How to grow moringa

Video: How to grow Moringa? The easy way!

Content

Part 2 of 3: Caring for the Moringa tree
Part 3 of 3: Collecting and Using Moringa
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

1 Order moringa seeds online. Moringa is not a common plant, and your local garden store may not have its seeds.In addition, many suppliers sell seed in bulk. Purchase the amount of seeds you need.

If you have any excess moringa seeds, you can eat them after you remove the outer shell. Chew the seeds well.

2 Plant a cuttings instead of seeds if you have access to a mature tree. Moringa can be grown from healthy cuttings that have been cut from an adult tree. Cut a branch about 1 meter long and 2–3 centimeters in diameter. Select a healthy looking branch and use your garden shears to make a diagonal cut at both ends. The branch must be at least 1 meter long.

3 Take a 40-liter pot and fill it with 85% soil, 10% sand and 5% compost. Moringa needs a well-drained potting mix or the seeds may flood. Mix soil with sand and compost for a nutritious and moisture-permeable moringa seed mixture.

Use more or less sand and compost depending on the type of soil.

4 Place the moringa in a pot. Moringa will not be able to survive the winter if the temperature drops below 0 ° C, so plant it in pots so that you can easily take the plants outside and bring back indoors. If you live in a warm climate where the temperature does not drop below freezing, you can plant the moringa in the open ground of the same composition.

If you are planting seeds, remove the outer shell and place them 2-3 centimeters deep and 5 centimeters apart. Use your finger to make appropriate pits in the potting mix.
If you have a cutting, submerge it ⅓ in a pot filled with soil with a capacity of about 60 liters. In this case, the knots of the cutting should remain above the ground surface. Tamp the soil tightly with your hands to keep the cutting upright.

5 Water the soil with a watering can to keep it moist. The ground should be saturated with moisture, but not too wet. If water remains on the surface of the soil, you watered it too much, or it does not allow moisture to pass through well. To check if the soil is moist enough, dip your finger into it up to the upper joint.

Water the soil once a week, or more often depending on the climate, to keep it moist.

6 Transplant the seedlings that have sprouted from the seeds when they reach a height of 15–20 centimeters. Once the shoots have grown to a given height, they will compete for nutrients in the soil, so they should be transplanted into separate pots. Using a ruler or transplanting scoop, gently loosen the soil around one of the seedlings. Lift it up along with the root system and transplant it into a separate pot.

Part 2 of 3: Caring for the Moringa tree

1 Keep the moringa in a well-sunlit place indoors or outdoors. Moringa needs about 6 hours of direct sunlight a day to grow healthy and strong. Moringa trees grow in tropical climates, so they need as much sunlight as possible. Keep them in a spot full of sun throughout the day.
2 Water the moringa once a week. Although drought tolerant, the morniga should be watered once a week until it settles in. Submerge your finger in the ground up to the second knuckle. If the soil is dry to the touch, water the tree. However, do not overdo it, otherwise the roots will flood and they may start to rot.
- If it has rained within a week, do not water the moringa as it has already gotten enough moisture.
3 Prune moringa trees with garden shears. Moringa will grow rapidly within one year. When the tree reaches a height of 2.5-3 meters, cut it back to the desired level. The cut branches can be dried and used to plant other trees.
4 Keep the moringa indoors when the temperature drops below freezing. If you live in a temperate climate, it is necessary to bring the tree indoors or in a greenhouse for the winter. Moringa is sensitive to frost and will not survive the cold winter outdoors.
- Moringa can grow up to 1.8 meters in height over a year, so plan ahead for plenty of room.
- Moringa can be replanted every year as new cuttings left over from the previous season. The cuttings are the same age as the parent tree.

Part 3 of 3: Collecting and Using Moringa

1 Collect the seed pods when they reach 10-13 millimeters in diameter. Moringa pods are added to various dishes and used to make tea. If you wait until they are ripe, they can become viscous on the inside and take on a less pleasant consistency.
- Boil the pods until they are soft and squeeze out the edible flesh inside. The outer shell of the pods is fibrous and unsuitable for food.
2 Collect the leaves after the moringa is 1 meter high. Moringa leaves are considered "superfood" and can be harvested after the tree has grown to one meter. If you pick off the leaves by hand, the branches will be strong enough not to break.
- Brew herbal tea from moringa leaves or add to smoothies and salads to add nutrients.
3 Powder the leaves. Dry the leaves in a food dehydrator or air dry. Once the leaves are dry and crispy, manually pick them off the branch. Grind the leaves into a fine enough powder using a food processor or coffee grinder.
- Moringa leaf powder can be added to any meal 1 teaspoon (3 grams) at a time.
- Moringa leaves can also be eaten dried or fresh.
4 Use moringa as a healing and nutritional supplement. Moringa is rich in antioxidants as well as essential vitamins and minerals. It is eaten to relieve inflammation, arthritis, abdominal pain and asthma. Moringa seeds, fruits and leaves are good for food.
- Moringa roots smell like horseradish and are not suitable for food, as they contain toxins.

Tips

If the temperature in your area does not drop below 10 ° C, moringa can be grown outdoors instead of in pots.

Warnings

Moringa roots are not edible because they contain toxic compounds that can cause paralysis.
Moringa is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women.