Q. I planted a Moringa tree for its health benefits. I
understand it is native to the tropics. Can you tell me how to grow it in this
climate?
A. You know that Moringa will be killed back to the
ground every time we have a hard freeze. For this reason, we have to manage it
similar to bougainvillea. Moringa grows on its own roots so we don’t have to
worry about suckers developing from a rootstock like we do with most tender
citrus.
Moringa is one of those plants touted for its health benefits. It is native to tropical and subtropical South Asia and has spread to Africa, South East Asia and more recently Latin America where the leaves and pods are used in cooking. Most recently it has been labeled a “superfood” by the media.
Moringa is also called the horseradish tree, drumstick tree or malungay. It will grow here but it has to be managed differently than in the tropics. Establishment of the tree by cuttings or trunk cuttings is quite common in the tropics. Establishment in our desert soils is similar to any fruit tree by using compost to amend the soil during the time of planting. This is a tree I would mulch with wood chips, not rock mulch.
Marine got can be started from seed very easily. Start them the same way you would start tomato seeds or any other tropical seed. They require warmth, above 70° F moisture and good drainage. Start them as early in the season as possible so that you get enough growth on them before you put them out.
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| Moringa or Mulungay in the Philippines this tropical tree easily suckers when cut back. Moca Farmily Farm in the Philippines. |
You should discourage this central trunk by cutting it close to the ground after it gets about 2 to 3 feet tall. This pruning cut will encourage suckering from the base of the tree which is what you want. You should probably grow it as a shrub, not a tree in our climate.
Let it get damaged in the first light freeze of the winter. After the freeze has passed, cut the plant to the ground and protect it during very cold weather.
You can do this by throwing a
blanket over it and preventing the blanket from blowing away during high winds.
Remove the blanket during warm daytime temperatures. Fertilize it with your
favorite high nitrogen fertilizer that promotes leaf and stem growth.
I'm considering an electric blanket with a cover to prevent, as much as posible, freezing. Are you saying to allow the plant to go through the freezing process to strengthen it or what? I need this plant as it has proven its' worth to me & my physician.
ReplyDeleteI'm considering an electric blanket with a cover to prevent, as much as posible, freezing. Are you saying to allow the plant to go through the freezing process to strengthen it or what? I need this plant as it has proven its' worth to me & my physician.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't bother with the electric blanket. Let it freeze back and it should sucker back from the base int he spring. It would help to pile woodchips around the base of the tree to protect the crown from winter cold temps and to get it to sucker next year. In the future you might consider collecting the leaves and drying them in anticipation of freezing weather. We have Moringa on our Farm in the Philippines and we cut it back frequently to get it to sucker and make harvesting the leaves easier.
DeleteWhere can I buy a moringa tree in Las Vegas?
ReplyDeleteUnless you know someone with a tree and you can get cutting, you will start them from seed.
ReplyDeleteI was just given a two small moringa trees. Can I grow them in pots?
ReplyDeleteMine did well in a pot until it got cold. I think I've lost it. I hear they are not good in pots.
DeleteI have two moringa trees in the ground and one in a pot. The ones in the ground are strongly rooted but no leaves yet. They were planted last spring and looked great until it got cold. They lost their leaves. I cut them back to about 3' and covered the roots with bark and mulch. I did the scratch test and the two in the ground are not dead but no new growth. Should I cut them down lower or just wait it out? I've been watering once a week. The one in the pot doesn't look good. I'll dig it up this week and see what the roots look like and try repotting it or plant it in the ground. I'm in Henderson.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with pots above ground is you don't have the insulation of the surrounding soil. There is a likely hood that the entire pot can freeze. Then you've lost the whole tree if that happens. If the roots are planted in the ground they are protected from freezing better than if they're in containers are pots. We have the same issue with bougainvillea. If it freezes in the valley then bougainvillea freezes to the ground and the roots survive and it grows again from the roots in the spring. If the plant is planted in a container or pot then it is harder to manage the water and the temperature of the surrounding soil.
DeleteIn rereading my comment it sounds like the whole top is protected if it freezes and it's planted the ground. I didn't mean that. If it freezes to the ground, then the like bougainvillea had freezes to the ground and the roots are protected to a degree. But if the temperature drops low enough and the ground freezes than the roots may have trouble recovering.
DeleteI planted moringa seeds last spring and got two trees that looked great. When it got cold I cut them down to about 3' and covered the roots with bark and mulch. They are well rooted and not dead but there is no fresh growth. No leaves at all. Should I cut it lower? When should I see leaves sprouting? They are planted near a block wall facing East. I am now watering once a week. Too much water? Any suggestions appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI would not prune much lower than 3 inches. They need to sucker from existing nodes on the trunk. Internodes are spaces between the nodes and nodes are arranged spirally on the trunk in a mathematical arrangement we describe as phyllotaxy. I have never seen them sucker from the roots but some plants do like elm and there are some rootstocks of fruit trees that sucker from the roots.
DeleteIf you can get by on watering once a week during the cooler times of the year then do it. I would be surprised if you don't bump that up to two or three times a week during the heat of the summer.
DeleteJust remember to water the plants deep when you water even if the tops have died back. Its the unfrozen roots you are watering, not the tops.
DeleteWill let my son know - he lives in Vegas. I add moringa leaf powder to my early morning smoothie every day. And, I have just recently planted 3 moringa trees in my backyard.
ReplyDelete