Moringa Seedling Giveaway

May 17, 2015 Scott M. Terry 0 Comment

Moringa Seedling Giveaway

Here is a really cool giveaway that I’m excited to be a part of. The Moringa plant has become quite a topic of conversation in permaculture circles. Knowing that my readers are “plant nerds” like me, I couldn’t turn down the chance to let you in on this giveaway!

If you’re not familiar with the Moringa tree, here is some information (gleaned from Wikipedia and Blue Yonder Urban Farm)…

Moringa seeds are high in Oleic acid, the fatty acid that Olives are known to be high in. It is said that they contain so much oil that you can press the oil out with your fingers.

Some nutrients found in Moringa are; Vitamin C, A, E, B-Complex; Folates, Pyridoxine B-6, Thiamin B-1, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Niacin. Calcium, Selenium, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Zinc, and Magnesium.

Apart from the seeds, its bark, sap, seeds, oil, leaves, roots and flowers are used in making traditional medicine in many countries

Moringa leaves are the most widely used parts of this plant. These leaves are edible. They contain three times more iron than spinach.

Feeding the high-protein leaves to cattle has been shown to increase weight gain by up to 32% and milk production by 43 to 65%

It also has several antibacterial properties and hence can be used as a purifier and as a natural detoxifier. Moringa seeds mixed in impure water can help in absorbing all the impurities.

Moringa seed cake, obtained as a byproduct of pressing seeds to obtain oil, is used to filter water using flocculation to produce potable water for animal or human consumption. Moringa seeds contain dimeric cationic proteins which absorb and neutralize colloidal charges in turbid water, causing the colloidal particles to clump together, making the suspended particles easier to remove as sludge by either settling or filtration. Moringa seed cake removes most impurities from water. This use is of particular interest for being nontoxic and sustainable compared to other materials in moringa-growing regions where drinking water is affected by pollutants.

It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, but prefers a neutral to slightly acidic (pH 6.3 to 7.0), well-drained sandy or loamy soil.[9] In waterlogged soil the roots have a tendency to rot.[9] Moringa is a sun- and heat-loving plant, thus does not tolerate freezing or frost. Moringa is particularly suitable for dry regions, as it can be grown using rainwater without expensive irrigation

Moringa can be grown as an annual or perennial plant. In the first year, all pods are edible. Later years also bear inedible bitter pods.

It can reach heights of 35 feet and is commonly harvested so it grows as a shrub or hedge.

The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant, being a significant source of B vitamins, vitamin C, provitamin A as beta-carotene, vitamin K, manganese, and protein, among other essential nutrients. When compared with common foods particularly high in certain nutrients per 100 g fresh weight, cooked moringa leaves are considerable sources of these same nutrients. Some of the calcium in moringa leaves is bound as crystals of calcium oxalate[28] though at levels 1/25th to 1/45th of that found in spinach, which is a negligible amount.

The leaves are cooked and used like spinach and are commonly dried and crushed into a powder used in soups and sauces. As with most foods, heating moringa above 140 °F destroys some of the nutritional value.

Spring is the perfect time to Plant Moringa, it will love the heat that is about to come and take off… Moringa can grow up to 20 feet in one season if given enough heat, water and nutrients.