Moringa is easily propagated by stem cuttings. Propagating plants from cuttings have two distinct advantages.
Producing plants from cuttings is a means of clonal propagation. This means that the new plant will have the exact traits of the mother plant it was taken from. These traits include: growth rate, growth form, yield expectations, size of leaves and fruit pods. Also the production of plants from cuttings eliminates the juvenile phase. The juvenile phase is the period in a plants development where the plant is too young to produce flowers or seeds.
Advantages
The advantages for establishing a moringa orchard from cuttings include: Uniform growth pattern, predictable yield expectations, uniform growth tempo and shortened period from planting to full production.
Moringa plants can be produced from cuttings stuck straight into the field or from container stuck cuttings.
Field-stuck cuttings
Field stuck cuttings must only be considered under ideal climatic and growing conditions or with the addition of irrigation under hot dry conditions.
Cuttings must be taken during the active growing season from healthy mother plants. Cuttings can be 30– 50cm long with a stem diameter of at least 3– 5 cm. The cuttings are stuck straight into prepared fields and kept moist until roots and leaves appear.
Container-stuck cuttings
Cuttings should have a diameter in excess of 1 cm and the cuttings should be between 20–30 cm long. Cuttings should be stuck in a good cutting mix. We use a mix with a composition of 40% coir, 40% peat and 20% vermiculite.
The pot size to be used depends on the volume of production and the available space for rooting. Rooting hormone can be applied to the cutting to speed up rooting. After sticking, place pots in a high lite area and keep moist. Remember to harden off you rooted plants before field planting.
