It’s nearly the end of the season and although they havent been growing much the last month, they still have small leaves. Every day I still eat a few and in a few weeks, when they don’t show any growing, I will cut down the trunk and put them somewhere hidden from the rain, until they start growing new leaves.
This year it took ages.
Sunny window
For about 5 years I used to grow Moringa behind a very sunny window. That was in my house in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. From march till October the plants were growing really well, but here I don’t have a sunny window, only a sunny terrace. A small glass house would be handy, so that’s on my wish list.
Growing Moringa this year
This year I was far too early. This is my first year in Spain, so I thought with this so much warmer climate, I was a real optimist and started somewhere in march. The one I had put in the garden didnt start growing at all, even in june, nothing was happening.
Spring was a bit cold and rainy, so that probably stopped the plants from growing, but at the end of June they started growing and a few of them did really well this summer. I have been thinking about planting two or three in the garden, but I guess it is better to do that in spring.
What I do with it, when it keeps on growing? I eat leaves of the plant every day. I look at the plant and decide which leaves I take off and eat the leaves. You can make tea with the leaves, or use it in a salad, but I prefer just to eat the leaves. When the plants grows to big, I cut it down and it will grow new branches . That’s the way of keeping the plant in the size you want it to be, because it can become a big tree.
Health
So, what’s so special about this plant/tree? It has been said that this tree has the most nutritions in one plant. The plant is rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids. If fights against inflammation, lowers bood sugar levels, cholesterol, protects the liver, etc. etc. More information here.
https://pharmeasy.in/blog/16-health-benefits-of-moringa-leaves/
Growing
The Moringa plants is not a very easy plant to grow, but when it is on a good spot, with lots of sun, it is a joy to see it growing so fast and looks so beautiful. I never had any flowers and dont expact that even in the spanish sun. The tree/plant grows at his best around the equator and a lot more can be used from the plant, like the flowers, the seeds.
But if you don’t want to put so much effort in growing a moringa plant yourself, you can buy the fresh leaves , the seeds (3 a day keeps the doctor away) and the dried leaves, made to powder.
Very recently I went to see the breeding place in the Netherlands for the Moringa and I will post a blogpost about that. Great place to visit and buy plants and also the place to buy fresh and dried Moringa in the Netherlands.