Moringa Worldwide

Arabic	المورينجا
Burma	Dandalun
China	辣木, Là mù
English	Drumstick, Horseradish, Moringa Oleifera
Ethiopia	Moringa Ruspoliana
French	le moringa, Ben oléifère
Fiji	Sajina
Gujarat	Saragavo, મોરિંગા
Ghana	Babati
German	Flügelsaniger Bennussbaum
Hindi	Shajna, Saijna, मोरिंगा ओलिफेरा
Italy	Sàndalo ceruleo
Kenya	Moringa Arborea
Namibia	Moringa Ovalifolia
Nepal	Sitachini
Pakistan	Sajina, Sohanjna, سوہانجنا
Philippines	Mulanggay
Punjab	Sanjina, Sohanjna, ਮੋਰਿੰਗਾ ਓਲੀਫੇਰਾ
Portugal	Acácia branca, Cedra (Brazil)
Spain	Árbol del ben, Ben
Somali	Moringa Boziana
Tamil	Murungai, முருங்கை
Thailand	มะรุม, Marum
Vietnam	Chùm Ngây

We can use Moringa as part of our daily diet and to aid in our healthy living.

Where to Plant

Choosing a suitable environment is essential for Moringa to grow well.

Direct exposure to sunlight, warmth and water with loamy soil is crucial for this tree. Moringa does not like the cold and loses it leaves in colder climates when the average temperature drops below 70 degrees.

For those who have a true winter, where it freezes and snows, we recommend that you plant Moringa in pots, keeping them outside in the spring and summer and bring them inside when it gets cold. With the exception of tropical climates, Moringa goes dormant in winter. If it gets too cold outside, the tree will die unless kept warm inside. When Moringa goes dormant the leaves fall off and branches shrivel. A greenhouse is ideal in most areas. The plant will die if it freezes completely, but it can withstand a mild frost.

Community Moringa plantations usually crop the trees, so they don’t exceed 3-4 meters. Such a height allows the harvesters reasonable access, and the cropping encourages horizontal growth enabling greater leaf production.

Moringa is an ideal plant to start indoors or, depending on where you live, or in your own backyard. Once mature, fresh Moringa, leaves from your tree make a delicious addition to your salad. The leaves are also great for making tea, as well as an ingredient in a variety of chicken, meat, and vegetable dishes.

How to Grow your own moringa tree

There are many ways to grow your own Moringa tree so you can experience their benefits too. Here are a few different ways to harvest your own tree as detailed below.

Growing Moringa Trees from a Cutting:

After the trees have stopped producing fruits each year, branches need to be cut off so that fresh growth may take place. These branches are excellent for growing new trees.

• Make a cutting at least one inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter and at least six feet (1.8 meters) long.
• Dig a hole three feet (one meter) x three feet (one meter) and three feet (one meter) deep.
• Place the cutting in this hole and fill it with a mixture of soil, sand and composted manure. Pack firmly around base of the cutting. Form a slight dome or cone shape, sloping down away from the cutting.
• Water generously, but do not drown the cutting in water. It is best if the water doesn’t touch the stem of the new tree.

Growing Moringa Trees from a Seed in the Ground:

Moringa seeds have no dormancy periods and can be planted as soon as they are mature but remember not to plant them during colder months when the temperature will drop below 60 degrees. Plant the seeds directly where you’d like the tree to grow long-term; the immature seedlings are delicate and often cannot survive transplanting.

To plant seeds directly in the ground:

• Choose an area with light and sandy soil, not heavy with clay or waterlogged.
• Dig holes one foot (30 centimeters) square and one foot deep. Back-fill the holes with loose soil. Compost or manure will help the tree grow better, even though Moringa trees can grow in poor soils.
• Plant three to five seeds in each hole, two inches (five centimeters) apart. Plant the seeds no deeper than three times the width of the seed (approximately ½ in. or 1.5 centimeters -- the size of one's thumbnail).
• Keep the soil moist enough so that the topsoil will not dry and choke the emerging saplings, but also make sure it doesn’t get too wet or else the seeds can drown and rot.
• When the saplings are four to six inches tall, keep the healthiest sapling in the ground and remove the rest. Termites and nematodes can kill a young sapling, so take measures to protect them from these two dangers.

Note: If your soil is heavy, dig a larger hole of up to three feet (90 centimeters) in diameter and three feet deep, and backfill with one part sand and two parts original soil; added compost or manure will help.

Growing a Moringa Tree from Transplanting:

Make sure the ground where the Moringa trees are to be planted is light and sandy, not heavy with clay or waterlogged. Dig a hole one foot (30 centimeters) square and one foot deep then backfill with loose soil; adding compost or manure will help the trees grow better.

• Water the planting holes one day before transplanting the seedlings.
• Plant seedlings in the late afternoon to avoid the hot sun on the first day.
• Make a hole in the pit to accept all soil in the bag. Carefully cut open the sack and place the seedling in the planting hole. Be careful to keep the soil around the seedling's roots intact.
• Pack soil around the seedlings’ base.
• Water only lightly for the first few days.

If the seedlings fall over, tie them to a stick for support and protect young saplings from termites and nematodes.