Moringa towering over everything else.

Moringa is a fast growing tree.   In October 2016, its height was 20 feet, now its well over 30 feet.  Visible in the pictures, are a few moringa fruits or sometime called drumsticks dangling in the air.  We had picked  a few drumsticks at the lower branches  for curry adds on. 

The tree isn't  two year old yet,  but it towers over everything else in our garden and lawn under its shade, is getting a lot greener.

Pic 1:  Moringa drumsticks dangling

Pic 2:  Moringa drumsticks dangling

Pic 3:  Moringa trunk and branches. Lawn is greener.

Pic 4:   Even the leaves are beautiful

______bangchik and kakdah______

Moringa flowers - SECOND WEEK

Plants behave differently. Each has its own peculiarity as when to flower and when to bear fruits. Our single moringa tree has its first burst of flowers. Its all white except for slight yellowish filaments. Within a week, the buds open up the pure white petals, for insects to come and enjoy the taste of nature. The nectar!

Moringa flowers : WEEK 2

Moringa flowers - WEEK 1

I am tracking the emergence of little fruits in weeks to come.

bangchik and kakdah

Putrajaya Backyard Vegetable Garden

moringa flower buds.

His name is Syed, our neighbour at the back.  His moringa tree had grown very tall and produced a lot of fruits (or moringa drumsticks). During one strong gust of wind, branches fell. He offered a branch, if I wish to grow.  Moringa tree can be grown from cuttings and seeds.  That moringa cutting had grown almost 20 feet and now  is ready to bear fruits. Its a bit quick I guess, just slightly over a year since I last planted them.  The flowers are still at bud stage.

Moringa flower buds at lower branch

Moringa flower buds on the main branch

The Moringa tree.

Kakdah had used moringa shoots as additions in scrambled eggs, and now she is contemplating her first  moringa drumsticks curry!!

Bangchik and Kakdah

Presint 8 Putrajaya

Our sole moringa tree

Moringa or remunggai tree was the one plant that attracted my attention during the last MAHA expo November last year. The little seedling as giveaway by the CFF research team (CFF - Crop for the Future) had finally set foot (or rather root) at our garden in Seri Iskandar Perak. The little seedlings had really grown.

Moringa/ remunggai 27th November 2014

Moringa/remunggai January 2015

So our sole moringa young seedling has to grow and survive without us around. This tree is supposed to be versatile, able to grow in variety of soil condition and said to be draught tolerant.  I wonder if snails are sniffing around and just hope they would allow their new friend Moringa grow healthy and strong for years to come...

It was said moringa can grow up to 4 meters and can bear fruits within the first year (moringa - Michigan Technological University ) . Judging by the height it has achieved within a month in little pot, I can imagine it's height at the end of the year and  the menu carried down the generations, masak lemak and dalca with buah remunggai. I also used to see my late mother mixing up asin-asin and moringa leaves with food leftovers for the chickens. Moringa is definitely a truly useful plant.

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bangchik and kakdah

seri iskandar garden

Visiting MAHA 2014 ~ about Moringa oleifera

We visited MAHA 2014 last Sunday. It was just a short distance away from home.  MAHA stands for Malaysia Agriculture  Horticulture and Agrotourism Show which is organised once every two years.  Hall A, housed most of government agencies on agriculture. Most showcased their latest technology, products and support system. CFF booth attracted our attention. CFF means Crop For the Future.  The team from Semenyih highlighted three plants, Moringa oleifera, Petai Belalang and Bambara groundnuts.

In fact we had been discussing for the past week what to grow in our Seri Iskandar Home. Moringa oleifera or widely known locally as remunggai keep popping up in our discussion. I knew this plant since young, and I can still visualise an old remunggai tree near the open well (perigi) not far from our ancestral home in Sungai Batu, Pantai Remis Perak.  I remembered countless remunggai curry cooked by my late mother.  The tree there has gone .

So the young lady at the booth went on explaining about human's over dependence on rice and wheat. Remunggai can offer itself as alternative , more important as the world is experiencing global warming. And this plant Moringa oleifera is heat and draught tolerant..!! She said the research team is also researching on its potential for biomass and biodiesel production and for intercropping with oil palm and other food crops.

We departed with a lovely souvenir,  a little moringa plant in a very beautiful brown bag.  So moringa oleifera ( or remunggai) is definitely the first plant to be introduced in Seri Iskandar Home beside betik / papaya....

Souvenir - CFF little gift bag for moringa
MAHA 2014

Moringa seedling

moringa seedling

bangchik and kakdah

vegetable garden