Author Topic: how to know when water a moringa?  (Read 4534 times)

huertasurbanas

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3377
    • Junín, Argentina, zone 9b/9a
    • View Profile
    • huertasurbanas
how to know when water a moringa?
« on: July 25, 2014, 06:24:03 PM »
Hi, moringas are so different to almost any other tree I know (the total opposite to a jaboticaba, for instance), they dont like a lot of water, nor a lot of humidity, nor acid soil...




Should I expect any signs on the leaves to water the plants? I have small plants, barely a month old.
I do not want to kill them by over-watering, I know that the root is like a potato, and accumulating water, which does not need much watering ...
We are in winter and the seedlings are indoors, in a dry room next to me.
ONLINE SHOP:

https://www.huertasurbanas.com/shop

30% Discount Coupon: FIRST

Future

  • The Future
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2029
    • View Profile
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2014, 09:37:27 PM »
They will droop when they really need water.  Otherwise, once a week is plenty depending on pot size, media used.

jcaldeira

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 998
    • Planet Earth
    • View Profile
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2014, 09:44:25 PM »
Mature Moringa are very drought resistant.
Applying laws and rules equally to all is a cornerstone of a civilized society.

huertasurbanas

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3377
    • Junín, Argentina, zone 9b/9a
    • View Profile
    • huertasurbanas
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2014, 09:49:48 PM »
Ok, the man that gave me the seeds told me that if the leaves turn yellow, that means they are having too much humidity or water... now I see just some leaves that are yellow only in one plant, they are in small starter pots.

ONLINE SHOP:

https://www.huertasurbanas.com/shop

30% Discount Coupon: FIRST

sreekumar menon

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 106
    • kerala,india
    • View Profile
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2014, 10:30:51 PM »
It grow in rain forest and even in desert .

fyliu

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3216
    • Burbank/Covina, CA 10a
    • View Profile
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2014, 01:12:44 AM »
I used to have moringa in small pots. They didn't do too well after a while. I think not enough light and not enough soil in my case. The trunk doesn't strengthen if there's not enough light. I think you may experience this problem since you have yours indoors. Mine also died back to the ground during the winter, even when I brought the plants indoors. They sprouted back in warm weather.

buddyguygreen

  • Keeper of Earth
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 978
  • Zone Creator
    • Citrus Ridge, FL,
    • View Profile
    • Knowledge of the Masters
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2014, 06:57:29 AM »
Depends on what type of soil.  the one I have is in about 7.0PH deep sand with good drainage. I water mine everyday, it has no yellowing, always at least 80 percent humidity and its about 15 feet tall and its only 1 1/2 years old. So good drainage they will swell up and get big quick but no standing water, or you can just wait till it rains and it will take longer to grow but will stand the drought. One I have even got watered with 5 gallons of saltwater and all the leaves fell off but recovered fine. Pretty hardy trees.

huertasurbanas

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3377
    • Junín, Argentina, zone 9b/9a
    • View Profile
    • huertasurbanas
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2014, 11:23:41 AM »
Thanks, I think I can put them out in 1 month, I am also trying with 1 of them into the greenhouse... but it could get very cold there (5º C or less), so I think it's better to stand here for a while and then out to the wind and the hot sun in spring!

Now I see that I should plant 1 of them in the grownd with a lot of sand and/or perlite, in the dry front garden.
« Last Edit: July 26, 2014, 03:09:11 PM by huertasurbanas »
ONLINE SHOP:

https://www.huertasurbanas.com/shop

30% Discount Coupon: FIRST

greenman62

  • CharlesitaveNB
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1277
    • [url=https://vgruk.com/]vgr uk[/url]
    • View Profile
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2014, 11:59:17 AM »
yes, i would plant them out in the dryest part of the yard
you might have to water them a bit during dry spells until it grows deep roots.
they are VERY water tolerant when they are larger
and yes, they like all the sun you can give them.

Moringa grows a deep tap-root
and when in a pot, you should make sure that you have a deep container also.
dont let the tap root wrap around it.
i know someone who cuts the tap root when going from small to larger pots,
but you would have to research that first.

also, not every yellow leaf means too much water.
they can loose leaves when they grow normally,
and sometimes they get yellow first.

i know i cant water mine everyday, or they will get yellow leaves,
but mine are between 2 and 4ft tall

i had one that got about 10ft, it died in the freeze last year
when it got down to 25F for a couple of days.
had it mulched well too.

also, you may want to keep it pruned
when it get 3-4 ft tall, cut off the growing tip(s) to bush it out.
they have a habit of growing like a pole if you dont.

huertasurbanas

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3377
    • Junín, Argentina, zone 9b/9a
    • View Profile
    • huertasurbanas
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #9 on: July 26, 2014, 08:34:31 PM »
Thanks man, "they are VERY water tolerant when they are larger" this gives me some hope they could grow "wild" in our yard... we have 1500mm of rain per year, so it's the max they can resist...
ONLINE SHOP:

https://www.huertasurbanas.com/shop

30% Discount Coupon: FIRST

jcaldeira

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 998
    • Planet Earth
    • View Profile
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2014, 10:28:29 PM »
My moringa occasionally does without rain or watering for a couple of months at a time.   It does fine.  This is what one of mine looks like after ten years:



Both of my moringa are trimmed back to the stump several times each year, as it grows as fast as mulberry and the leaves are too hard to harvest when tall.
Applying laws and rules equally to all is a cornerstone of a civilized society.

Tropicdude

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2117
    • Broward County, Florida, USA
    • View Profile
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #11 on: July 27, 2014, 03:23:04 AM »
I have a Moringa in the front of the house,  here is my experience with it.

Once established, I stopped watering it.
Because of its location, its decided to shoot straight up without branching, even though I have cut it in half twice,  it just wants to be a big pole.
We have been in a prolonged drought here in the DR, only an occasional rain.   we finally something more than a sprinkle a couple days ago, and my Moringa just bent over, now its arched over, its about 30 ft high.

which tells me that if it gets too much water, it makes the trunk less rigid.  I am worried about what will happen when we start getting heavy rains.
William
" The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.....The second best time, is now ! "

fyliu

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3216
    • Burbank/Covina, CA 10a
    • View Profile
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2014, 11:09:00 PM »
Maybe the rain weighed down the plant?

Tropicdude

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2117
    • Broward County, Florida, USA
    • View Profile
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2014, 11:15:49 AM »
Maybe the rain weighed down the plant?

Has not rained in a few days, and its still bent over, I can actually push the tree up, its like rubber,  this weekend I am going to cut it down to just a 6ft trunk.   it will grow back,  Moringa is a survivor for sure.

Over a year ago I planted about 50 in polybags, just to give away to people,  which I did,  but had many left over, I just left them there to die.  they did, or at least I thought,  if they got wet, they would just send up new shoots.   I opened a few of the bags, and Moringa grows a tuber/bulb something that looks like a radish  I guess that its emergency storage reserve. 

William
" The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.....The second best time, is now ! "

stuartdaly88

  • Phytomaniac
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1186
  • Zone 9b/10a
    • South Africa, Gauteng
    • View Profile
Re: how to know when water a moringa?
« Reply #14 on: July 30, 2014, 04:27:13 PM »
When it's cold water will kill it very quick! Dunno about older ones but I had a bunch of year old die in winter just from watering soil once cauz I thought it was too dry the ones I kept dryer died back to ground but shot back up when it warmed up. I wouldn't water if it was 5C
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau