Moringa horticultural practices

Plants Moringa
#1

Hello ECHO Community members!

Dr. Motis and I are interested in hearing more about the questions that remain within the ECHO network about moringa horticultural practices and how you are managing moringa trees currently. We have received many requests over the years about moringa pruning in specific. Questions like

  • How do I prune moringa for greatest leaf production?
  • Can I prune one plant to get both leaves and pods off of the same tree?
  • After how many years of leaf harvest do I need to replant my trees?

There is some literature we are reviewing on these topics, but we’d like to hear directly from producers - what do you find success with?

  • Where are you located and what are your general climate patterns?
  • How do you prune your trees and how often?
  • What is your primary moringa product (leaves, pods, seeds)?
  • How far do you space your trees?

A great example by Elhardt and Diouf (2023) of a specific system that outlines moringa production practice can be found here: Moringa Spacing Considerations | ECHOcommunity.org

We’re grateful for your questions and examples of moringa production systems!

Stacy

#2

Here in north Cameroun, near Garoua, with a monsoon climate I can share one man’s unique production for profit and then will share my own growing of hundreds of Moringa for planting near hospitals and clinics.

The biggest problem with Moringa is goats killing the plants. eliminating and often eliminating or seriously wounding Moringa bark.

Example one: someone plants the seasonal islands in the Benoue River. When some dry land appears after the swell of rainy season, this person starts Moringa when there is very little above water space for roots. As the roots grow, the level of the river drops so the Moringa is not drowned. The plants are quite close together in rows. As soon as there are two “stories” of leaves, he prunes off the lower leaves to sell which encourages the stem to grow higher and gives him ready cash. He harvests regularly. When the Benoue river begins to rise with the next rainy season, the water level drowns the plants and weeds on the islets giving a clean sweep to restart the growing cycle, some months later.

example two: I brought from ECO Moringa from Peru. Moringa is native to this area so no extra needs to be added, only protecting from marauding goats. This means fencing or active shepherds. We start the seeds in plastic bags which are mobile to transplant out where the seedlings will be protected. Our goal is Moringa dried leaf powder to use in our Strengthening Porridge which is used in hospitals for malnourished or really sick or anybody readlly. Moringa leaf powder plays a HUGE role in reversing many common complaints and even, with the whole porridge fed twice a day, I emptied the tuberculosis ward at the government general hospital. Yet we only use a very little (a 3 finger pinch for children) added to the other ingredients from the Sao civilization. In this case we don’t give out Moringa, we cook the strengthening porridge in front of the care givers so they will plant and feed at home.
In addition to encouraging Moringa, we discourage soy which has one third of the protein and hurts the human body, especially boys. Little baby boys are the primary targets of united nations soy “gifts” to this part of africa … If the boys between 3 and 8 months of age can be given soy products non fermented, they have troubles with testoserone during their reproductive years and thus work with “one world” agenda of diminishing population. (note soy is okay for planting on non fertile soil as it is a nitrogen fixer - I give the leaves to the goats and leave the roots as compost. NEVER eat the beans unless fermented and note that tofu is not fermented). Plumpy Nut is the only UN distributed aid for malnourished which does not contain soy - as the name suggests it is a peanut based butter. Soy has a second nefarious result - this area of the world is a peanut growing paradise and soy causes peanut allergies. Beginning a baby’s nutrition with soy often makes them allergic to their own mother’s in house cooking.

At my own farm feeding street boys and orphans next door, I plant among other trees with ducks at the roots for weed and insect control. The hybrids from native Moringa and the seeds I brought from ECO are kept in seed production mostly with the leaves for the boys feeding.

We have a hundred or so in plastic bags for the clinics and a few dozen within my own farm fence.

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#3

Hi Stacy,

  • How do I prune moringa for greatest leaf production?
    In the short term moringa can be grown very densely like a garden green crop and harvested several times in a year. However, if we’re talking about a tree plantation, they can be pruned once annually right before rains or right after pod production. This will allow a nice flush of greens that can be harvested twice in the year sustainably. Harvest the majority of the shoots while leaving enough to replace the branches that were chopped. This way they can continue photosythesizing, recover from the loss of leaves and focus their energy in growing those few branches.

  • Can I prune one plant to get both leaves and pods off of the same tree?
    Not if you want large pods. The best way to get nice pods is to let the tree grow and not prune at all–except perhaps to control the height of the tree.

  • After how many years of leaf harvest do I need to replant my trees?
    Totally depends on climate, soil conditions, and how aggressively you harvest the leaves. Moringa trees can live well over a decade on their own, so a sustainable harvest plan can produce leaves many years. Observation in your own climate will best answer this question.

  • Where are you located and what are your general climate patterns?
    Central Chad; 4 months of rain, 8 months of dry season.

  • How do you prune your trees and how often?
    I prune every two years because I do not harvest much leaves from them. They are more of a support tree in an agro-forestry system. Trees close to the house get “pruned” by the neighbors nearly continually and they still manage to survive a good five years.

  • What is your primary moringa product (leaves, pods, seeds)?
    We consume our moringa for family needs, so we forage all three products in a casual manner.

  • How far do you space your trees?
    I plant them 3-5 meters apart. In garden space I plant them 1-3 meters apart and prune more aggressively. But most of my moringa are self-seeded randomly all throughout my agricultural space. They are very versatile and can fit into the space you give them. I have one moringa tree that I have never pruned in 10 years. The trunk is 40 cm in diameter and is probably 9 meters tall.