We cleared out a storage area and turned it into a nursery for moringa seedlings. (Other plants might follow soon.) They require only a bit of water every day and spread so much joy. Everybody who takes a tour of the nursery starts smiling about the mighty little plants which grow visibly every day.
Our goal is to spread the word about this incredibly diverse plant by enlarging our own moringa orchard at the farm and sharing the seedlings with everybody who is interested in growing their own moringa trees. If you want to learn more about moringa check out this blog post: https://peacewadi.com/2020/09/28/moringa-wonder-tree/.
Peace Wadi promotes permaculture and one of our favorite plants here is the moringa tree because of the minimal resources required to grow it and the fact that almost the entire tree can be used as either food or fertilizer.
The name
Moringa oleifera is also known as drumstick tree from the shape of the seed pods or horseradish tree from the taste of the roots or ben oil tree from the oil derived from the seeds. It’s fast-growing and drought-resistant.
Use of the plant parts
Almost every part of the plant is edible. The young green seed pods and the leaves are used as vegetables. Mature seeds can be eaten raw, cooked or roasted. The roots are shredded and used as a spice of a sharp flavor which resembles radish.
Here on the farm we dry the leaves and use them to make tea or as an extra ingredient in traditional Jordanian food. After drying the leaves we also grind them into powder to use it as food supplement for additional vitamins and minerals in our meals.
Oil extracted from the mature seeds can be used as food supplement or base for hair and skin cosmetics. Its biofuel potential is currently being studied. What remains after extracting the oil is referred to as seed cake and can be used as fertilizer or to purify water.
Cultivation
Moringa loves sun and heat and therefore favors semiarid, tropical and subtropical climate. The soil should be neutral to slightly acidic, sandy or clayey. Depending on temperature and water the trees will flower once or twice a year or even all year-round.
Here on the farm we cut back the trees once a year to 1m height which improves leave growth.
