Moringa trees are great for our climatic conditions with the exception of the freezing temps which, here in Phoenix, seldom occurs. I've 3 and the only challenge I have are the numerous seed pods it produces but thoroughly enjoy eating from it and is a great source of valuable nutrients. Great selection imo.
Hey Todd. Sounds like you know the challenges with these trees. We have some ideas to keep them from our cold winters. We hit 20 degrees solid that killed our full size Moringa on the old farm a few years back, so we're hoping to overcome that here!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Please share your ideas for getting these trees through winter! would love to plant them as pig fodder but we get into the low 20's here south of Tucson.
Love dry farming! Super excited to follow this project with you as the years go on. I am in the process of transitioning my current food forest to a total dry farming system after this summer. All my trees and perennials will be over two years old by then so I am confident they are out of their babying stage and can handle just our seasonal rainfall and coastal influence to survive. I am considering documenting the project for RUclips so I can show other growers in the Bay Area and in similar climates what is possible.
Hey there James! It sounds like you're well on your way to having a self sustaining system there. I imagine your Bay Area weather is ideal for a lot of different plants with the combination of warm summers (but not too hot), cold winters and humidity! Definitely share that here on RUclips. You'll find your tribe that way my friend.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm yeah for sure we have a huge range of trees we can grow here in the Bay Area of CA. Currently I am growing everything from bananas, mango, stone fruits, pome fruits, ice cream bean, citrus, guavas, figs, pomegranate, Che, goumi, opuntia, mulberry, blackberry, raspberry, olive, white sapote, jujube, persimmon, paw paw, cherimoya and almond. If I was closer to SF some of these wouldn’t do as well because of the lack of heat in the summer. But I’m far enough south and inland that I can ripen Jujubes, Pomegranates and other heat loving fruits to their full potential. Ultra tropicals are out of the question without a greenhouse as we can get down close to just above freezing in the winter. Our average summer time temps range from high 70s-low 90s. And the fog that rolls in the bay at night provides good nighttime humidity recovery for the plants. Our average rainfall isn’t much better than you. We typically receive 15” on average. 20” in a good year and 10” in a bad year. The Santa Cruz mountains to my west create a rain shadow effect for us. So those on the immediate coast like half moon bay and Santa Cruz usually get double the rainfall totals we do. Thank you for the words of encouragement I appreciate it! 😁
We have moringa here for generations.there is no need to grow them from seeds, just take their branches and cut them into ten or twelve inches pieces and grow these cuttings.If you want to use them as fodder then never let them grow like a tree.because after certain height, it will be difficult to get leaves from them and also moringa tree starts focusing on producing more wood than leaves.moringa is widely grown here as a fodder and growers never let it grow more than four or five feet and it's not cut and given to the animals.animals are left on their own and graze in mornings field.so grow a lot of them and then leave your animals free to graze right from the tree.and at least once a week watering is compulsory.
Hey Malik! You'll have to let us know where you're located. The plan is to always cut these back to stumps each Winter, no more than 3 feet tall or so. This way we keep the new growth down low and easy to reach! Thank you for the tutorial on how to grow these for livestock!
@Matthew Galvin amount of fodder depends on size of the tree and protein I don't know how much this useless tree leaves contain.although just to impress you I could check google and then could answer you.😁. This tree is present in our surroundings for centuries or may be for thousands of years.we also cook and eat moringa drum sticks.but amount of energy or protein or vitamins we are told are a lie.as a super food ,it's a fraud and a lie.for goat and sheep it's as good as roads grass or any other fodders are.check the exact figures that how much moringa leaves powder has equal amount of calcium to one glass of milk and that is I think hundred grams, can you eat hundred grams of moringa instead of drinking a glass of cow's or buffalo's or goat's milk.and how your stomach will digest chlorophyll in dried moringa leaves.
I'd be curious to see what would happen with a clump of Vetiver grass planted as a companion plant for the trees. With the desire to create shade and fodder for the animals, it would seem that Vetiver would accomplish at least one of those goals. Plus, the clumps make a nice home for bugs that the fowl can enjoy. Even if you don't use the Vetiver for water retention by creating hedges with it, their root system near any of the trees will only help the trees since the Vetiver is known to burrow even through hardpan. Drought-tolerant, deep-rooting, fast-growing... seems like an addition to the farm that'd be worth at least the ol' college try. Worst case scenario is that your animals don't like to eat it. And if that happens, you still have wonderful shade, water infiltration, bug habitat, and tons more mulch for helping build soil.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm It could even be a cash crop for you. If you can set up some hedges and companion plantings to demonstrate how well it can help with the various things, that'd be a strong selling point in your area where folks are all facing the same challenges. Plus, I read somewhere that it produces 100 tons of biomass per acre (?), and that's a bunch of mulch!!! 😁 I'll definitely look forward to seeing how it goes.
8:00 LOL Video fodder. Lets place this tree in the corner to see what it looks like. Yup there it is in the corner we can see what it looks like. A tree in the corner... Time for a shaded nursery and take 100 cuttings and keep over planting everywhere. build your berms and ditches and plant tall med and small trees and more trees. And... Thanks for the videos I love them !
Yeah, we knew when we hit this point on the farm that we would start planting things everywhere. The permaculture side of me is kicking in something fierce now that the cash crops are in!
I am growing 3 trees for leaf human consumption to add to meals for greens. I keep them no higher than 15 feet by pinching out new growth. The tree becomes more bushy. I know you can eat the young pods too, but want just the leaves. Great idea you have for growing them. Good luck on the winter weather.
Hey there Leila! We're right there with you on the greens. We usually dry them and grind them to a powder for our smoothies every morning. We did have a viewer give us a tip on cooking and eating the pods that was actually really good. Basically, you blanch them and eat them like you would an artichoke leaf. They're pretty darn good that way!
We are doing the same thing at the moment Dwaine. We have the same restrictions on water. Having a little trouble getting our morninga to thrive, now waiting for summer We have found a great success with sage bush, great bee forage and our Jacaranda have been going well too, more bee forage. And they look great.
Hey Kezza! I always enjoy seeing your comments, because it immediately takes me down under. You guys are in the middle of Winter, so I imagine keeping the tree happy at this point is the goal. Sage will do very well here and so does Jacaranda. Anything to attract those little buzzing helpers is a good thing for us all!
I grow moringa from seeds and hoping it will survive this winter. It's about 3 ft now. I might cut the plants alll the way down and cover them with tarp. Thank you for the video
Glad to hear those newly planted trees are doing well for you Angelita. We plan on doing something similar this winter to protect them, so I think you have the right idea.
We are up near Chloride and have been growing Moringa for about 3 years. We have planted 10 trees the first year and they died back over the winter. We hit the teens a few nights. We had 4 trees come back from the dead with no help from us but a little water. This year we replanted and are going to try and keep all of them alive with some creative winter insulation.
It sounds like you guys are in a similar situation to us. The mistake we made with the old farm was not covering them at all until after we hit those hard freezes. Like you're saying, they will need a little insulation to make sure they come back strong in the Spring!
I would strongly suggest planting from seed in place where you want it. The taproot will very quickly curl and gnarl up and deform in a pot and will never become as robust as 'plant in place' taproot trees. we have a few of these on property here in Santan valley and they are all thriving.
Hey Anthony. We found that to be the case on the old farm as well, so we're going to try to get them going that way. It's tough this time of year, but we're keeping our fingers crossed! Glad to hear they're doing well for you down South in Santan.
I might also suggest using a hydro jet to core down 2 to 3 ft then fill in with a mix of compost and dirt that is lighter and fluffier than the surrounding that way moisture goes deep in the tap Root follows it
@@foyjamez Great suggestion. We usually use our auger to drill down a good 2 feet or so before planting, so that will definitely help with root penetration.
We have tried cuttings, direct seeding and transplanting, none very successful. Our best method to date is germinating the seeds on damp paper towels in a closed plastic container until they sprout a green shoot, then transfer into cardboard TP tubes until a 4-5 inches tall. We then plant tube and all (no root trauma) outside where they will stay. Prepare soil by loosening about a foot deep, dig in some sand and amend with a little composted manure. Planted 30 this season and doing great!
I love hearing your plans as well as the restrictions you have. My hope is that you find a few desert varieties that would work. Are there desert grasses that also would work?
Hey there Michael. Great question and yes, we do have some naturally occurring desert grasses that we're hoping to encourage on the back of the property. That's still on the future plans, but definitely on the list!
Great choice with the Moringa trees. We have a bunch on our property and I eat the leaves directly from the source and add them to salads, stews and soups. I know a few people who harvest mesquite pods and feed them to their livestock which may be another resource for you and thank you for sharing.
I had a feeling you would have a bunch of these growing on your property. We had folks visit us on the old farm and taught us how they eat the pods in the Philippines. Essentially you blanch the pods and eat them like you would an artichoke leaf.
@@johnlogan1179 I did not know that. We don't have any deer around here (at least that we know of), but I imagine they're pretty happy campers this time of year with all the pods everywhere!
yeah, mulberry! the weed replacing buckthorn! people think it's a mess.. doesn't take much to keep small if one wants.. blackberry trees!! Got 10 coming up just this spring, couple few years old 😋 Was happy cutting dead branches under a neighborhood spruce, finding another mulberry's bushing o' haha, I see you're talking about Moringa tree.. too far north here, but I like horseradish!!
When we purchased our property there were 2 juvenile mulberry trees, plus 100s of mesquite. We left mesquites along one long fence line, and pruned them into tree shape, Birds seeded mulberry along the entire opposite fence line (periodic irrigation ditch), creating wonderful canopy for all our corrals (ducks, chickens, goats). They love the prunings and fruit, and we love the shade!
I'm in Avra Valley, they freeze back to the ground every year, but come back with the heat. I mostly just use them for chop n drop around my other plants, but grow them just in case TEOTWAWKI happens...
Had to pull up Avra Valley to see where you're at! We're hoping to get them to do the same here (survive Winter). Hopefully we can get things turned around before TEOTWAWKI. It's folks like us that keep things turning!
Recommendation on pasture irrigation: direct burial Netafim Techline CV, burried to a depth of 6". It works essentially as a wicking bed, and as far as I've found there isn't a more water efficient grassland irrigation system than a buried drip system. The benefit of Techline CV is that the drip heads are imbedded on the inside of the tubing, so it's as simple as digging a 6" deep, finger with trench and dropping the tubing down in it.
We started with the Techline in 2019 on a small backyard lawn for the dogs, and we liked it so much we've started converting our entire growing area to it.
Ok, now this sounds like a gamechanger and I have not heard of it! Especially for our pasture areas as they don't get any heavy traffic after we get the initial till completed. Off to Google I go....
Annoying to source and I live in a major city, gotta go to a proper plumbing and/or landscaping supply place. Amazon has the tubing, but not all the fittings. Expect shipping time, and I can drop a fitting parts list here if you want it. We basically just moved to non-header auto-flush fittings after the first one, but our planting zones are small (200 sqft each). YMMV
SHIT! Forgot to mention: Techline might remove your ability to aerate and/or till. At a 6" depth it's not necessarily impossible to do that, but you have to be careful to not rip up or puncture the tubing with the machinery. We practice no-till and the automatic flush configuration is self aerating, so it's a non-issue for us. Just want to make sure you know that at the start before you've invested in the tubing.
@@recless8667 we do an initial till on the ground to soften it up for seed. After that it's building soil on top of that "dirt" that we focus on, so no till from there.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm You're welcome. Forgot to mention that the aromatic roots (EO used in parfums) keep moths away from your clothing. Just tie up some bundles. Maybe your pet's fleas too... About Neem tree. If they can stand your place's climate would make a great addition: drought resistant, ammends soil, medicinal, combats pests... Multipurpose tree from India same as Moringa. Mezquite pods are chopped, boiled for hours to get an sweet, dark syrup. In Perú the native mezquite (Algarrobo. Prosopis pallida)is used that way to make Algarrobina. Heard your mezquite's used the same.
@@andresamplonius315 Wow, what a versatile grass! We do have mesquites on the property and in the surrounding desert area. They are heavily thorned and I still have battle scars from pruning the mesquite on our very first property here in AZ back in the late '90s!
for human consumsion, as a tea, boiled and or blanched and in a stir fry meal...plus it is know that the farm animals love to eat the whole plant if they get the chance...from the Philippines
Hey John! You're right on point with this comment. We enjoy the seed pods, blanched and eaten like artichoke leaves. The leaves we dry and add to smoothies as well. That's one of the reasons we plan on so many, because the animals will need to fight us for some of those leaves otherwise!
You mentioned water restrictions. I thought you had a borehole? Wow! You are doing a fantastic job! The woodchips on the fruit trees are working fantastic!!!
We do have a borehole here, but are limited on how much we can draw from the aquifer at any time. There are also restrictions on how much you can keep under regular flood irrigation which is why you see us using alternate methods to limit how much we draw.
Great idea. It's a bit cold here in Chihuahua for Moringa according to my neighbour who tried. I've always wondered if the trunks were wrapped in straw, Japanese cherry tree style, if they would make it through the winter? If they can reshoot from the roots, that's fine.
Hey there Ann! We see 20 degree temps (Fahrenheit) every so often and that will kill a full grown Moringa. Our plan is something similar to what you're describing with burlap bags as the outside layer.
We are in Chihuahua too, and have had Moringa for about 5 years. Yes, they die back in winter, but bounce back in spring. This last winter we pruned back the branches to about a meter in height, then made cylinders of 6x6 welded wire fencing placed around tree (including some young citrus) and filled with oat straw. Very little frost damage, and quicker recovery. This spring planted about 30 new Moringa to capitalize on fodder and medicinal parts, Good luck!
Great observation Danny. We made a trip to Israel back in 2010 and remember just how much it reminded us of home. Especially some of the lower elevations as we made the trip from Galilee to Jerusalem.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I live on a Kibbutz near the Haifa area. You are welcome to visit and stay a while on your next trip..,....although I know leaving a farm isn't the easiest to do. My Son and family were to be in Tucson Arizona for a few years just a few years ago but plans changed at the last minute.
@@dannyhughes4889 ah, very good. We stopped for lunch on a Kibbutz on the way up to Jerusalem. I don't recall which, but we thoroughly enjoyed the company. If we ever find ourselves there again, I would really enjoy meeting you in person!
Most folks do the same here with cuttings, but we have had good success with planting them from seed. Once we have trees growing around the property we'll use the same technique to propagate additional trees.
I'm thinking I got to go out to Google because my memory doesn't serve me on all the plants and I know Moringa is good for many many things but I know there's also health benefits. All the other trees and stuff do also maybe you can give more information on other uses or multiple uses on your awesome plants❣
Moringa is considered a green superfood and is used in many cultures as both a food and also as herbal medicine. For us, we use the leaves dried in smoothies. The bean pods (called drumsticks) taste similar to artichokes when you boil or steam them. These will also be used as livestock fodder for our goats and poultry.
This is a great video! I have been doing some research on Moringa and I can’t wait to see how the planting goes. Also curious to see how fast they grow.
We're excited to get them back into the ground again as well. They do grow very fast once we hit 90+ degrees. The challenge for us will be our cold winters.
I'm not a farmer, I know nothing about managing a farm so don't take my word, but have you ever heard of the trees of the Paulownia family ? They are one of the fastest growing tree and there leaves can be used to feed livestock. They are kind of invasive but maybe you can use those to make a lot of humus fast, a lot of shade fast, and have a staple food for your animals. Also you can sell or use the wood afterward. They are different paulownia so pick one who would be better suited to your climate and need, if it interest you of course.
Thanks for this suggestion Ko. We're still trying to find alternate sources of desert adapted trees that we can use for both shade and fodder. We'll check this one out.
Good Stuff.......you inspire.......I been sick for a few so I got behind....didnt get sorghum planted.....gettin better.... Moringa is my Cryptonite......but so are a lotta things,,,,,lol...Im finding that a subterain watering system is working best for me it seems.....I got cowpeas!.......I use feed bags as grow bags....your ducks will love all those green leaves....if its green its food for the "desert duck".....Pray for Rain!
Hey Dan! What the heck got you down and out brother? There's a few things floating around out there and this time of year it's just miserable to be under the weather. Gotta love those cowpeas. Lori just filled in a few more after cutting back the zucchini plants!
I cut back my Moringa trees in March each year. This year I decided to bury the branches, leaves, foodscraps and some compost. I was thinking it would improve the soil. I went to England for 5 months and when I came back I had approximately 8 new Moringa trees and all were over 10ft tall.
Hey Michaela!! How are you stranger? Sounds like you've been out of town, but what a great surprise to come back to with those Moringa trees! What were you up to in the UK?
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm it has been a long time since I have watched any youtube videos. I didn't realise I put this year when in fact it was last year. Unfortunately, my Mom passed away and I went back for her funeral and to sort things out. I can't believe all the changes you have made to the farm. I'm in the process of moving houses and will have to leave behind my garden and start again in a smaller one 😭
@@michaelagibbs9695 oh wow, Michaela I am so sorry to hear this. I know just how you feel losing a parent and it's awful. My heart goes out to you and will be praying for peace and strength.
I hope your animals like moringas. I planted 2 of them and dug them out after a year because my horses didn't like the taste at all and wouldn't eat any of the fodder, and I didn't want to deal with the pods and such, and I couldn't utilize enough of it. They are amazing trees, regardless, and I might reconsider growing them, but more as an annual crop. I'm interested to see how your plans work out!
Hey Frances. We figure between the goats, chickens, pigs and ducks we'll find somebody who's interested. The pigs on the old farm ate pretty much everything, even the branches! We also dry the greens and use them in smoothies, so we have a few uses for them around here. I don't know too much about horses, but are they picky eaters? For some reason when I think of horses I think grass as opposed to larger lobed plants.
Have you guys also considered Tree Lucerne or tagasaste as a supplementary fodder crop? it might do well in your climate and is a nitrogen fixer as well.
We had another viewer suggest the same here in the comment section. I had heard of it before, but haven't considered it as of yet. With this new focus on desert adapted trees that also provide for the animals they're all on the table!
Look out into the distance. See those trees out there growing naturally? Start getting cuttings and lots of them. Grow them in a shaded nursery and after soem time they are ready to grow free. On the boarder of your land plant all those natural trees bushes and let them hold the soil in the ground. Yes lots or some will die but keep growing.
You make some great points here and we do have a few of those growing on our "livestock" acre. The main tree you're seeing out there is mesquite and while I wouldn't mind a few of them, I've been cut WAY too many times by mesquite thorns to invite them everywhere on the farm. That being said, you're absolutely right. Desert adapted trees wherever we can is the goal on the back half of the farm.
Hey Humberto. How old are those trees? Also, were they planted in direct sunlight or do they get shade of any sort? These trees are usually very aggressive in warmer climates and they need sunlight to really thrive.
Another excellent video. You had moringa tree your old fram, you have previous experience regarding moringa tree. it will be easy for you to establish moringa tree
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Moringa leaves, flowers and drumsticks (pods) are very good food options as vegetables as well. As I am from india, and it's very popular as food. The dried leaves powder is also very good source of various nutrients and specially very healthy supplement for diabetes.
I love your channel. I'm subscribing! Those animals are going to be going nuts with the grocery store just inches away from their tongues!! They're going to be extremely healthy eating Moringa! How do you feel about the Saudi's, buying 10,000 acres of farmland 50 miles from Vicksburg, Arizona. They're buying U.S. properties to grow water intensive alfalfa hay to ship back to the Middle East for their premium race and show horses. They feel it's better to exploit US for water than to drain their own.
Hey there Christine, glad you found us and are joining us on the journey! I have heard of Middle Eastern firms buying land and basically exporting our ground water. I can't speak for all areas of Arizona, but we have water restrictions where we are that don't allow for that kind of water usage. Essentially it limits us to no more than 2 acres of traditional irrigated pasture on any single parcel.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thank you for such an informative and politically correct answer. That sounds like a very tight restriction where your farm is. I'm sure you have to do a balancing act to stay within those parameters. I hope the Middle Easterners are as regulated and conscientious. Thanks for you hard work!!
Excellent video! Ah, but I like mesquite. It's leaves have the same food value as clover. the pods should be ground for most critters but pigs can handle the beans (35% protein without the toxins of soy). Mesquite loves the area, and you can raise velvet, which can be trained to grow tall--and, mesquite adds nitrogen to the soil. 3 of the moringa survived winter, and started to sprout when the rains began. It's fantastic how fast they grow! But, plenty of blooms on one that's potted (it spent winter outside but under the eves) and no pods. I would love it if i got some. Each generation makes it more adapted to here. One major is direct seeded will push a taproot as far as it can. Another is, it's definitely ground squirrel resistant LOL.
Hey Martin! We do have a few naturally occurring mesquite on the "livestock acre" we have set aside on the back of the property. We do plan on adding additional trees back there for the pigs, so I imagine mesquite may be a part of that. I really want to find one that sets heavy seed pods for the pigs.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Mine is getting ripe now with the rains. If this year is like last year, the trees will bloom twice more. A great summer annual for us is amaranth. it likes the heat and sun, makes a ton of seeds for poultry, and they all like the greens. One variety is called pig weed because farmers used to plant it in pastures to feed and shade animals. The seeds are popped for Alegria, a candy. Should I send some seed? Sorry, no peanuts left. the last of them went to a friend up by the big rez, Navajo. hasta!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm any time but in frosty weather. Now is great because they do so well in the monsoon. The deeper the soil the nicer they get. Some inflorescence were 2.5 feet tall and wide, and then side branches bloomed, as well. Looked like the plant was on fire. A good domesticated amaranth should have leaves as big as your hand yet still be tender. niio
We are now planting moringa trees on our west side of our property. However on our north and east sides of property we have 10 8y old male mulberry trees which our goats love. We would like to purchase 5 female mulberry trees. We would like to establish a nut grove, yes they require a lot of water. We currently have 2 pecan and 3 almond trees. Any info you would send our way about nut trees would be appreciated. We are raising pot-belly pigs (not hogs because we can process them ourselves) Yucca AZ
Hey Richard! Sounds like you have a lot going on with your property. Great choice on those smaller breed pigs. We are thinking of raising either American Guinea Hogs or Kune Kune for ourselves as well, but hadn't thought of pot belly. We're still learning nut trees ourselves, but we'll share everything we can!
I know these are growing very slow but, for the future generations would you try pinus monophylla it has edible seeds and extremely drought tolerant, also even if invasive ulmus pumila
Why not go with Honey Mesquite or the fast growing Mimosa variety called Lead Tree? Both can be used as fodder or seed sprouted to make a nice Micro Green.
Hey there Kelly! I (Duane) have a strong aversion to Mesquite trees having had to prune them countless times and "enjoying" the sharp stick from their thorns. The Moringa is our go-to primarily because of the food source it gives us in addition to the animals. We enjoy the seed pods and we also dry the leaves for our smoothies.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I like my thornless Prosopis chilensis (Chilean mesquite). Honey and Velvet mesquites are like fighting a cat trying to trim them. My dogs even like to eat the pods that fall to the ground and beautiful shade!
@@fredgrower8500 we had what was supposedly a Chilean on our first property here in AZ and it still had thorns. Not quite as nasty as the ones we have growing wild here, but still a few. They really are wonderful shade trees though.
Great idea, great video! Now that your trees are getting big/large, do you, when you flood irrigate, close the inner ring for water not to go there, (keeping the area near the trunk dry? Or do you flood all the way to the trunk, even when trees are large? Thank you in advance Laurie and Duane!
Great question here! We do close off the inner ring on the trees after the first growing season. At that point the feeder roots are all well beyond that and it keeps the trunks from being damaged by too much moisture. We do keep woodchips up against the trunk during the summer months to help cool the soil.
Hey Kevin! The trees will be far enough away from any of the fruit trees so as not to cause any issues. We'll be pruning them back very heavy each Fall, so by the time the fruit trees are producing these are just coming into their own.
@@zerotoeverything4348 ah yes, I imagine they do really well for you. Weeds are something we rarely have to deal with and Lori is very happy with that!
I'm curious if you are working with mesquite as well..... Seems ideal for desert-adapted, forage, and depending on species, a marketable product as mesquite meal.
Great question and we will have a few. There are actually 3-4 growing on the livestock acre we did not clear. They were there when we first bought the property. We are starting to see some come up where we have rainwater channeled and as long as they are placed where we want them, we'll leave them be.
Hey Tammy, great question. All of the trees we grow here on the farm thrive in full sunlight. We did an episode on this several weeks ago that I'll link for you here if you're interested in more detail; ruclips.net/video/DKR4aRpd5vY/видео.html
I’d like to grow moringa but not sure if it would survive our winters in ground. It’s crazy how you guys have such a similar climate to ours but you seem to be able to grow things we struggle with. I had citrus at my old house and it froze to the ground every year with lows barely dipping into the high 20’s for a couple hours, but you guys seem to do great with it. I broke down and now I have 4 varieties of citrus but am afraid to put them in the ground so I keep them in pots on the porch, lol. Maybe I should just do the same with moringa…..
Hey Jared. We do see those 20 degree temps, but they are pretty rare. Most Winters we're looking at low to mid 30's on the coldest nights. The citrus don't mind until it's under that 30 degree mark for a solid period of time. The Moringa we have in the pot has had zero protection these last few years, so they do survive. They do have very deep tap roots, so keeping them in a pot will stunt them quite a bit.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm also, to be fair, I've only been in the current homestead since October, and have built a coop and run, spread a LOT of wood chips and had to regrade as the buildings on the lot are nearly level with grade, and removed some dead trees, and a bunch of other weekend projects. I'm just glad to have some seeds.
@@foyjamez ah, ok. So it's really only been a few months in real time. We know just how you feel with those seeds. We just planted Moringa seeds we harvested from the old farm almost exactly 4 years ago. Amazingly, 6 of the first 7 sprouted, so you should still be in great shape!
Excellent video, as always. I love the flyover angle and explanations of where the east and west are. I have some moringas here in Vegas growing in small pots. They're still small, close to a foot high. I was thinking about transplanting them into the ground in a few days but the weather is scorching. Do you think this is a good idea or should I wait until it cools and then plant them in the ground in say, October?
Glad you enjoyed this one and also that you're growing Moringa as well. The biggest challenge with these trees are the VERY large taproots. Once they get established it's actually quite hard to transplant them effectively. We've seen the same thing with Mesquite trees growing wild that also have very deep taproots. If you're going to give it a shot I would wait for another month or two if you can. The challenge for us both will be that first Winter as that can kill these trees. I used to travel to Vegas for work and remember well your VERY cold Winter weather.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I was watching another permaculture video and it was talking about using succulents as a ground cover. The gel inside the succulent makes it hardy to evaporation and the plant can shade the ground. They don't require much water and they would likely be native to your region too.
My understanding is it generally doesn't do very well for us here in desert climates. Our biggest challenge is nothing like that will grow well without almost daily irrigation much like the rest of our annual veggies. We will give it a shot sometime down the road, but we'll have to irrigate it.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I've heard it's a good nitrogen fixer and feed for livestock. I lived in Prescott so I know a little about what you're dealing with. BTW love your channel. Aloha from Hawaii
I was talking to a woman on Wednesday who said her horse would use her lips to flick any mulberries out of the trough when she tried to get her to eat them mixed in with oats. Apparently, horses aren't fans of the berries. Surprised me. I like some of the suggestions for alternative fodder sources in the comments. Can't fault you on wanting to avoid the thorny ones, but I've heard the animals don't care. I know there is a spineless prickly pear cactus variety that can be used, but other tree options should be out there. Diversity is good insurance and best for animal diets, so I hope some of the suggestions pan out. Your extension service may have other ideas. If any of the locust varieties can handle the weather, I know animals are fond of them. Mexican sunflower under your irrigated trees as they get bigger might work too. They grow quickly and are high in protein. I'd also try taste tests for any of the weeds that are volunteering and perhaps sacrificing tidiness for the occasional harvest. Not that I have anything against moringa. This sounds like a great project.
Hey Allan. Excellent suggestions. With most of the initial "cash crop" plantings behind us we're shifting gears and just starting with this part of the project. I like the idea of locust and willow has always been something I have wanted to consider. Moringa is something we know pretty well, so we're starting out with this one.
Hey Jake! That is a painful number. We're on well water here in Wittmann, so it's just the cost of the electricity to run the pumps. That being said, our equipment will require repairs more often due to our type of water usage, so there will be bigger costs down the road. However, that's also a business expense, so it's also a write off. 😉
Great question Greg and we have some ideas. The tree we had on the old farm was actually started mid-Summer and survived it's first winter by us wrapping the tree in grape leaves that fell from the vines. We're thinking burlap with some sort of insulation will do the trick. We're very dry here most Winters, so we didn't have any issues with rot using that strategy.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Definitely looking forward to seeing your videos of moringas growing like crazy. Perhaps you'll be able to change the weather pattern with all your trees. ☺️
so i posed this question to the Brotherton family over at better life together but they werent really sure how to answer. How many fodder trees do you guys feel you will need in order to have food independance for the animals? they live in a part of tx that does get some greens growing naturally. I know here in AZ it might not be possible to really have total independance but im curious at what point does it become meaningfully impactful to sustain the animals off the trees vs buying hay. Might be to tough of a question to answer right now without actually having the trees to feed with
Hey Brendan. This is an EXCELLENT question. We won't really know the answer to that question for a few more years, but we're hoping to document it here. We have several plans for both goats and sheep where we utilize crops such as this along with some permaculture and rotation grazing techniques on the back of the property to see just how far we can take this. The challenge will always be weather as no matter what we're dependent on some rainfall for any type of desert pasture.
I'll have to look into moringa trees, most of our crops were taken out by a flock or curved beaked threshers about a week ago, so back to the drawing board
Hey there in Tucson! Those Curved Bill Threshers are little terrorists, so sorry to hear about your crops. They tear through just about everything if they really want something. They sure make a mess while they're doing it also!
Hey Juli! We don't sell the seeds ourselves as they're readily available online. We bought these on Amazon several years ago and they still germinate. I'll link to one here for you that's very similar; amzn.to/3z83o2h
Hey there neighbor! We originally purchased seeds on Amazon several years ago, so I'll link one similar to what we used. There are a few options out there with fewer seeds though! amzn.to/3A5EjHm
@@tarawebster6797 I reached out to someone in a group on social media and they never got back to me. We are wanting to start some trees as soon as possible to shade our garden and animals. Thank you so much.🙂
@@angelastorga63 If there is an Indian grocery store near by, you would probably be able to get fresh morninga pods. I have never used Moringa seeds. We just cut branches from a bigger tree and plant them.
Why not grow pomegranate trees / bushes ? easy to grow in the desert as they are from Iraq / Iran area so even more dry and hot then even AZ. Also I have a Dragon Fruit that is doing awesome here in Buckeye
Hey Kevin. We actually have 3 varieties of pomegranates growing here on the farm. We're not big fans of the fruit, so we don't have them in abundance, but like you're saying it's a no brainer for us here in the desert! How does your dragon fruit handle 20 degree temps? It's been a few years since we've seen it that cold, but out here away from the city we've seen 20 degrees solid several times.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm So far so good 1 winter in with the dragon fruit and its still alive and with the humid weather we have gotten lately it has grown a lot. I have the Utah Sweet variety pomegranate. still hasn't really fruited, well it does have 2 fruits but they don't seem to be doing well however the plant itself is doing great. My plan is to use cuttings to make a hedge for privacy and food. I tried blueberries and raspberries this year both failed and a peach tree a couple years back that was also a bust =[
You said you had a plan for the Moringa trees in the winter to keep them alive.....can you share with me what you will be doing to protect their ability to live thru winter...how tall and wide do the trees get? How far are you going to plant your trees from the fence of the goats and ducks. Thanks for your videos and all the information you provide to us.
Hey Kenn. Unless we get lower than 20 degrees the plan is to prune them low enough to allow us to cover them with burlap to keep them warm. We may add mulch the burlap to add an extra layer of warmth as well. The trees will get very tall (well over 15') and about as wide, so pruning is a must.
Hey there Scott. All of these trees are newly planted, so we probably won't have much in the way of seeds until this time next year. That being said, you can usually find good options on Amazon and probably for less than it would cost us to ship them to you! I'll to one similar to ours for you here; amzn.to/3oFEHp9
We don't think they will be able to, Rosie has tried climbing it and has not been successful. But we have heard how goats are very sneaky... so if they figure it out we will have to do something different!
Perhaps new chickens are in order. Before you send the old chickens to freezer camp, find chickens that love moringa, and buy or borrow some. If the your chickens follow the lead of the new chickens, then, problem solved. If not you have identified the freezer camp candidates. I would reduce their regular food until taste has been aquired by old chickens.
@@ronaldroberts7558 the 2nd paragraph you wrote makes sense. I guess if I a quasi-starve them, they'll be more apt to eat it. Along those same lines, they have access to some greens, lot of bugs, and their organic pelleted feed of course....so maybe their pallet is a bit sophisticated. Also, I have about six different breeds....none of them will eat it.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I kind of want one but they really take over everything and I'm on a residential lot. Fortunately, you have plenty of animals you can feed with them.
Planted 2 moringa trees from seed one year and one month ago, and one of them is already about 11 feet tall.
Bingo! It's amazing how quickly these trees grow and so many wonderful uses for nearly every part of the tree!
Moringa trees are great for our climatic conditions with the exception of the freezing temps which, here in Phoenix, seldom occurs. I've 3 and the only challenge I have are the numerous seed pods it produces but thoroughly enjoy eating from it and is a great source of valuable nutrients. Great selection imo.
Hey Todd. Sounds like you know the challenges with these trees. We have some ideas to keep them from our cold winters. We hit 20 degrees solid that killed our full size Moringa on the old farm a few years back, so we're hoping to overcome that here!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Please share your ideas for getting these trees through winter! would love to plant them as pig fodder but we get into the low 20's here south of Tucson.
@@krissycus will do!
Love dry farming! Super excited to follow this project with you as the years go on. I am in the process of transitioning my current food forest to a total dry farming system after this summer. All my trees and perennials will be over two years old by then so I am confident they are out of their babying stage and can handle just our seasonal rainfall and coastal influence to survive. I am considering documenting the project for RUclips so I can show other growers in the Bay Area and in similar climates what is possible.
Hey there James! It sounds like you're well on your way to having a self sustaining system there. I imagine your Bay Area weather is ideal for a lot of different plants with the combination of warm summers (but not too hot), cold winters and humidity! Definitely share that here on RUclips. You'll find your tribe that way my friend.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm yeah for sure we have a huge range of trees we can grow here in the Bay Area of CA.
Currently I am growing everything from bananas, mango, stone fruits, pome fruits, ice cream bean, citrus, guavas, figs, pomegranate, Che, goumi, opuntia, mulberry, blackberry, raspberry, olive, white sapote, jujube, persimmon, paw paw, cherimoya and almond.
If I was closer to SF some of these wouldn’t do as well because of the lack of heat in the summer. But I’m far enough south and inland that I can ripen Jujubes, Pomegranates and other heat loving fruits to their full potential. Ultra tropicals are out of the question without a greenhouse as we can get down close to just above freezing in the winter.
Our average summer time temps range from high 70s-low 90s. And the fog that rolls in the bay at night provides good nighttime humidity recovery for the plants.
Our average rainfall isn’t much better than you. We typically receive 15” on average. 20” in a good year and 10” in a bad year. The Santa Cruz mountains to my west create a rain shadow effect for us. So those on the immediate coast like half moon bay and Santa Cruz usually get double the rainfall totals we do.
Thank you for the words of encouragement I appreciate it! 😁
@@TheTombOfHorrors wow, that is quite the food forest you have going on!
We have moringa here for generations.there is no need to grow them from seeds, just take their branches and cut them into ten or twelve inches pieces and grow these cuttings.If you want to use them as fodder then never let them grow like a tree.because after certain height, it will be difficult to get leaves from them and also moringa tree starts focusing on producing more wood than leaves.moringa is widely grown here as a fodder and growers never let it grow more than four or five feet and it's not cut and given to the animals.animals are left on their own and graze in mornings field.so grow a lot of them and then leave your animals free to graze right from the tree.and at least once a week watering is compulsory.
Where is here?
Hey Malik! You'll have to let us know where you're located. The plan is to always cut these back to stumps each Winter, no more than 3 feet tall or so. This way we keep the new growth down low and easy to reach! Thank you for the tutorial on how to grow these for livestock!
@Matthew Galvin amount of fodder depends on size of the tree and protein I don't know how much this useless tree leaves contain.although just to impress you I could check google and then could answer you.😁.
This tree is present in our surroundings for centuries or may be for thousands of years.we also cook and eat moringa drum sticks.but amount of energy or protein or vitamins we are told are a lie.as a super food ,it's a fraud and a lie.for goat and sheep it's as good as roads grass or any other fodders are.check the exact figures that how much moringa leaves powder has equal amount of calcium to one glass of milk and that is I think hundred grams, can you eat hundred grams of moringa instead of drinking a glass of cow's or buffalo's or goat's milk.and how your stomach will digest chlorophyll in dried moringa leaves.
I LOVE moringa trees! So versatile!
We agree, it is a great tree!
I'd be curious to see what would happen with a clump of Vetiver grass planted as a companion plant for the trees. With the desire to create shade and fodder for the animals, it would seem that Vetiver would accomplish at least one of those goals. Plus, the clumps make a nice home for bugs that the fowl can enjoy. Even if you don't use the Vetiver for water retention by creating hedges with it, their root system near any of the trees will only help the trees since the Vetiver is known to burrow even through hardpan. Drought-tolerant, deep-rooting, fast-growing... seems like an addition to the farm that'd be worth at least the ol' college try. Worst case scenario is that your animals don't like to eat it. And if that happens, you still have wonderful shade, water infiltration, bug habitat, and tons more mulch for helping build soil.
Solid suggestion here and we've had a few other folks suggest adding that as well. Definitely something we need to try!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm It could even be a cash crop for you. If you can set up some hedges and companion plantings to demonstrate how well it can help with the various things, that'd be a strong selling point in your area where folks are all facing the same challenges. Plus, I read somewhere that it produces 100 tons of biomass per acre (?), and that's a bunch of mulch!!! 😁
I'll definitely look forward to seeing how it goes.
8:00 LOL Video fodder. Lets place this tree in the corner to see what it looks like. Yup there it is in the corner we can see what it looks like. A tree in the corner... Time for a shaded nursery and take 100 cuttings and keep over planting everywhere. build your berms and ditches and plant tall med and small trees and more trees.
And... Thanks for the videos I love them !
Yeah, we knew when we hit this point on the farm that we would start planting things everywhere. The permaculture side of me is kicking in something fierce now that the cash crops are in!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm MORE TREES
I am growing 3 trees for leaf human consumption to add to meals for greens. I keep them no higher than 15 feet by pinching out new growth. The tree becomes more bushy. I know you can eat the young pods too, but want just the leaves. Great idea you have for growing them. Good luck on the winter weather.
Hey there Leila! We're right there with you on the greens. We usually dry them and grind them to a powder for our smoothies every morning. We did have a viewer give us a tip on cooking and eating the pods that was actually really good. Basically, you blanch them and eat them like you would an artichoke leaf. They're pretty darn good that way!
We are doing the same thing at the moment Dwaine.
We have the same restrictions on water.
Having a little trouble getting our morninga to thrive, now waiting for summer
We have found a great success with sage bush, great bee forage and our Jacaranda have been going well too, more bee forage. And they look great.
Hey Kezza! I always enjoy seeing your comments, because it immediately takes me down under. You guys are in the middle of Winter, so I imagine keeping the tree happy at this point is the goal. Sage will do very well here and so does Jacaranda. Anything to attract those little buzzing helpers is a good thing for us all!
I grow moringa from seeds and hoping it will survive this winter. It's about 3 ft now. I might cut the plants alll the way down and cover them with tarp. Thank you for the video
Glad to hear those newly planted trees are doing well for you Angelita. We plan on doing something similar this winter to protect them, so I think you have the right idea.
We are up near Chloride and have been growing Moringa for about 3 years. We have planted 10 trees the first year and they died back over the winter. We hit the teens a few nights. We had 4 trees come back from the dead with no help from us but a little water. This year we replanted and are going to try and keep all of them alive with some creative winter insulation.
It sounds like you guys are in a similar situation to us. The mistake we made with the old farm was not covering them at all until after we hit those hard freezes. Like you're saying, they will need a little insulation to make sure they come back strong in the Spring!
tree of life dude!
No doubt! These trees are incredible around the farm!
I would strongly suggest planting from seed in place where you want it. The taproot will very quickly curl and gnarl up and deform in a pot and will never become as robust as 'plant in place' taproot trees. we have a few of these on property here in Santan valley and they are all thriving.
Hey Anthony. We found that to be the case on the old farm as well, so we're going to try to get them going that way. It's tough this time of year, but we're keeping our fingers crossed! Glad to hear they're doing well for you down South in Santan.
I might also suggest using a hydro jet to core down 2 to 3 ft then fill in with a mix of compost and dirt that is lighter and fluffier than the surrounding that way moisture goes deep in the tap Root follows it
@@foyjamez Great suggestion. We usually use our auger to drill down a good 2 feet or so before planting, so that will definitely help with root penetration.
We have tried cuttings, direct seeding and transplanting, none very successful. Our best method to date is germinating the seeds on damp paper towels in a closed plastic container until they sprout a green shoot, then transfer into cardboard TP tubes until a 4-5 inches tall. We then plant tube and all (no root trauma) outside where they will stay. Prepare soil by loosening about a foot deep, dig in some sand and amend with a little composted manure. Planted 30 this season and doing great!
@@jcgarcia1168 Thanks. I may use that in combination with my hydrojet.
I love hearing your plans as well as the restrictions you have. My hope is that you find a few desert varieties that would work. Are there desert grasses that also would work?
Hey there Michael. Great question and yes, we do have some naturally occurring desert grasses that we're hoping to encourage on the back of the property. That's still on the future plans, but definitely on the list!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm outstanding! Love your videos!
Great choice with the Moringa trees. We have a bunch on our property and I eat the leaves directly from the source and add them to salads, stews and soups. I know a few people who harvest mesquite pods and feed them to their livestock which may be another resource for you and thank you for sharing.
I had a feeling you would have a bunch of these growing on your property. We had folks visit us on the old farm and taught us how they eat the pods in the Philippines. Essentially you blanch the pods and eat them like you would an artichoke leaf.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I like the pods small and remind me of green beans.
Deer love mesquite beans !!
@@johnlogan1179 I did not know that. We don't have any deer around here (at least that we know of), but I imagine they're pretty happy campers this time of year with all the pods everywhere!
yeah, mulberry! the weed replacing buckthorn! people think it's a mess.. doesn't take much to keep small if one wants.. blackberry trees!! Got 10 coming up just this spring, couple few years old 😋
Was happy cutting dead branches under a neighborhood spruce, finding another mulberry's bushing
o' haha, I see you're talking about Moringa tree.. too far north here, but I like horseradish!!
Oh my goodness, I love this comment. I'm trying to keep up, but I feel like I'm falling behind!! 😂I'm a big fan of horseradish myself BTW...
When we purchased our property there were 2 juvenile mulberry trees, plus 100s of mesquite. We left mesquites along one long fence line, and pruned them into tree shape, Birds seeded mulberry along the entire opposite fence line (periodic irrigation ditch), creating wonderful canopy for all our corrals (ducks, chickens, goats). They love the prunings and fruit, and we love the shade!
@@jcgarcia1168 wow, what a great jumpstart to your property. Mulberries have to be one of our favorite trees with so many uses!
I'm in Avra Valley, they freeze back to the ground every year, but come back with the heat. I mostly just use them for chop n drop around my other plants, but grow them just in case TEOTWAWKI happens...
Had to pull up Avra Valley to see where you're at! We're hoping to get them to do the same here (survive Winter). Hopefully we can get things turned around before TEOTWAWKI. It's folks like us that keep things turning!
Recommendation on pasture irrigation: direct burial Netafim Techline CV, burried to a depth of 6".
It works essentially as a wicking bed, and as far as I've found there isn't a more water efficient grassland irrigation system than a buried drip system. The benefit of Techline CV is that the drip heads are imbedded on the inside of the tubing, so it's as simple as digging a 6" deep, finger with trench and dropping the tubing down in it.
We started with the Techline in 2019 on a small backyard lawn for the dogs, and we liked it so much we've started converting our entire growing area to it.
Ok, now this sounds like a gamechanger and I have not heard of it! Especially for our pasture areas as they don't get any heavy traffic after we get the initial till completed. Off to Google I go....
Annoying to source and I live in a major city, gotta go to a proper plumbing and/or landscaping supply place. Amazon has the tubing, but not all the fittings.
Expect shipping time, and I can drop a fitting parts list here if you want it. We basically just moved to non-header auto-flush fittings after the first one, but our planting zones are small (200 sqft each). YMMV
SHIT! Forgot to mention: Techline might remove your ability to aerate and/or till. At a 6" depth it's not necessarily impossible to do that, but you have to be careful to not rip up or puncture the tubing with the machinery. We practice no-till and the automatic flush configuration is self aerating, so it's a non-issue for us.
Just want to make sure you know that at the start before you've invested in the tubing.
@@recless8667 we do an initial till on the ground to soften it up for seed. After that it's building soil on top of that "dirt" that we focus on, so no till from there.
Have ever tried Vetiver grass? Drought resistant, biomass producer for mulch, good living hedges (non palatable for cattle)...
Hey Andre. We have not tried vetiver, but I have heard of it before. It might be worth trying, so thank you for the suggestion!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm
You're welcome. Forgot to mention that the aromatic roots (EO used in parfums) keep moths away from your clothing. Just tie up some bundles. Maybe your pet's fleas too...
About Neem tree. If they can stand your place's climate would make a great addition: drought resistant, ammends soil, medicinal, combats pests... Multipurpose tree from India same as Moringa.
Mezquite pods are chopped, boiled for hours to get an sweet, dark syrup. In Perú the native mezquite (Algarrobo. Prosopis pallida)is used that way to make Algarrobina. Heard your mezquite's used the same.
@@andresamplonius315 Wow, what a versatile grass! We do have mesquites on the property and in the surrounding desert area. They are heavily thorned and I still have battle scars from pruning the mesquite on our very first property here in AZ back in the late '90s!
for human consumsion, as a tea, boiled and or blanched and in a stir fry meal...plus it is know that the farm animals love to eat the whole plant if they get the chance...from the Philippines
Hey John! You're right on point with this comment. We enjoy the seed pods, blanched and eaten like artichoke leaves. The leaves we dry and add to smoothies as well. That's one of the reasons we plan on so many, because the animals will need to fight us for some of those leaves otherwise!
You mentioned water restrictions. I thought you had a borehole? Wow! You are doing a fantastic job! The woodchips on the fruit trees are working fantastic!!!
We do have a borehole here, but are limited on how much we can draw from the aquifer at any time. There are also restrictions on how much you can keep under regular flood irrigation which is why you see us using alternate methods to limit how much we draw.
Great idea. It's a bit cold here in Chihuahua for Moringa according to my neighbour who tried. I've always wondered if the trunks were wrapped in straw, Japanese cherry tree style, if they would make it through the winter? If they can reshoot from the roots, that's fine.
Hey there Ann! We see 20 degree temps (Fahrenheit) every so often and that will kill a full grown Moringa. Our plan is something similar to what you're describing with burlap bags as the outside layer.
We are in Chihuahua too, and have had Moringa for about 5 years. Yes, they die back in winter, but bounce back in spring. This last winter we pruned back the branches to about a meter in height, then made cylinders of 6x6 welded wire fencing placed around tree (including some young citrus) and filled with oat straw. Very little frost damage, and quicker recovery. This spring planted about 30 new Moringa to capitalize on fodder and medicinal parts, Good luck!
@@jcgarcia1168 thanks for the notes here JC. Sounds like an excellent option for keeping them happy in Winter!
It is a pleasure to see such a well set up and tended farm.
Your location reminds me of the Negev Desert farming communities in Israel.
Great observation Danny. We made a trip to Israel back in 2010 and remember just how much it reminded us of home. Especially some of the lower elevations as we made the trip from Galilee to Jerusalem.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I live on a Kibbutz near the Haifa area.
You are welcome to visit and stay a while on your next trip..,....although I know leaving a farm isn't the easiest to do.
My Son and family were to be in Tucson Arizona for a few years just a few years ago but plans changed at the last minute.
@@dannyhughes4889 ah, very good. We stopped for lunch on a Kibbutz on the way up to Jerusalem. I don't recall which, but we thoroughly enjoyed the company. If we ever find ourselves there again, I would really enjoy meeting you in person!
Here in India, we cut a few branches and plant them to get more trees in no time. Never realized that we could use those seeds to grow them.
Most folks do the same here with cuttings, but we have had good success with planting them from seed. Once we have trees growing around the property we'll use the same technique to propagate additional trees.
Great episode.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed this one!
another miracle tree that grows quickly is the paulownia tree. This could be planted maybe 10 ft from your property line in a swale.
We've had a few folks suggest that one, so we'll need to consider that.
I'm thinking I got to go out to Google because my memory doesn't serve me on all the plants and I know Moringa is good for many many things but I know there's also health benefits. All the other trees and stuff do also maybe you can give more information on other uses or multiple uses on your awesome plants❣
Moringa is considered a green superfood and is used in many cultures as both a food and also as herbal medicine. For us, we use the leaves dried in smoothies. The bean pods (called drumsticks) taste similar to artichokes when you boil or steam them. These will also be used as livestock fodder for our goats and poultry.
This video is incredible! Good job!
Glad you enjoyed this one! We're looking forward to getting these established on the new farm.
This is a great video! I have been doing some research on Moringa and I can’t wait to see how the planting goes. Also curious to see how fast they grow.
We're excited to get them back into the ground again as well. They do grow very fast once we hit 90+ degrees. The challenge for us will be our cold winters.
I'm not a farmer, I know nothing about managing a farm so don't take my word, but have you ever heard of the trees of the Paulownia family ? They are one of the fastest growing tree and there leaves can be used to feed livestock. They are kind of invasive but maybe you can use those to make a lot of humus fast, a lot of shade fast, and have a staple food for your animals. Also you can sell or use the wood afterward.
They are different paulownia so pick one who would be better suited to your climate and need, if it interest you of course.
Thanks for this suggestion Ko. We're still trying to find alternate sources of desert adapted trees that we can use for both shade and fodder. We'll check this one out.
Good Stuff.......you inspire.......I been sick for a few so I got behind....didnt get sorghum planted.....gettin better.... Moringa is my Cryptonite......but so are a lotta things,,,,,lol...Im finding that a subterain watering system is working best for me it seems.....I got cowpeas!.......I use feed bags as grow bags....your ducks will love all those green leaves....if its green its food for the "desert duck".....Pray for Rain!
Hey Dan! What the heck got you down and out brother? There's a few things floating around out there and this time of year it's just miserable to be under the weather. Gotta love those cowpeas. Lori just filled in a few more after cutting back the zucchini plants!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm not sure what it was but it sure was like flu....:)
Wendy got it also
@@desertdanblacksmith1394 I imagine it's the new version of the "crud" that keeps winding it's way around. Glad to hear you're on the mend.
I cut back my Moringa trees in March each year. This year I decided to bury the branches, leaves, foodscraps and some compost. I was thinking it would improve the soil. I went to England for 5 months and when I came back I had approximately 8 new Moringa trees and all were over 10ft tall.
Hey Michaela!! How are you stranger? Sounds like you've been out of town, but what a great surprise to come back to with those Moringa trees! What were you up to in the UK?
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm it has been a long time since I have watched any youtube videos. I didn't realise I put this year when in fact it was last year. Unfortunately, my Mom passed away and I went back for her funeral and to sort things out.
I can't believe all the changes you have made to the farm. I'm in the process of moving houses and will have to leave behind my garden and start again in a smaller one 😭
@@michaelagibbs9695 oh wow, Michaela I am so sorry to hear this. I know just how you feel losing a parent and it's awful. My heart goes out to you and will be praying for peace and strength.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thank you ❤
I hope your animals like moringas. I planted 2 of them and dug them out after a year because my horses didn't like the taste at all and wouldn't eat any of the fodder, and I didn't want to deal with the pods and such, and I couldn't utilize enough of it. They are amazing trees, regardless, and I might reconsider growing them, but more as an annual crop. I'm interested to see how your plans work out!
Hey Frances. We figure between the goats, chickens, pigs and ducks we'll find somebody who's interested. The pigs on the old farm ate pretty much everything, even the branches! We also dry the greens and use them in smoothies, so we have a few uses for them around here. I don't know too much about horses, but are they picky eaters? For some reason when I think of horses I think grass as opposed to larger lobed plants.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm mine love my mulberries, and their pruning job shows just how much, lol. I thought I planted them out of their reach...
@@OnlyNaturally oh, I can only imagine how well those are pruned around their eye level!
Moringa apparently don't cope well transplanting. Looking forward to seeing the progress. Fantastic idea to get moringa going!!!
We've found the same to be the case as well. These have very deep taproots and much like mesquite, prefer to grow where they sprout!
Hello. Moringa in my area is grown by planting the stems into the ground, maybe you can try
Hey there Joen. We do plan on propagating them that way once we get these established. It would sure save us some time!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm And then if later the leaves a lot can be used as a dish in the form of soup. Good luck
Have you guys also considered Tree Lucerne or tagasaste as a supplementary fodder crop? it might do well in your climate and is a nitrogen fixer as well.
We had another viewer suggest the same here in the comment section. I had heard of it before, but haven't considered it as of yet. With this new focus on desert adapted trees that also provide for the animals they're all on the table!
Look out into the distance. See those trees out there growing naturally? Start getting cuttings and lots of them. Grow them in a shaded nursery and after soem time they are ready to grow free. On the boarder of your land plant all those natural trees bushes and let them hold the soil in the ground. Yes lots or some will die but keep growing.
You make some great points here and we do have a few of those growing on our "livestock" acre. The main tree you're seeing out there is mesquite and while I wouldn't mind a few of them, I've been cut WAY too many times by mesquite thorns to invite them everywhere on the farm. That being said, you're absolutely right. Desert adapted trees wherever we can is the goal on the back half of the farm.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm good point thanks didnt know they had thorns. cool
Here in mexicali i have some troubles with moringa
The trees have a few leaves, look like if they were dead all the time
Hey Humberto. How old are those trees? Also, were they planted in direct sunlight or do they get shade of any sort? These trees are usually very aggressive in warmer climates and they need sunlight to really thrive.
Awesome plan
We're hoping it pans out. Best laid plans and all!
Another excellent video. You had moringa tree your old fram, you have previous experience regarding moringa tree. it will be easy for you to establish moringa tree
Thanks Abid, hopefully we will be able to keep these ones alive lol!
Other than seeds, Moringa can also be propagated with branches.
We've seen folks do that before, but with mixed results here in AZ.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Moringa leaves, flowers and drumsticks (pods) are very good food options as vegetables as well. As I am from india, and it's very popular as food. The dried leaves powder is also very good source of various nutrients and specially very healthy supplement for diabetes.
@@praveenJacksport It really is amazing how useful this tree is...and tasty as well!
I love your channel. I'm subscribing!
Those animals are going to be going nuts with the grocery store just inches away from their tongues!! They're going to be extremely healthy eating Moringa!
How do you feel about the Saudi's, buying 10,000 acres of farmland 50 miles from Vicksburg, Arizona. They're buying U.S. properties to grow water intensive alfalfa hay to ship back to the Middle East for their premium race and show horses. They feel it's better to exploit US for water than to drain their own.
Hey there Christine, glad you found us and are joining us on the journey! I have heard of Middle Eastern firms buying land and basically exporting our ground water. I can't speak for all areas of Arizona, but we have water restrictions where we are that don't allow for that kind of water usage. Essentially it limits us to no more than 2 acres of traditional irrigated pasture on any single parcel.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thank you for such an informative and politically correct answer. That sounds like a very tight restriction where your farm is. I'm sure you have to do a balancing act to stay within those parameters. I hope the Middle Easterners are as regulated and conscientious.
Thanks for you hard work!!
Excellent video!
Ah, but I like mesquite. It's leaves have the same food value as clover. the pods should be ground for most critters but pigs can handle the beans (35% protein without the toxins of soy). Mesquite loves the area, and you can raise velvet, which can be trained to grow tall--and, mesquite adds nitrogen to the soil.
3 of the moringa survived winter, and started to sprout when the rains began. It's fantastic how fast they grow! But, plenty of blooms on one that's potted (it spent winter outside but under the eves) and no pods. I would love it if i got some. Each generation makes it more adapted to here. One major is direct seeded will push a taproot as far as it can. Another is, it's definitely ground squirrel resistant LOL.
Hey Martin! We do have a few naturally occurring mesquite on the "livestock acre" we have set aside on the back of the property. We do plan on adding additional trees back there for the pigs, so I imagine mesquite may be a part of that. I really want to find one that sets heavy seed pods for the pigs.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Mine is getting ripe now with the rains. If this year is like last year, the trees will bloom twice more.
A great summer annual for us is amaranth. it likes the heat and sun, makes a ton of seeds for poultry, and they all like the greens. One variety is called pig weed because farmers used to plant it in pastures to feed and shade animals. The seeds are popped for Alegria, a candy. Should I send some seed? Sorry, no peanuts left. the last of them went to a friend up by the big rez, Navajo. hasta!
@@marschlosser4540 when do you plant Amaranth?
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm any time but in frosty weather. Now is great because they do so well in the monsoon. The deeper the soil the nicer they get. Some inflorescence were 2.5 feet tall and wide, and then side branches bloomed, as well. Looked like the plant was on fire. A good domesticated amaranth should have leaves as big as your hand yet still be tender. niio
We are now planting moringa trees on our west side of our property. However on our north and east sides of property we have 10 8y old male mulberry trees which our goats love. We would like to purchase 5 female mulberry trees.
We would like to establish a nut grove, yes they require a lot of water. We currently have 2 pecan and 3 almond trees. Any info you would send our way about nut trees would be appreciated. We are raising pot-belly pigs (not hogs because we can process them ourselves)
Yucca AZ
Hey Richard! Sounds like you have a lot going on with your property. Great choice on those smaller breed pigs. We are thinking of raising either American Guinea Hogs or Kune Kune for ourselves as well, but hadn't thought of pot belly. We're still learning nut trees ourselves, but we'll share everything we can!
I know these are growing very slow but, for the future generations would you try pinus monophylla it has edible seeds and extremely drought tolerant, also even if invasive ulmus pumila
Thanks for those suggestions Yurii. I'll take a look at those!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm pinus can survive on 8 inches or rain a year from what I read, good luck
Why not go with Honey Mesquite or the fast growing Mimosa variety called Lead Tree? Both can be used as fodder or seed sprouted to make a nice Micro Green.
Hey there Kelly! I (Duane) have a strong aversion to Mesquite trees having had to prune them countless times and "enjoying" the sharp stick from their thorns. The Moringa is our go-to primarily because of the food source it gives us in addition to the animals. We enjoy the seed pods and we also dry the leaves for our smoothies.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I like my thornless Prosopis chilensis (Chilean mesquite). Honey and Velvet mesquites are like fighting a cat trying to trim them. My dogs even like to eat the pods that fall to the ground and beautiful shade!
@@fredgrower8500 we had what was supposedly a Chilean on our first property here in AZ and it still had thorns. Not quite as nasty as the ones we have growing wild here, but still a few. They really are wonderful shade trees though.
You can also do cuttings much esier to grow
Hey Marlon! We've had several folks suggest that and we may give it a shot once we have some tree established.
Great idea, great video!
Now that your trees are getting big/large, do you, when you flood irrigate, close the inner ring for water not to go there, (keeping the area near the trunk dry?
Or do you flood all the way to the trunk, even when trees are large?
Thank you in advance Laurie and Duane!
Great question here! We do close off the inner ring on the trees after the first growing season. At that point the feeder roots are all well beyond that and it keeps the trunks from being damaged by too much moisture. We do keep woodchips up against the trunk during the summer months to help cool the soil.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm
Great, thank you for your answer!
Outstanding plans! Any concern with Moringa shading your pome fruit to the east? I need to look into that for our desert yard
Hey Kevin! The trees will be far enough away from any of the fruit trees so as not to cause any issues. We'll be pruning them back very heavy each Fall, so by the time the fruit trees are producing these are just coming into their own.
never seen someone in my country planting moringga using seeds
We have had good success with it here, not having folks around us to take cuttings from. What country are you in?
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm philippines, tropical, so yeah 😁😁😁
im still jelous of your field though, i need to control the weeds before planting anything.
@@zerotoeverything4348 ah yes, I imagine they do really well for you. Weeds are something we rarely have to deal with and Lori is very happy with that!
I'm curious if you are working with mesquite as well..... Seems ideal for desert-adapted, forage, and depending on species, a marketable product as mesquite meal.
Great question and we will have a few. There are actually 3-4 growing on the livestock acre we did not clear. They were there when we first bought the property. We are starting to see some come up where we have rainwater channeled and as long as they are placed where we want them, we'll leave them be.
Have you also looked into tagasaste, also called tree lucerne?
Hey Elizabeth. I have not heard of that tree before, so off to Google I go!!...
do you not use shade cloths/sails to reduce direct sunlight/evaporation?
Hey Tammy, great question. All of the trees we grow here on the farm thrive in full sunlight. We did an episode on this several weeks ago that I'll link for you here if you're interested in more detail;
ruclips.net/video/DKR4aRpd5vY/видео.html
I’d like to grow moringa but not sure if it would survive our winters in ground. It’s crazy how you guys have such a similar climate to ours but you seem to be able to grow things we struggle with. I had citrus at my old house and it froze to the ground every year with lows barely dipping into the high 20’s for a couple hours, but you guys seem to do great with it. I broke down and now I have 4 varieties of citrus but am afraid to put them in the ground so I keep them in pots on the porch, lol. Maybe I should just do the same with moringa…..
Hey Jared. We do see those 20 degree temps, but they are pretty rare. Most Winters we're looking at low to mid 30's on the coldest nights. The citrus don't mind until it's under that 30 degree mark for a solid period of time. The Moringa we have in the pot has had zero protection these last few years, so they do survive. They do have very deep tap roots, so keeping them in a pot will stunt them quite a bit.
I've got about a hundred seeds that I ordered two years ago and I still haven't got things planning
They do grow a bit better once they're planted. 😉
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm that's what I'm told
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm also, to be fair, I've only been in the current homestead since October, and have built a coop and run, spread a LOT of wood chips and had to regrade as the buildings on the lot are nearly level with grade, and removed some dead trees, and a bunch of other weekend projects. I'm just glad to have some seeds.
@@foyjamez ah, ok. So it's really only been a few months in real time. We know just how you feel with those seeds. We just planted Moringa seeds we harvested from the old farm almost exactly 4 years ago. Amazingly, 6 of the first 7 sprouted, so you should still be in great shape!
My goats love eating cacti and I only water every 1-2 weeks.
Are you talking about prickly pear?
Now that sounds like a great option for goats in a desert! It's amazing to watch them chow down on dried sticks like they're eating fresh cut grass!
Excellent video, as always. I love the flyover angle and explanations of where the east and west are. I have some moringas here in Vegas growing in small pots. They're still small, close to a foot high. I was thinking about transplanting them into the ground in a few days but the weather is scorching. Do you think this is a good idea or should I wait until it cools and then plant them in the ground in say, October?
Glad you enjoyed this one and also that you're growing Moringa as well. The biggest challenge with these trees are the VERY large taproots. Once they get established it's actually quite hard to transplant them effectively. We've seen the same thing with Mesquite trees growing wild that also have very deep taproots. If you're going to give it a shot I would wait for another month or two if you can. The challenge for us both will be that first Winter as that can kill these trees. I used to travel to Vegas for work and remember well your VERY cold Winter weather.
Will you also be planting suculants?
We don't currently have plans for any at this time.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I was watching another permaculture video and it was talking about using succulents as a ground cover. The gel inside the succulent makes it hardy to evaporation and the plant can shade the ground. They don't require much water and they would likely be native to your region too.
@@gm2407 They are definitely worth looking into to see if there is a way for us to easily integrate them into the existing systems.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Discover Permaculture with Geoff Lawton talked about one which is really easy to integrate in the last video it is worth a watch.
@@gm2407 Is it in the one he posted today?
Will comfrey grow there?
My understanding is it generally doesn't do very well for us here in desert climates. Our biggest challenge is nothing like that will grow well without almost daily irrigation much like the rest of our annual veggies. We will give it a shot sometime down the road, but we'll have to irrigate it.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I've heard it's a good nitrogen fixer and feed for livestock. I lived in Prescott so I know a little about what you're dealing with. BTW love your channel. Aloha from Hawaii
@@missbehavin8673 it is a very good fodder source and fantastic for the soil.
Wow, what a move to go from Prescott to Hawaii!
I was talking to a woman on Wednesday who said her horse would use her lips to flick any mulberries out of the trough when she tried to get her to eat them mixed in with oats.
Apparently, horses aren't fans of the berries. Surprised me.
I like some of the suggestions for alternative fodder sources in the comments. Can't fault you on wanting to avoid the thorny ones, but I've heard the animals don't care. I know there is a spineless prickly pear cactus variety that can be used, but other tree options should be out there. Diversity is good insurance and best for animal diets, so I hope some of the suggestions pan out. Your extension service may have other ideas. If any of the locust varieties can handle the weather, I know animals are fond of them. Mexican sunflower under your irrigated trees as they get bigger might work too. They grow quickly and are high in protein. I'd also try taste tests for any of the weeds that are volunteering and perhaps sacrificing tidiness for the occasional harvest.
Not that I have anything against moringa. This sounds like a great project.
Hey Allan. Excellent suggestions. With most of the initial "cash crop" plantings behind us we're shifting gears and just starting with this part of the project. I like the idea of locust and willow has always been something I have wanted to consider. Moringa is something we know pretty well, so we're starting out with this one.
How much is ur water bill $.!?!. Mine was 700$ in queen creek 🤔
Hey Jake! That is a painful number. We're on well water here in Wittmann, so it's just the cost of the electricity to run the pumps. That being said, our equipment will require repairs more often due to our type of water usage, so there will be bigger costs down the road. However, that's also a business expense, so it's also a write off. 😉
How are you going to keep them from freezing to death?
Great question Greg and we have some ideas. The tree we had on the old farm was actually started mid-Summer and survived it's first winter by us wrapping the tree in grape leaves that fell from the vines. We're thinking burlap with some sort of insulation will do the trick. We're very dry here most Winters, so we didn't have any issues with rot using that strategy.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Definitely looking forward to seeing your videos of moringas growing like crazy. Perhaps you'll be able to change the weather pattern with all your trees. ☺️
@@Greg-McIver wouldn't it be cool to have rainstorms just decide to stop skipping over us and downpour instead!
so i posed this question to the Brotherton family over at better life together but they werent really sure how to answer.
How many fodder trees do you guys feel you will need in order to have food independance for the animals? they live in a part of tx that does get some greens growing naturally. I know here in AZ it might not be possible to really have total independance but im curious at what point does it become meaningfully impactful to sustain the animals off the trees vs buying hay.
Might be to tough of a question to answer right now without actually having the trees to feed with
Hey Brendan. This is an EXCELLENT question. We won't really know the answer to that question for a few more years, but we're hoping to document it here. We have several plans for both goats and sheep where we utilize crops such as this along with some permaculture and rotation grazing techniques on the back of the property to see just how far we can take this. The challenge will always be weather as no matter what we're dependent on some rainfall for any type of desert pasture.
Howdy howdy from Tucson
I'll have to look into moringa trees, most of our crops were taken out by a flock or curved beaked threshers about a week ago, so back to the drawing board
Hey there in Tucson! Those Curved Bill Threshers are little terrorists, so sorry to hear about your crops. They tear through just about everything if they really want something. They sure make a mess while they're doing it also!
Great work! If only moringa was also a nitrogen fixer. Even my chickens will eat the leaves!
Hey Lauren! These trees really are amazing and the potential for both human and animal consumption is hard to beat!
How can I order seeds from you?
Hey Juli! We don't sell the seeds ourselves as they're readily available online. We bought these on Amazon several years ago and they still germinate. I'll link to one here for you that's very similar;
amzn.to/3z83o2h
Do you sell moringa seeds? I’ve been trying to find some and have not been successful at all. Located in Buckeye.
Hey there neighbor! We originally purchased seeds on Amazon several years ago, so I'll link one similar to what we used. There are a few options out there with fewer seeds though!
amzn.to/3A5EjHm
I bet if anyone near you has a moringa tree they would gladly give to seeds. Even small trees produce a lot of seeds.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thank you so much!
@@tarawebster6797 I reached out to someone in a group on social media and they never got back to me. We are wanting to start some trees as soon as possible to shade our garden and animals. Thank you so much.🙂
@@angelastorga63 If there is an Indian grocery store near by, you would probably be able to get fresh morninga pods. I have never used Moringa seeds. We just cut branches from a bigger tree and plant them.
Why not grow pomegranate trees / bushes ? easy to grow in the desert as they are from Iraq / Iran area so even more dry and hot then even AZ. Also I have a Dragon Fruit that is doing awesome here in Buckeye
Hey Kevin. We actually have 3 varieties of pomegranates growing here on the farm. We're not big fans of the fruit, so we don't have them in abundance, but like you're saying it's a no brainer for us here in the desert! How does your dragon fruit handle 20 degree temps? It's been a few years since we've seen it that cold, but out here away from the city we've seen 20 degrees solid several times.
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm So far so good 1 winter in with the dragon fruit and its still alive and with the humid weather we have gotten lately it has grown a lot. I have the Utah Sweet variety pomegranate. still hasn't really fruited, well it does have 2 fruits but they don't seem to be doing well however the plant itself is doing great. My plan is to use cuttings to make a hedge for privacy and food. I tried blueberries and raspberries this year both failed and a peach tree a couple years back that was also a bust =[
@@kevintunaley5079 I'm hopeful you get that dragon fruit to set. Those are very cool fruit!
You said you had a plan for the Moringa trees in the winter to keep them alive.....can you share with me what you will be doing to protect their ability to live thru winter...how tall and wide do the trees get? How far are you going to plant your trees from the fence of the goats and ducks. Thanks for your videos and all the information you provide to us.
Hey Kenn. Unless we get lower than 20 degrees the plan is to prune them low enough to allow us to cover them with burlap to keep them warm. We may add mulch the burlap to add an extra layer of warmth as well. The trees will get very tall (well over 15') and about as wide, so pruning is a must.
Wanna send me some moringa seeds? How long until you have a tree that produces more seeds?
Hey there Scott. All of these trees are newly planted, so we probably won't have much in the way of seeds until this time next year. That being said, you can usually find good options on Amazon and probably for less than it would cost us to ship them to you! I'll to one similar to ours for you here;
amzn.to/3oFEHp9
💚💚💚💚
Thanks Kristin!
Are those goats able to jump on the pallets and get out?
We don't think they will be able to, Rosie has tried climbing it and has not been successful. But we have heard how goats are very sneaky... so if they figure it out we will have to do something different!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm awesome !!! bahhhh
My chickens will not eat any part of a moringa
Hi Mike, I am curious if maybe dried some leaves and added to other feed would help?
Hey Mike. That's strange. Our layers on the old farm would eat the leaves and the flowers, so I'm surprised you're not seeing the same.
Perhaps new chickens are in order. Before you send the old chickens to freezer camp, find chickens that love moringa, and buy or borrow some. If the your chickens follow the lead of the new chickens, then, problem solved. If not you have identified the freezer camp candidates.
I would reduce their regular food until taste has been aquired by old chickens.
@@ronaldroberts7558 the 2nd paragraph you wrote makes sense. I guess if I a quasi-starve them, they'll be more apt to eat it. Along those same lines, they have access to some greens, lot of bugs, and their organic pelleted feed of course....so maybe their pallet is a bit sophisticated.
Also, I have about six different breeds....none of them will eat it.
Easy to propagate = Weed. lol
Well, that is true!
@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I kind of want one but they really take over everything and I'm on a residential lot. Fortunately, you have plenty of animals you can feed with them.
I want a Jackfruit tree instead.
@@oldhamegg the good thing with them here is they don't take unless you irrigate them the first few years.
@@oldhamegg now that would be a cool tree to have!