It does not grow well in the cooler or cold weather but rather likes warmth and sun but can be grown in a green house in cooler places. Seeds soaked overnight and then planted in regular soil mixed with either sand or bark in a very large pot that drains well, and placed in the sunlight, do well with little care. The trees grow prolifically by themselves with daily watering from either rain or by hand, and grow about 4 to 5 feet within a few months. Seeds do well any time of year if you start them out in covered or enclosed “seed rooms” and then transplant the trees when they are at least three feet tall.
Yellow leaves on the trees signify that they are not getting enough moisture, or too much. (Check the soil by pushing your finger an inch into the soil to feel if there is any moisture. If it is dry, then more water is needed.)
Instructions on planting seed
- Soak Moringa seeds for two or three days.
- Prepare soil: half regular soil to half sand or tree bark chips.
- Plant seeds approximately 1 ½ inches (4 cm) deep and place in a sunny area.
- Water the planted tree seeds daily for about 2 weeks until the young plant becomes visible. Then only water enough to keep soil moist; avoid making puddles. Standing water kills the tree.
- When planting the trees in pot find the tallest pot you can. This will give room for the roots to grow as the root is a tap root growing down not out.
- When planting Moringa trees outdoors, they should be spaced at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart and planted at the same depth they sat in the pot in well-drained soil. Plant the trees towards the sunlight giving them a better chance of survival.
- Be very careful with the roots when removing the tree from the pot as the Moringa trees have a fragile root system. Add fertilizer to the soil and water them sufficiently to give them a good start.
- The trees grow up to 26 feet or 8 meters. However, if you want the tree to bush out and to be manageable to use cut off the top when they are approximately 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) high. At that time, cut about 1 foot (30 cm) off the top of the tree. This will encourage more branches to grow.