Consuming Moringa Seeds

• Only consume a maximum of two seeds per time.  Actually, if you are taking for the first time, begin with one per day for the first week.
• Don’t eat them on an empty stomach.
• Don’t eat if you are pregnant, or trying to get pregnant.
• Planting Moringa Seeds and edible Moringa Seeds may both be eaten BUT…
• Like organic produce you get from the grocery store or your local farmer’s market, there could be occasional pests in the seeds, so we recommend opening the seed before eating.
• Start with no more than 3 seeds.
• Slowly work your way up to no more than 10 seeds per day.
• The Planting Seeds are USDA approved and are edible, but are not FDA approved.
• It should be noted that we cannot see inside the seeds to guarantee that there is seed meat, although we have carefully selected the seeds in hopes that the meat is in each seed.
• You can make tea out of the pods, but eat only the meat of the seed.
• Eating the seed with the pod may increase your weight loss.  Still, don’t eat more than two or there will be explosive consequences.  HOWEVER, if you do this, make sure you wash (without any cleansing agent) and rinse the pot well in salt water prior to consuming.

Preparing Moringa to Eat

• There are four safe to eat parts of the Moringa tree, its roots, leaves, pods, and seeds.  Some sites say not to eat the roots, however the pods remaining from eating the seeds, can also be used to brew tea.
• While the most common way to eat moringa is to use the plant’s leaves in salads or to powder the leaves for use in supplements or shakes, there are other parts of the plant you can eat as well. People also regularly eat the buds, flowers and pods that grow from moringa plants. Another common practice is to eat moringa seeds, both by themselves and mixed in with other food.
• Moringa seeds do not have the kind of taste you would expect from most types of seeds or nuts. However, they are most certainly edible! It is generally recommended that you eat them in small doses, as they have a “cleansing” effect on your digestive system. But when eaten in appropriate doses, they are extremely healthy and beneficial to your body.
• One of the ways you can eat moringa seeds is to pop them like popcorn. Simply fry them with some cooking oil and watch them blow up. You can eat a few and be fine, but you will likely need to slowly adjust your body to eating the seeds in this way. Again, you’ll want to be careful about the “cleansing” effects the seeds can produce.
• Moringa seeds can also be added to other foods, like stews, casseroles, soups and sauces, to give those foods an extra crunchy texture. Drying the seeds is another option, and allows you to add them into bread or muffin mixes (in the same way that people often do with poppy seeds) or to corn bread mixes.
• Just as your digestive system may need an adjustment period to get used to eating moringa seeds, so may your taste buds. Moringa seeds taste sweet when you first put them into your mouth, but soon create a bitter taste that you don’t often find in seeds or nuts. Once you have adjusted to the unique flavor, they offer you an extremely concentrated dose of minerals and vitamins.
• The best way to eat Moringa seeds and to enjoy all their health benefits is to eat them like you would eat other nuts.  It is possible to consume the seeds together with dried fruits and nuts or include them in your breakfast.   A proven way you can consume Moringa seeds is to pop them just like popcorn.  Just fry them in a small quantity of cooking oil and watch them pop.
• You can also cook fresh Moringa as you would with peas and use the seeds as a healthy and delicious accompaniment to any food.
• Moringa seeds don’t have the sort of taste you would expect from many kinds of nuts or seeds.  But they are definitely fit for human consumption.
• Moringa seeds can be boiled, baked, either shelled or in the pod, similar to green beans or peas.

What are Moringa seeds?

The Moringa plant contains thin green pods, which hang down from its branches. It’s from the pods that the seeds are removed.

Raw and fresh Moringa seeds are very tender; however, once they get dried, they get hard and begin to look like small beans.  The seeds have unique wing-like structures and are grayish-white in color.

During the months of reproduction, the Moringa tree offers a multitude of seed pods, leading to plenty annually.  In spite of the Moringa seeds only growing annually, it is worth the wait thanks to their significantly nutritional benefits.  The seeds are viable for between one and two years, lending themselves well to an annual harvest.

Dried Moringa Oleifera Leaves

• To harvest leaves, prune tree and hang trimmed branches from a string and allow to dry naturally.  Once dried, remove the leaves and crust to powder and bits.
• The end product will be natually dried Moringa Leaves and a few small stems.
• Recommended Dosage is 5-10 grams per day, in a dried form
  • Start with 5 and increase slowly if desired.
• They will keep for over a year, allowing you to harves every major pruning.
• No known harmful side effects have been noted from Moringa ingestion
• Dried Moringa Leaves can be used for
  • Loose leaf tea – hot or cold
  • Spices for cooking – great on chicken, omelets and soups
• The benefits of Moringa are many.  See graphic at the bottom of this page.
• Vitamins per gram
  • 3 x the potassium in bananas
  • 7x the Vitamin C as in oranges
  • 25x the iron contained in spinach
  • 4x the calcium contained in milk
  • 4x the Vitamin A contained in carrots
  • 4x more protein than eggs
  • Primary distribution
    • Paisley Farm and Crafts
    • Lawrenceburg, TN
    • Phone:  386-469-7917
    • www.PaisleyFC.com
  • Secondary Distribution
    • NatureVibe Botanicals
    • 710 Brunswick Ave
    • Unit B
    • Rahway, NJ 07065
    • www.NatureVibe.com

Harvesting Mature Seeds

• Harvested seeds will have a 75-85% germination rate.
• Seeds are viable for up to two years after harvest.
• After two years, germination rate drops to about 20%
• After four years, seeds will probably not germinate.

Transplanting