Mighty Moringa!

The Mighty Moringa is a tree that has a multitude of health benefits, is easy to grow, and does not require too much water. It is a species that is native to India and grows well in light sandy soil and is fairly drought resistant. It also grows quite quickly and is great to have instead of Damas in Gulf countries. It is very easy to grow from cuttings as well as seeds and I would say plant it in the place you want it to grow rather than transplanting it as small saplings.

Here are the different ways to grow a Moringa tree:

1. From a cutting – when you prune a Moringa tree find a woody cutting which is at least 1-2 inches in diameter and about 1.5-1.8 M long. Dig a hole in the place you want the new plant which is at least 2-3 feet deep. Place the cutting in the soil and add a micture of sand, soil, home compost and cow manure to it and firmly pack it in, making a sort of dome shape at the base so that water does not touch the stem. It might be a good idea to make a sort of moat around the base so that you can water without touching the stem. Water well but do not drown the cutting. You can also sprinkle cinnamon at the base to keep away pests and avoid fungus.
2. From Seeds -Moringa seeds have no dormancy once they mature and sprout quite quickly. As before try to plant in the area you want the tree. Dig a hole about a foot wide and a foot deep and back fill with a mixture of soil, sand and compost so it is light and loose. Plant about 3-5 seeds in the hole about 2 inches apart at least at a depth of about 2 cms only. Water lighly keeping the soil moist and not too wet. Too much watering will result in the seeds rotting inside. They take about 10-14 days to germinate. Remember not to let the soil dry out but keep it slighly moist. When the saplings are about 6 inches tall, remove all but two and protect against termites and nematodes.
3. Transplanting a sapling – If you want to grow elsewhere and then transplant make sure your sapling is 4-6 feet in height as that will ensure the sapling grows well. Sprinkle cinnamon and vermicompost at the base after planting it and pack in well. Watering should be less but keep the soil moist. Moringa does quite well with less water.

Moringa benefits:

Moringa contains many healthful compounds such as:

vitamin A
vitamin B1 (thiamine)
B2 (riboflavin)
B3 (niacin), B-6
folate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
calcium
potassium
iron
magnesium
phosphorus
zinc
It is also extremely low in fats and contains no harmful cholesterol.

It helps reduce inflammation and so is a very useful addition to your diet. It helps in making bones, skin, and nails healthier as it contains high amounts of Calcium and several B vitamins. The Zinc content helps in increasing your immunity. Moringa also reduces the sugar content in your blood helping with diabetes and aids in lowering blood pressure effectively. Therefore while taking medications for these disorders monitor your levels of sugar and your blood pressure to avoid swinging to the other extreme.

Here is a recipe using Moringa leaves for stir fry: