WARNING: If you need immediate benefits from Moringa stop and read this first. Even this fast growing tree takes months before you can harvest and enjoy the benefits of the leaves. Till then, we highly recomend our bestselling Moringa Capsules: made from organic Moringa.
Are you thinking about growing Moringa this year but wondering just how fast does Moringa grow? In this post I’ll share with you one experience from growing Moringa last year.
How Fast Does Moringa Grow?
Moringa is a very fast growing tree, but it’s also a tropical tree. This is both good and bad news! The bad news is if your climate reaches freezing temperatures, then the trees will die. The good news is Moringa grows so fast that it can actually be planted as an annual in a garden just like a vegetable. This is great news for people that live outside of the tropics–since you can still enjoy growing Moringa yourself! Just think of it as a vegetable and not a tree!
Below I will show you just how fast Moringa can grow! Keep in mind that San Diego has one of the best climates in the country for growing Moringa. A contact I have in Wisconsin grows Moringa as an annual in his garden. His trees reach up to 3′-5′ tall in a year depending on the summer temperatures.
Site Preparation – End of June
Firstly, one shovel blade worth of soil was removed from the top of the planting site and set to the side. Then a second shovel blade depth of soil was loosened without being removed. Next thee wheel barrow loads of composted cow manure were added. A broad fork was used to further loosen the soil and mix in the manure. Finally all the soil was added back into the planting site while additional compost was mixed it.
After about 3 hours of work, the planting site was prepared; and the drip irrigation was stretched back across the top of the bed. The soil was then watered to moisten the ground before planting.
Planting Seeds – July 1
On July 1, the 4′ x 20′ plot was planted. Seeds were planted in 11 rows of 60 seeds per row. To help keep the rows orderly, string was stretched from one end of the bed to the other and used as a guide.
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Moringa Seedlings Emerged – July 13
Two weeks after planting, here is what the plot of trees looked like. Only about 50% of the seeds that were planted ended up sprouting. The weather was incredibly hot and dry with temperatures regularly in the upper 90’s and very low humidity.
Trees up to 4 feet Tall 2 months after Planting – Sept 7
Just over 2 months after planting from seeds, the Moringa trees were up to 4′ tall! They were growing at a rate of 2 feet per month and absolutely loving the heat and sun! The trees were now established; and we could have harvested for leaves, but we wanted to see how fast these trees would continue to grow.
Trees up to 9 feet Tall 4 months after Planting – Nov 2
Over the next 1.5-2 months, the trees showed amazing growth: several trees reaching 9 feet tall! Although the picture below was taken on November 2, the growth rate had started to slow down by the middle of October. To be honest, we were expecting Moringa to be a fast growing tree; but we were not expecting it to grow this fast!
Growing Moringa for Yourself
While others are buying Moringa powder as the next “Superfood” as published just today in the European Supermarket Magazine, you can be enjoying the even more nutritious fresh Moringa leaves! All while having the satisfaction of growing Moringa yourself!
Depending on your climate, your results with growing Moringa may be a lot different than shown here. Again, if you live in a colder climate, think of growing Moringa like you think of growing an annual vegetable–like tomatoes. Germinate your seeds inside, and then transplant your seedlings outside after the last frost date.
Stay tuned for a blog post coming that provides step-by-step instructions for growing Moringa in colder climates.
If you need a source for seeds, you can find Moringa seeds and even seedlings in the online store.
If you have grown Moringa in the past or plan to grow Moringa this year, I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below. Moringa is arguably the world’s most nutritious plant!.
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Bought a moringa tree in East London in South Africa just before winter last year ( about May, 2020 ). Planted it ( in garden in East London ) but not long after it looked like it died. It was about 20cm tall. Forgot about it. But then noticed 1st of January 2021 it was alive / growing again and was nearly 30cm tall. Now just 23 days later it has grown another 35cm. It’s 65cm tall and looking happy.
I live in Florida and planted a Moringa tree in my back yard. It is growing and bushing out beautifully. Right now it is 10’ to 12. ‘ tall. I will harvest and cut it back before fall. It is about 1 foot from a fence. Should I move it farther away from the fence? Or, will the distance be ok if I prune it each year? One more question. Are the leaves etc.good for cats? Please email your answers as well as posting on your site. Thank you, Patti.
I planted mornings from seeds and live for 3 inches then slowly died in the pots.What did I do wrong?Still planting more till l get at least 2 trees to grow. By the way , I live close to the coast of Carlsbad.
Moringa trees grow easily from seeds or cuttings. They grow quickly even in poor soil and bloom 8 months after planting.
Hi,
I was wondering about the size of root. How deep does it go and how wide. Is it a fibrous root, strong etc. When fully grown how big is root?
thanks
John
Best trees you can fine in Hawai !
Dig holes 1 ft (30 cm) square and 1 ft deep. Back-fill the holes with loose soil. Compost or manure will help the tree grow better, even though Moringa trees can grow in poor soils.
I started planting tree in Plettenberg bay S A
And it is doing well scout 50 % growing. Two month in and 150mm high.
Hi Aubrey
Can I get your contact details please
Should I grow a dwarf moringa tree if I want to eat the leaves. In California by the coast. Only a very few of days a year of freezing weather. Are the leaves picked like berries? Does the tree lose all leaves some time? I want an easy tree, probably needing pruning, do not want it to grow over 6 feet tall so I can reach to pick the leaves. Easy to feed and take care of? Are their pest problems with it? Etc.
Yes trees can be pruned to make them more like a bush. One trick we do is exercise the plant trunks by gently bending them as the grow. This creates a stronger trunk and a healthier tree.
Do the trees present problems such as spreading, to nearby beds of other plants? Will the root die each winter in a climate like Chicago? In general are there significant drawbacks to planting for single season use?
Willis, you won’t have to worry about Moringa spreading as you won’t be able to produce any seeds in your climate. Unfortunately, the roots will die when temperatures go below freezing. As far north as Chicago will mean you have a very short growing season. Im sure you could grow a plant for a few months and see some growth but leaf production will be very limited. Planting a lot trees very close together could help.
The roots will die and not spread. They are not tolerant of any cold weather. If the ground freezes there is no way the plants will survive to spread.
Most uses of the plant seem to be drying and powder milling the leaves to obtain an edible . What other methods will produce health benefits? Like Grinding the green leaves and eating them. or maybe eating the entire plant as a sprout. Your thoughts or info sources appreciated.
Willis, eating the leaves fresh is the best. Also, the seed pods are commonly eaten as a vegetable. The seeds are getting a lot more attention lately and seem to have a number of health benefits associated with them. I will be publishing a lengthy article on them later this week actually. Stay tuned and all the best to you!
I received my one ounce bag of seeds yesterday. Tomorrow I will be soaking soaking the seeds and then a couple of hours after, I will plant them in my toasty green house. I live in the PNW, in Bow, WA 98232. Still cold here and will be growing most of my Moringa as annual veggies since we definitely drop below zero in the winter. Some of the plants I will try to winter over in the green house. So planting will be on St. Patrick’s Day 3/17/19.
I will count the # of seeds soaked/planted and record germination dates and rates. I will keep you posted. Bev in Bow
I have been growing moringa for the past 3 years. I bought some “dwarf moringa” seeds last year and they sprouted but then I planted them in the ground and they died. This year I am trying the “dwarf Moringa” again and I already have seven trees. They will be put in the ground after I amend the soil with composted manure.
I have planted one and now it is 5feet tall but no branches it’s just going straight what should I do
Suvarna, what is the climate like where you have planted? Does the tree get much sun?
I grow this in my Home I like moringa plant . I live In Taxila, our area temperature is roundabout 25to37 C
have planted 6 feet tall moringa tree at my home and on road
total 30 moringa tree. hope they do well as karachi is arid zone no rains. hoping for best. watering by soda water drip irrigatio as we are water starved city of pakistan
but never give up. if there is will there is way. any guidance will be appreciated.
Anwar,
You might try building hugelbeds by your trees if you have some extra dead wood–bury a pile of wood in soil, sow with a cover crop, and plant moringa at the feet of them, even on the mounds too as moringa are hardy.
If you can capture water at the few times it does rain you can store it in the soil for months.
Greening the Desert by Geoff Lawton is another excellent resource.
Permies.com has lots of knowledgeable folks who can share information too.
Good luck!
Joshua
Great article Mark – thank you!
I have a friend that lives in Costa Rica and had recommended Moringa for dogs. I feed mine an organic diet and have been slowly but surely growing what I can. I just came across your website from researching – but had already purchased seeds from Amazon. Living in coastal NC I don’t doubt Moringa will grow quickly. I also grow Milk Thistle and a range of other medicinal herbs. I have copied your link to my Facebook page and will definitively order seeds when I run out.
I want to plant. Moringa in about one hectare of land in the middle of Nigeria, West Coast of Africa for business purposes. Kindly enlighten me on what to do and the best time to start this venture.
very good information i am going to plant it it pakistan for my goats i hope i get positive result.
Yesterday, I read that if cattle or goats eat too much Moringa, it can be detrimental to their health. You may want to do more research before feeding Moringa to your goats.
Thanks for the article. Been trying to start a small scale moringa plantation with about 1 acre of land. Your article is greatly helpful. Thanks
How invasive are its roots?
Generally the faster a tree grows the more invasive its roots and therefore hazardous it is to plumbing, house foundations etc. A fig tree is the fastest growing mainstream fruit tree I know of but they’re very high risk to grow if any pipes are around (which is why I had to give up on buying one).
If moringa roots aren’t invasive I’m definitely planting one to get some quick shade in my yard while the slower fruit trees like avocado take their time.
John, Moringa roots aren’t invasive. They tend to be develop a nice size tap root directly under the tree itself. There will of course be some branching off but nothing like what you are referencing. I would plan on planting a number of trees close together if your goal is shade. Planting every 2-3 feet would be good and you can always thin them out after a few years if you need to.
Oh boy, I’m in trouble. I put some moringa seeds in my hydroponics on November 16 thinking that I could bring them outside on May 24. Yikes, that’s 6 months in my hydroponics bed. I only have 2 feet of height between beds so how can I slow down this speedy Gonzales? Can I just give it constant hair cuts to keep it small?
Carlos, thanks for the comment. I would like to learn more about your project and even see some pictures. I did some very limited hydroponic testing a few years back. I had very thick leaves when growing in my test which was rather strange. You should be fine to prune as needed although at 2 feet max height is less than ideal.
Hi, I’m so thankful for the information I’m getting here. I live in Zambia and I have been planning to grow moringa for sale, I’m convinced the climate here is favorable, is there guaranteed market for it.
Hi, great info thanks!! I live in Columbia, SC. I have a few Moringa saplings and was wondering if I could let them grow outside all year?
Thanks again,
Kimberly
Kimberly,
The Moringa trees will definitely need to be taken inside to avoiding freezing temperatures. I remember when we lived in Charlotte, NC we had a cold snap one weekend in late October — it killed our Moringa trees immediately 🙁
I live in San Diego county and planted Moringa seeds in May. I had a 95% germination rate. It is now Sept and most of my trees are between 5 feet to 7 feet. I think the smaller ones, I didn’t get in the ground as soon as I should have, thus the huge discrepancy in size. I have one Moringa tree from last year that I planted in Aug and was 8 feet by winter. I cut it back to 4 feet during the winter and it is 8 feet tall, again, right now.
I just want to plant a moringa I lived in South Africa I hope it’s will grow well
Thanks
I live in the Phoenix Arizona area and am planning to plant a moringa tree in my back yard. I have plenty of space for it to grow the full 30′-40′ height they supposedly reach. Any ideas for the success of this miracle tree in my area of the country? (I’ve seen them thriving in Hermosillo, Mexico. That climate is very similar to central Arizona)
Yes they will grow in Arizona just fine
How much water do they need? I live in Las Vegas NEVADA
It is also windy in Las Vegas NEVADA.
Wow. Great information..i want to grow moringa in the rainy season..can it work?
Sa
Samantha, yes it’s good practice to plant in the rainy season. Just be sure that you have very well draining soil. The trees will be much more productive in rainy season vs. dry season!
I just order my Moringa Root stock today and I’m eager to see my tree like those in the picture.
Thank you for the article, very informative.
Great info! Keep up the good work
Thank you I have a seed of morenga I wanted to plant this month I hope it will grow fast so will try thank you and God bless
I grow Moringa in my house 1 week ago I like this plant