Moringa www.thesandmanproject.org

1. Moringa Uses
and Cultivation

2. Basic information
• Scientific name- Moringa Oleifera
• Moringa is an ideal plant to grow indoors or in
your own backyard
• Moringa doesn’t like the cold and loses it leaves
in the winter
• There are about 12 (13) Species of Moringa
• Moringa grows in a variety of climates and
substandard soils, and it is fast growing.
• A fully mature Moringa tree can grow to 35 feet.

3. Basic Information (Continued)
• pH. 6.3-7.0, well-drained sandy or loamy soil
• Minimum annual 250mm with maximum at
over 3,000mm. In waterlogged soil the roots
tend to rot.
• Temperature ranges are 25-35 degrees
Celsius (77-95 degrees Fahrenheit), but the
tree will tolerate up to 48 degrees.
• Within three years a tree will yield 400-600
pods annually and a mature tree can produce
up to 1,600 pods.

4. Nutrition value

5. • The seeds contain edible, medicinal oil.
• High protein content is found in the leaves, bark,
seeds, and stems. There are unique polypeptides
found in seeds, and high sugar and starch content
of the entire plant.
• The leaves are used for cooking, in soups, and
salads, and are a good source of vitamins A, B, and
C, minerals, and amino acids.
• The young, green, tasty pods can be cooked and
eaten like green beans.
• To eat the seeds, first boil them for a few minutes,
drain, and remove the hull. Eat when still green.

6. More uses!
• The dry seeds can be ground to a powder and used for seasoning
sauces.
• The roots from young plants can also be dried and ground for use
as a hot seasoning base with a flavor similar to that of
horseradish. A tasty hot sauce from the roots can also be prepared
by cooking them in vinegar.
• The flowers can be eaten after being lightly blanched or raw as a
tasty addition to salads.
• The resin from the trunk of the tree is also
useful for thickening sauces.

7. Industrial uses of Moringa Oil:
A kernel has an oil content of about 42%. This oil is a brilliant yellow. It
is used for lubrication of fine watches, because it has little tendency
to deteriorate and become rancid and sticky. Moringa oil is useful as
cooking oil. It can absorb and retain volatile substances, and is used
in making natural perfumes for stabilizing scents. The seed oil of
Moringa contains approximately 13 % saturated fatty acids and 82 %
unsaturated fatty acids. It has a particularly high level of oleic acid
(70 %) Other vegetable oils normally contain only about 40 % oleic
acid.
Water Purification:
The press cake obtained as a by-product of the oil extraction process has a high
level of proteins that can be used as a non-toxic, natural polypeptide for
sedimenting mineral particles and organics in the purification of drinking water, or
cleaning of vegetable oil, or sedimenting fibers in the juice and beer industries. Only
one seed is required per liter of slightly contaminated water, or two seeds for very
dirty water.

8. Propagation
• Grow in pots first, then
transplant
• Direct seedling on field
• Growing from cuttings (In pots
or plant directly in the field.)
• Spacing: For intensive Moringa
production, plant every 3 meters in
rows spaced 3 meters apart.

9. Germinating Seeds
• Soak the seeds for 24 hours
• Put the seeds in a plastic sandwich bag
and store in nursery or cabinet.
Germination times range from 3-14 days
• Do not let the shoots get too long
• If you are planting more than one tree,
space the plants 7-10 feet apart

10. PINCHING THE TERMINAL TIPS:
• When the seedlings reach a height of 60cm
in the main field, pinch (trim) the terminal
growing tip 10cm from the top.
• When the new shoots reach a length of
20cm, cut these back to 10cm.
• If the pinching is not done, the tree has a
tendency to shoot up vertically and grow tall,
like a mast, with sparse flowers and a few
fruit found only at the very top.
• Allow only 4-5 robust branches to grow.

11. Watering
• Moringa trees do not need much
watering. In very dry conditions, water
regularly for the first two months and
afterwords only when the tree is obviously
suffering. Moringa trees will flower and
produce pods whenever there is sufficient
water available.

12. Fertilizing
• Moringa trees will generally grow well
without adding very much fertilizer.
Manure or compost can be mixed with the
soil used to fill the planting pits.
Phosphorus can be added to encourage
root development and nitrogen will
encourage leaf canopy growth.

13. PESTS AND DISEASES
Moringa is resistant to most pests. In very
water-logged conditions, Diplodia root rot can
occur.
Cattle, sheep, pigs and goats will eat Moringa
seedlings, pods and leaves. Protect Moringa
seedlings from livestock by installing a fence.
A living fence can be grown with Jatropha
curcas, whose seeds also produce oil which
is good for soap-making. For mature trees,
the lower branches can be cut off so that
goats will not be able to reach the leaves and
pods.
Termites can be a problem, especially when
cuttings are planted.

14. Harvesting
For human
consumption,
harvest when the
pods are still
young (about
1cm in diameter)
and snap easily.
Older pods
develop a tough
exterior, but the
white seeds and
flesh remain
edible.
Leaves may be
harvested every
week once
mature.

15. Harvesting (continued)
• In some cases, it may
be necessary to prop
up a branch that holds
many pods to prevent
it breaking off
• For leaf harvesting,
older leaves must be
stripped from the
stems. These older
leaves are more suited
to making dried leaf
powder

16. Drying the Leaves
• Place fresh
leaves in tray
and keep in
drying box for
2-3 days
(depending on
temperature
and moisture)

17. Powder for
Capsule and Tea

18. Thank you