Our pathway must be up through the soil,
up through swamps,
up through forests,
up through streams and rocks,
up through commerce, education, and religion!
In my opinion, we cannot begin at the top to build a house.
If we try to do this, we shall reap in the end the fruits of our folly"
Booker T. Washington
More about growing Moringa trees.
Moringa Trees consist of a family of 13 species. Some are bloated with trunks resembling bottles. Other members of the species are more bush like and yet others are more slender trees. Moringa Oleifera is of the slender variety and originally from the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. Moringa oleifera also grows well in the tropics and sub tropics.
Plenty of rain and well drained soil will provide an abundant crop of leaves, flowers and pods. Trees grown in more arid environments will be less productive unless irrigation is provided.
Moringa trees will succumb to diseases and root rot when over watered and grown in containers or otherwise planted in poorly drained soils. Moringa trees benefit from all the sun they can get and easily grow 12-15 feet in just one year from a seed. Seed can be stored for up to a year and still germinate. When planting seeds the biggest threat to success is too much water! The seedlings must get nice and woody before subjected to heavy rainfall or they will rot! Trees are also propagated by using thick woody cuttings. We have seen trees grown from seed produce flowers and pods in less than 10 months here in South Florida.
Growing from a cutting can be achieved by planting a woody branch about three foot long in the ground. A good method is to dig a hole fill with rich compost and then build up a mound of sand. Stick your branch cutting into the mound about 1 foot deep and water only twice a week! You could try this in a container as well.
Trees grow best in a slightly acidic to neutral soil. The ideal pH range is approximately between 6.2-7.0. Moringa Oleifera is much more cold tolerant than what is commonly stated on many web pages. We have been growing Oleifera in temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit without any problems. Mature trees can tolerate a light frost but what you might end up with is a tree that grows back from the root. Here in South Florida our ground does not freeze but we have had air temperatures near freezing and the trees survived. These plants are pretty tough! Warmer conditions of course will provide higher germination rates and faster growth.
Growing Moringa oleifera for its leaves can be challenging. The tree has a tendency to grow rapidly and become a tall tree with very little branching. The main drawback is that in a few years or less, most of the leaves you want to harvest can be out of reach. To avoid this you should prune trees regularly to encourage branching that will provide heavier leaf production. An easy way to to this is to pinch the bud at the top of the main stem. This is best accomplished when your trees are about two and a half feet tall. Pinching promotes lateral branching and a more compact bushy tree. Unless regular pruning/pinching is practiced you will end up with a tall tree and a vertical growth pattern. Avoid this pitfall by making your task easier. Pinch and prune regularly to encourage a bushy growth that is easier to reach and increases yields. Also consider growing the PKM-1 Cultivar.
Moringa stenopetala is native to Africa and found growing abundantly in Kenya and Ethiopia. Both Moringa species are used for nutrition and as herbal remedies. M. stenopetala has slightly larger leaves than M. oleifera. M. Stenopetala is not as cold tolerant as M. Oleifera. Stenopetala contains about 10 percent more calcium than oleifera.
Moringa Peregrina and Moringa Drouhardii are also edible with similar nutritional values.
Today much research is being conducted on the use of Moringa extracts to stimulate plant growth. Moringa provides growth hormone activity to many crops. One of the active substances in fresh Moringa leaf juice is a natural plant hormone from the cytokinins known as zeatin. A very effective organic extract from Moringa juice can be sprayed or drenched on farm crops. Crop yields can be improved significantly for corn, soy, coffee and other crops. Moringa juice or compost tea is naturally fortified with powerful enzymes, vitamins and minerals beneficial to enhanced crop health and growth.
Plenty of rain and well drained soil will provide an abundant crop of leaves, flowers and pods. Trees grown in more arid environments will be less productive unless irrigation is provided.
Moringa trees will succumb to diseases and root rot when over watered and grown in containers or otherwise planted in poorly drained soils. Moringa trees benefit from all the sun they can get and easily grow 12-15 feet in just one year from a seed. Seed can be stored for up to a year and still germinate. When planting seeds the biggest threat to success is too much water! The seedlings must get nice and woody before subjected to heavy rainfall or they will rot! Trees are also propagated by using thick woody cuttings. We have seen trees grown from seed produce flowers and pods in less than 10 months here in South Florida.
Growing from a cutting can be achieved by planting a woody branch about three foot long in the ground. A good method is to dig a hole fill with rich compost and then build up a mound of sand. Stick your branch cutting into the mound about 1 foot deep and water only twice a week! You could try this in a container as well.
Trees grow best in a slightly acidic to neutral soil. The ideal pH range is approximately between 6.2-7.0. Moringa Oleifera is much more cold tolerant than what is commonly stated on many web pages. We have been growing Oleifera in temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit without any problems. Mature trees can tolerate a light frost but what you might end up with is a tree that grows back from the root. Here in South Florida our ground does not freeze but we have had air temperatures near freezing and the trees survived. These plants are pretty tough! Warmer conditions of course will provide higher germination rates and faster growth.
Growing Moringa oleifera for its leaves can be challenging. The tree has a tendency to grow rapidly and become a tall tree with very little branching. The main drawback is that in a few years or less, most of the leaves you want to harvest can be out of reach. To avoid this you should prune trees regularly to encourage branching that will provide heavier leaf production. An easy way to to this is to pinch the bud at the top of the main stem. This is best accomplished when your trees are about two and a half feet tall. Pinching promotes lateral branching and a more compact bushy tree. Unless regular pruning/pinching is practiced you will end up with a tall tree and a vertical growth pattern. Avoid this pitfall by making your task easier. Pinch and prune regularly to encourage a bushy growth that is easier to reach and increases yields. Also consider growing the PKM-1 Cultivar.
Moringa stenopetala is native to Africa and found growing abundantly in Kenya and Ethiopia. Both Moringa species are used for nutrition and as herbal remedies. M. stenopetala has slightly larger leaves than M. oleifera. M. Stenopetala is not as cold tolerant as M. Oleifera. Stenopetala contains about 10 percent more calcium than oleifera.
Moringa Peregrina and Moringa Drouhardii are also edible with similar nutritional values.
Today much research is being conducted on the use of Moringa extracts to stimulate plant growth. Moringa provides growth hormone activity to many crops. One of the active substances in fresh Moringa leaf juice is a natural plant hormone from the cytokinins known as zeatin. A very effective organic extract from Moringa juice can be sprayed or drenched on farm crops. Crop yields can be improved significantly for corn, soy, coffee and other crops. Moringa juice or compost tea is naturally fortified with powerful enzymes, vitamins and minerals beneficial to enhanced crop health and growth.
