Planting instructions
Moringa trees are best grown from seeds, but can also be grown from cuttings. To sow seeds outside, prepare a well-drained seedbed in full sun. Moringa trees need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day and can tolerate more. Water the seedbed thoroughly, but make sure the water drains. After initial planting, water near the seedlings (but not directly).
You can plant cuttings vertically or horizontally. The bottom of the cut should be about the size of your thumb. To plant vertically, cut off a straight branch with a few buds near its base. Prepare a bed as if you were going to plant a seed. Using a different stick, drill a narrow hole in the loose soil and insert the cutting. To plant horizontally, prepare a long bed. Cut off a piece of limb with several bud nodes on it. Put it on the prepared bed.
Moringa trees don’t like to be transplanted because of their extra long tap roots. This tap root is one of the reasons the moringa tree is drought resistant. With this in mind, they will do best in tall pots with good drainage holes in the bottom. Water lightly and keep the soil dry, especially after the seeds germinate or the cuttings develop new shoots. If the leaves start to turn yellow, your moringa may be overwatered.
Watering and nutrition
Moringa trees grow well in arid regions like Arizona. They need very little water and prefer a sunny space with good drainage. Speaking of nutrition, they’ll do just fine on vegetable compost used as top dressing.
Pollination
It’s a good idea to have several moringa plants if you want them to produce seeds. They are digamous, which means the stamens and pistils mature at different times. These trees grow better if they are cross-pollinated with other trees. They are attractive to bees and similar pollinating insects. However, pollination is not necessary if you are growing them primarily for the foliage.
Prune
Moringa trees grow exceptionally quickly and can withstand heavy pruning. In fact, pruning a Moringa tree almost to a stump at the end of the growing season will encourage it to grow a few branches. This will keep it bushy and short enough for easy harvesting.
Pests, Diseases and Animals
The leaves of the Moringa tree are very spicy (like horseradish). This sourness adds a pleasant flavor to bland foods, but insects and biting mammals tend not to like it. This is great news if you want your own food instead of caterpillars or rabbits.
Reward
The leaves can be harvested at any time. They can be eaten in salads, squeezed through a juicer, dried and used in soups, stews, or even capsuled and eaten like a vitamin. The buds and flowers are also edible, but need to be slightly cooked before serving. They are rich in a variety of flavonoids (some of which may have abortive effects and should not be consumed by pregnant women).
When they’re crunchy, the long pods can be eaten like green beans. They are often added to soups, stews or curries. While most parts of the Moringa tree are edible, the bark and roots are not, as they can paralyze the nervous system and even cause death.
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