I’ve posted on moringa before and mentioned that I protect moringa trees from frost with a ring of chicken wire stuffed with leaves or straw or pine needles or whatever.
This is how I do it:
Can you make out the moringa tree in all that mess? Though the top of this tree is now roasted by frost (this picture is from December of last year), the trunk is fine and keeps putting out new growth during warm stretches. When you’re protecting moringa trees from frost this way, make sure you cover the top of the rings somehow so the rain doesn’t get into the leaves/pine needles/straw, etc and rot the tree while it’s sleeping.
We’re probably home free at this point of the year, so it’s about time to pull the chicken wire off and spread the pine needles around my blueberries.
I would venture to say you could grow Moringa trees through most of Georgia with this method – the species is very tough, provided it doesn’t get frozen. If I lived that far north, however, I’d probably cut the tree lower, make a larger diameter ring of chicken wire, then pile on plenty of leaves as a thick blanket. It’s definitely worth the effort.
The trees that I’ve protected produce a significantly higher amount of leaves than the ones I allow to freeze to the ground. It only takes a few minutes to do – and the results are excellent.
8 comments
I live in a zone 7b in georgia, I've just bought a small moringa tree and I wonder if this method could really protect it? I was planning on taking it inside for the winter but would this also work?
Good question. If I were in your shoes, I'd take it inside this winter (but make sure it gets as much sun as possible), then take cuttings next year and start a bunch. Out of those new trees, plant some in the yard and give it a try. They have almost no frost tolerance, so 7b would be a stretch; however, you may indeed pull it off.
Experimentation is the only thing that will give you a good answer.
Sarah, where did you buy the tree in ATL area?
you can buy seeds on Amazon
Apparently Moringa STX2 (developed in Texas) will handle temporary sub zero temperatures.
GMO MORINGA?
The tree has been genetically modified or grafted?
No, neither.
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