INSTRUCTIONS FOR SEED GERMINATION AND GROWING MORINGA

QUICK CONSUMER GUIDES

These short instructions are for home gardeners growing moringa trees from our seeds or seedlings.  There are many manuals and other publications that provide more detail and information on larger scale farming and processing of moringa products.   A selection of these references is available below.

STARTING SEEDS

Packaging and Storage.  Our moringa seeds are shipped with silica gel packets sealed in plastic bags inside the outer labeled seed envelopes.   If you are unable to plant the seeds on receipt, keep them in the plastic bags with the silica gel and store them in a cool, dark place.  For long term storage put the sealed bags with the gel packets in a refrigerator.

Rehydration. Some drying methods can result in very low seed moisture content.  If these overly dry seeds are rehydrated too fast they may be damaged, especially under cooler temperatures.  This damage may be prevented by taking the seeds out of their storage container and allowing them to equilibrate with ambient air for several days before planting.

We use silica gel as the desiccant for our seeds.  Silica gel does not reduce the moisture content of seeds to a level that they are likely to be damaged by rapid rehydration.  We routinely plant silica gel dried seeds without equilibration and have not found indications of reduced germination rates.  There is no harm in equilibrating the seeds if you wish.

Presoaking.  Some growers recommend soaking the seeds for one day before planting to hasten germination.  We have not found this to be necessary and it may promote rot.

Germination on Wet Paper Towels.  The seeds may be placed between wet paper towels and kept in a warm place for germination.  This method is most suitable for situations where space is very limited but mold growth is a common problem with this germination method.  The seeds should germinate within two weeks.  Those that sprout can then be transferred to pots.

Planting in Containers.  Moringa seeds should be started in inserts, pots or any small container that has adequate drainage.  We use disposable plastic glasses with holes drilled in the bottom. They are readily available and economical.

  1. Use any fast draining soil mixture, preferably something like a commercial potting soil that is not likely to contain insect pests.
  2. Plant the seed to a depth of about twice the diameter of the seed.
  3. Remember that moringa is a tropical plant.  The planting containers or trays  should be kept in a well-lit place, preferably in full sunlight.   Keep the seed planting area warm, preferably with a soil temperature above 70°F at all times.  Failure to maintain warm temperatures is probably the most common cause of germination failures.
  4. The soil should be kept moist but not wet.  Wet planting media may cause the seeds to rot.
  5. Most of the seeds should germinate within two weeks. A few will take a much longer time.  If the seeds do not germinate, remove them and replant with new seeds.

Germination Rates.  We test most of the seeds that we sell and germination rates are typically shown on our store listings.

Direct Planting in the Ground.  Some farms, including one of them at a project we support in Mali, have had good results with direct planting in the ground.  This reduces costs of labor and materials associated with growing in containers and avoids the need for transplanting.  Disadvantages include lower germination rates rates, difficulties in protecting the plants from pests, overgrowth by weeds, inability to control growing conditions, and irregular spacing.

 

Moringa Seedlings

Assortment of Moringa Seedlings Grown for Field Trial in Plastic Drinking Cups
Discovery Harbour, Hawaii
Photo © Edward Rau, Sustainable Bioresources, LLC
Use licensed per CC BY-SA

 

TRANSPLANTING SEEDLINGS OUTDOORS

  1. When the seedlings have reached a height of about six inches they should be planted outdoors or transferred to larger containers. If they were grown indoors it is advisable to transition them outdoors slowly before planting.
  2. The seedlings grow fast and if kept too long in pots they may become root bound and not grow well after transplanting.
  3. The outdoor planting area should be in full sun and with good drainage.  Avoid heavy clay soils.

 

PESTS AND DISEASES

Moringa seedlings rarely have pests and disease problems.  Rats, mice and feral chickens love to eat moringa seeds and they will go to great effort to find them.  Some of our tests were showing abnormally low germination rates.  Investigation revealed that the seeds planted in the pots didn’t rot – they were missing.  Rats had entered the greenhouse, climbed up the benches, removed the seeds from the pots and taken them back to their nests!

Newly emerging moringa seedlings are a favored food of some birds.  We have observed the red crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata), an introduced species common in our area of Hawai`i consuming newly emerged moringa seedlings. Bird netting or other control measures may be needed.

 

TREE CARE

Moringa may be grown with spacing as you would provide for a small tree. For leaf production in intensive cultivation they can be planted close together and managed like a hedge.

  1. Moringa is highly drought tolerant when established and requires little fertilization to survive. However, trees given adequate water and fertilization during the growing season will grow much faster and may produce better quality leaves and pods.
  2. Under suitable conditions moringa grows very fast. If left untrimmed it may grow with a single trunk to a height of more than 40 feet. Don’t let it become a telephone pole! Especially for leaf production, moringa must be kept trimmed to encourage production of branches for easy harvesting within reach.
  3. When the tree gets about three feet tall begin removal of the young terminal buds (great for salad greens) and more leaves can be harvested as the plant grows. After the first year of growth it may be cut down to a height of 1-2 feet above the ground to promote branching.  Don’t be concerned about harming the plant; it probably has developed large tuberous roots and will grow back rapidly.
  4. In suitable growing areas the trees may begin to bloom when they are several months old. The flowers are edible and provide nectar for bees.  Pollinated flowers will begin to produce pods that can be harvested while they are immature for consumption as a cooked vegetable.  As they mature, they become tough and fibrous, unsuitable for consumption.

 

MORINGA FARMING GUIDES

There is a voluminous amount of literature on growing moringa as a crop and methods for producing moringa products.  Some of the most comprehensive references are listed here:

Anonymous. 2018.  Agrifarming India. Drumstick Farming Detailed Information Guide.  https://www.agrifarming.in/drumstick-farming/  [accessed 2 September 2018]

Bidima  IM. 2016.  Production and Processing of Moringa.  Yaoundé, Cameroon: Engineers Without Borders, Cameroon (ISF Cameroun) and The Netherlands: The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation. https://publications.cta.int/media/publications/downloads/1930_PDF.pdf [accessed 2 September 2018]

One of the two most practical, best illustrated and comprehensive manuals available in English on growing and processing products from moringa.

Saint Sauveur, Armelle de and Broin, Melanie.  2010.  Growing and processing moringa leaves.  Ghana: Moringa Association of Ghana.  Available in: CGSpace.  A repository of Agricultural Research Outputs.  https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/63651/moringawebEN.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y   [Accessed 13 December 2023].

One of the two most  practical, best illustrated and comprehensive manuals available in English on growing and processing products from moringa.

Fuglie LJ Sreeja KV.  Cultivation of Moringa.  Reproduced in “Growing Moringa for Personal or Community Use”.  https://moringafarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Growing-Moringa-for-Personal-or-Community-Use.pdf [accessed 2 September 2018].

The classic reference on this subject.

Palada MC, Chang LC.  2003. AVRDC pub #03-545. International Cooperators’ Guide.  Suggested cultural practices for moringa.  http://underutilized-species.org/Documents/PUBLICATIONS/moringa_cultiva.pdf [accessed 2September 2018]

Price ML 2007.  “The Moringa Tree.”  ECHO Technical Note.  North Fort Myers, Florida: ECHO.  https://www.chenetwork.org/files_pdf/Moringa.pdf  [accessed August 13, 2018].

Radovich, T.  2011 (revised). Farm and forestry production and marketing profile for Moringa (Moringa oleifera).  In: Elevitch, C.R. (ed). Specialty Crops for Pacific Island Agroforestry.  Permanent Agriculture Resources (PAR), Holualoa Hawai’i. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/RadovichT/downloads/Moringa_specialty_crop.pdf  [accessed 2 July 2017].

TNAU (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University). Undated.  Advances in Production of Moringa.  Periyakulam,Tamil Nadu, India: Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.   http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/horticulture/pdf/Moringa%20English%20book.pdf [accessed 13 August 2018].

Probably the most exhaustive reference on moringa and how it is grown in India.  Extensive information on varieties of Moringa oleifera developed in India.

This page was last updated on December 13, 2023.

 
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