Moringa oleifera - tips?

[ericalynne]

I have been growing moringa for years. In the ground and now in pots. In my experience, moringa does not grow well from young cuttings. However, if you have a large tree (and they can get large fast) you can cut out part of the big (as in six inches diameter) roots and get new plants from that. My one moringa in Naples grew so much and so fast I was constantly cutting it down and chopping up the roots. I brought a chunk of root from Naples (zone 10) and it grows in a pot here (Venus zone 9).

The most interesting thing I read about moringa, that has not already been mentioned, is that in some places it is grown up to about 4 feet and then harvested and allowed to grow up again, over and over, so there is constantly a fresh harvest of leaves. Of course this does not produce flowers and seed pods, but is an interesting method of vegetable production.

Erica

[CTMIAMI]

We are just beginning to grow this plant. It would be nice to hear how other people eat or use this plant. We are planing to add leaves to our salad and add to eggs like spinach. Any other suggestions?   We could be a while before we get pods.

[RodneyS]

You can also dry the leaves for tea.

[Future]

I have seen short trees, kept to 5 ft that have flowered.

[Tropicdude]

I plan on drying leaves to make a powder, and find a recipe for the pods that I may like.  make tea from the flowers for colds etc.  another use is, to grind up some leaves in a blender with water to make a concentrate, then mix at a 30 to 1 ratio with water, and spray on your plants, its a natural growth stimulant, and seems to have ant fungal properties ( Powdery mildew ).

That plant has many medicinal properties,  many have been substantiated by respectable establishments.

Although the root is medicinal, and edible, its advised to not to use it, as there can be a nerve toxin present,  and the flowers / bark should not be used by pregnant women.   

Some Moringa recipes
http://www.miracletrees.org/moringarecipes.html
http://www.moringachef.com/en/moringa-recipes/

Now for the Medicinal properties, and the parts used.

Moringa oleifera: A Review of the Medical Evidence for Its Nutritional, Therapeutic, and Prophylactic Properties. Part 1.
Jed W. Fahey, Sc.D.
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences

http://moringamalunggay.com/John_Hopkins.pdf

[Future]

I advise mixing the powder with other liquids or foods, or consuming a relatively small quantity to begin with. On an empty stomach too much can produce significant discomfort in the bowels.  Trust me.

[Guanabanus]

My late father used to put powdered Moringa leaf on his breakfast cereal (both hot or dry), and also in his liquified meals--- everything that everyone else was eating at the table, dumped together into a blender, with several strong-tasting additives, such as curry powder.  The least unpalatable of his creations were his green drinks, which often included Moringa.

[lkailburn]

Great info. this is a newly growing addition to my collection. Love hearing about all the health benefits and culinary uses!

-Luke

[Hollywood]

I just hauled in a couple branches to blend the leaves with water for a foliar feed tomorrow. Anyone have suggestions for measurements? I was just going to eyeball it- maybe 1 cup for 3 gallons?

I am also using my backpack sprayer tomorrow for the first time, so I am pretty psyched. My husband thinks I look like I stepped out of Ghostbusters.

As for eating, I have been cooking moringa for the family a couple times each week for a few months now. I always throw it into a soup or stew, or a wet dish like lentils or beans. If you try to stir fry it, the little bits of stem attached to the leaves are kind of brittle and chewy, and not in a good way. None of the flowers set fruit but that is ok because the flowers are the most delicious part! The flowers are great cooked or raw. The leaves are much stronger and spicier than arugula when raw. I am an arugula fan and I love spices, but still...I definitely prefer moringa leaves cooked.

[Tropicdude]

The recipe I have seen online is to grind 10kg of Moringa per with one liter of water.  to make an extract.  this extract is then strained  and diluted 30:1 with water.    but that recipe is for making huge batches.

So try and scale it down,   10 parts moringa, to 1 part water, then dilute by adding 30 parts water to the final product.  but I always get a bit confused when mixing weight and volume measurements lol, best to err on the weak side.

[Hollywood]

Ok, so that would be about 1/2 cup for 3 gallons. Do you add anything else like seaweed extract at the same time, or would that be redundant (and therefore too strong)?

[Xisca]

I have been growing it for 2 years.
I have 2 nice trees that I had to shorten last year. They are still not bushy. They almost die every winter though I have 10°C! The young ones, 1 year old, that looked dead though I knew they were not, are starting to grow now.

About water: very strange: a little dry and they shed leaves, and they seem to prefer a regular watering! I gave one to a neighbour, and it did not do well in a dry bad soil.

I also recommend to collect often, before the leaves get older, yellow and fall.
Mines flowered but never gave me any pod. I guess I am "too cold", or else there is a pollination problem.

its also good as a green manure crop

I do not think so, because they do better in a good soil, and because they are NOT A LEGUME. They are brassicales, so they are more related to cabbage and radish, hence their taste!

They have pods, but they are not in the pea family at all.
Still puzzling me, this is a strange plant...

[Tropicdude]

Ok, so that would be about 1/2 cup for 3 gallons. Do you add anything else like seaweed extract at the same time, or would that be redundant (and therefore too strong)?

Yeah it could be too strong.  its hard to know for sure how much of any active ingredient is in any home grown preparation.  so trial and error may be in order, ( but with as little error as possible    ).   my understanding is that both seaweed and Moringa have hormones mainly Cytokinins ( zeatin ). although they do differ in other nutrients that also benefit plants.

[ggpalms]

Moringa Medicinal Plant Testimonial

http://www.bestmoringatrees.com

[Luisport]

Hi,

Here's my fav. vid about moringa.
Moringa - The Miracle Tree

Moringa is definitely on my wanted list

Hi my friend, if you want moringa seeds i can send you. Let me know if you want it! 

[zands]

 ggpalms

    I have been to his nursery Pepe's Fruit Trees and he has lots of moringa coming along. 6 ft high and more. He might be the largest grower and seller in Broward. http://www.pepesplants.com/

I have a little one from him that is indestructible

[Tropicdude]

My single tree, I have planted in the ground, got cut in half last weekend.  it was already about 7-8 ft tall, but kind of thin and was starting to lean over.  it should start branching now.   this is the PKM-1 variety. which I intend to let mature enough for the pods and seeds.

[greenman62]

i think they are high in oxalic acid ?
This is not a problem with dry leaves, cooked,  or powder,
but i sometimes pinch off the tops of my 5ft tree, and the taste is bitter, which i think is oxalic acid
Something you dont want to eat too much of (a little is OK, its in spinach)

Oxalic acid = 101mg per 100 grams - 1.6%

is this high ?
too high to eat a lot of fresh leaves, or not ?
Brad

[thao]

My single tree, I have planted in the ground, got cut in half last weekend.  it was already about 7-8 ft tall, but kind of thin and was starting to lean over.  it should start branching now.   this is the PKM-1 variety. which I intend to let mature enough for the pods and seeds.

William,
When did you planted your PKM-1 seeds? This variety, does flower in 6+ months and should produce the fruit pods with in that time period as well. My mom's PKM-1, she started from seeds earlier this February, has been flowering on and off, since this past June(5 months, so one less month, then describe about this variety), but never set any pods. Might be the lack of pollinator in my hot and arid environment. If, it had flowered in the spring, might have set a couple rounds of pods already. Her's was about, the same height as yours, before you cut it in half. Maybe, you should have cut it to about a foot above ground, for a more bushy growing effect. But, don't forget to pinch the tips also, like other trees to, because, it will grow back just as lanky, if not properly maintain. One last mention, keep a few none cut/pinch branches and let them get to maturity,, because, those none pinch ones, will be the one to flowered and set fruit, not the new growth, unless you let them get mature enough.

[Luisport]

i think they are high in oxalic acid ?
This is not a problem with dry leaves, cooked,  or powder,
but i sometimes pinch off the tops of my 5ft tree, and the taste is bitter, which i think is oxalic acid
Something you dont want to eat too much of (a little is OK, its in spinach)

Oxalic acid = 101mg per 100 grams - 1.6%

is this high ?
too high to eat a lot of fresh leaves, or not ?
Brad

Moringa don't have oxalic acid in the leaves... maby in trunk

[Tropicdude]

My single tree, I have planted in the ground, got cut in half last weekend.  it was already about 7-8 ft tall, but kind of thin and was starting to lean over.  it should start branching now.   this is the PKM-1 variety. which I intend to let mature enough for the pods and seeds.

William,
When did you planted your PKM-1 seeds? This variety, does flower in 6+ months and should produce the fruit pods with in that time period as well. My mom's PKM-1, she started from seeds earlier this February, has been flowering on and off, since this past June(5 months, so one less month, then describe about this variety), but never set any pods. Might be the lack of pollinator in my hot and arid environment. If, it had flowered in the spring, might have set a couple rounds of pods already. Her's was about, the same height as yours, before you cut it in half. Maybe, you should have cut it to about a foot above ground, for a more bushy growing effect. But, don't forget to pinch the tips also, like other trees to, because, it will grow back just as lanky, if not properly maintain. One last mention, keep a few none cut/pinch branches and let them get to maturity,, because, those none pinch ones, will be the one to flowered and set fruit, not the new growth, unless you let them get mature enough.

Thanks for the "tips" .

I think its about 6-8 months old. but it was originally in a 1 gallon, where i left it way too long, after I transplanted into the ground it did nothing for almost 3 months.  in the last two months or so, it shot up big time.   I guess it was working on its root system during that earlier period. 

Keep me up to date on the progress of your moms tree.  I read that the PKM have more uniform pods, that are longer.  also more productive.

[thao]

My single tree, I have planted in the ground, got cut in half last weekend.  it was already about 7-8 ft tall, but kind of thin and was starting to lean over.  it should start branching now.   this is the PKM-1 variety. which I intend to let mature enough for the pods and seeds.

William,
When did you planted your PKM-1 seeds? This variety, does flower in 6+ months and should produce the fruit pods with in that time period as well. My mom's PKM-1, she started from seeds earlier this February, has been flowering on and off, since this past June(5 months, so one less month, then describe about this variety), but never set any pods. Might be the lack of pollinator in my hot and arid environment. If, it had flowered in the spring, might have set a couple rounds of pods already. Her's was about, the same height as yours, before you cut it in half. Maybe, you should have cut it to about a foot above ground, for a more bushy growing effect. But, don't forget to pinch the tips also, like other trees to, because, it will grow back just as lanky, if not properly maintain. One last mention, keep a few none cut/pinch branches and let them get to maturity,, because, those none pinch ones, will be the one to flowered and set fruit, not the new growth, unless you let them get mature enough.

Thanks for the "tips" .

I think its about 6-8 months old. but it was originally in a 1 gallon, where i left it way too long, after I transplanted into the ground it did nothing for almost 3 months.  in the last two months or so, it shot up big time.   I guess it was working on its root system during that earlier period. 

Keep me up to date on the progress of your moms tree.  I read that the PKM have more uniform pods, that are longer.  also more productive.

No problem, If they mange to set any fruit before being cut down this fall. For my area, they will have to be cut down and root protected like bananas, due to being too cold sensitive and we also get frost 1-3 times each winter, especially during January. But, it has been rather warm lately this past few years, and last year, the coldest was also in January, with a low of 28F once only, so I hope this winter will be similar or warmer. I'll post up pictures, if they fruit successfully some time soon, that is if yours don't fruit before then.