Learn how to grow a dwarf Moringa Oleifera tree that you can trim down to about 4 feet and move indoors in the winter. Growing a dwarf Moringa tree in the house requires the proper soil, the proper container, and certain sun and heat requirements. Learn how here.
Questions Answered About Growing a Dwarf Moringa Tree Below:
Moringa Trees are sun-loving trees that thrive in warm temperatures.
The problem with Moringa Trees is that they do not grow well outside in most of the United States except for California, Florida, Hawaii, and some parts of Texas. You must live in areas with mild winters and not freezing temperatures. They die when they freeze. They are a tree that loves heat and grows leaves prolifically when the temperature rises above 75 degrees. They don’t do well in areas of high winds and no humidity. So most people cannot grow these trees outside.
Growing a Dwarf Moringa oleifera tree in the house does work.
So those of us who love Moringa trees experimented with the best technique for growing a dwarf tree. We have lived in two areas of Nevada and now Indian Mound, TN. I have grown them as dwarf trees in every area we have lived. Growing them indoors/ outdoors gives anyone the ability to grow a Moringa tree and benefit from the fresh leaves for their salads or tea.
How much room do you have for a dwarf Moringa Oleifera tree? How much room will you devote to the trees?
Do you have a sunny indoor patio or sunny living room window?
Can you put up shop lights?
The first consideration is where you will keep the container in winter. Pick a room that will be warm in winter and will get adequate sunlight. You can keep them alive indoors but they will lose their leaves without sun and warmth. I raised our trees in a back room with grow lights and a heater during the winter. In the Spring I moved them outdoors on the patio, bringing them back into the house when fall came.
Do you have room for a 20 gal container or a 33 gal container? They do not grow well in small containers. They develop long and deep tap roots.
How many dwarf Moringa Oleifera trees are planted in a container?
You can grow 3 dwarf Moringa seedlings in a 20-gal or 33-gal black plastic container.
You can also buy beautiful large decorator plant containers as well.
You want the trees to be about 4-6 feet tall in the end with lots of branches which will give you lots of leaves.
Your dwarf trees may not develop flowers or pods, it just depends. I have two of them that did at one point.
How strong are you? Containers with dirt end up heavy and awkward!
If you are not strong, grow them in 20-gallon containers.
33-gallon Cans: The 33-gallons are hard to manage and move. I do have 4 of those but they are difficult. We had to pay two strong teens to move them from the old house and pay to have them moved into this one. I paid 10 dollars a piece for the hard plastic saucers that they sit in. Then there is the cost of the potting mix.
Pros: The trees can be allowed to get much larger in the 33-gallon trash cans. You have to drill drainage holes in the bottom as well. They can be decorated with paint to make them look more attractive. I did not bother.
Container Soil and Drainage issues:
Use organic, loose potting soil intended for containers. DO NOT use miracle grow potting mix. Do not use soil meant for plants planted directly into the ground.
Make sure the container has adequate drainage holes. You don’t want your seedling root to rot. One sure way to kill them is to leave their root with soggy soil. Always keep the area well-drained. Don’t let the container sit in the water that drained out.
Plant the seeds 3/4 to 1 inch deep. Space them far apart. Then cover them lightly with soil.
Water the soil well. Keep them in a warm room.
They should sprout within 10 days.
When the seedlings have two tiers of branches, pinch the top back. The leaves sprout at the tops or at the crotch of the branches.
When they are 24 inches high, chop the branches off to half their length. The tree will then send out growth along the trunk. The trunks will be green when young, ‘woody’, and brown when older. Keep pinching the tops off and pruning the branches back.
If you have them in a 20-gal or 33- gal you can let them get 4 feet high before you pinch them back. In a 10-gallon pot, I would pinch them back at 18 to 24 inches.
When you grow it in the house, cut the top off when it reaches three to four feet high. You will not hurt the tree, and it will reward you with growing new branches from the base and trunk. It will be more like a bush with many branches. This will give you more leaves for your diet. The main reason you are growing it …is for the leaves, flowers, and pods. When less tall, you will be able to have more of all its beneficial leaves, flowers, and pods. Picking will be easier too.
Indoor Pest Problems:
The worst problem I have had with the trees has been soil gnats and aphids. Two tablespoons of Neem oil dissolved in a gallon of water works well against the aphids. We kept the gnats killed with those hanging sticky traps. Those worked very well.
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