Customer Reviews

Drumstick tree seed packet

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The PKM1 variety was selected for precocious blooming, less fibrous pods, and non-bitter seeds. You can have vegetable drumsticks (the edible pods, eaten as a vegetable) in about 8 months from seed. It is much faster to propagate because of the precocious seeding.

The leaves, flowers, pods, and seeds are all edible. Moringa leaves are fairly rich in protein as leafy greens go. Some people eat them raw as "mock horseradish chutney" (they have a slightly horse-radishy taste) or in salads, but most people prefer them sauteed in olive oil with a little garlic, which removes the horse-radish taste and renders them similar to spinach but nicer because it is not watery like spinach. The greens are also rich in vitamins C (if raw), the B vitamins, and vitamin A. It is one of the few vegetables that comes from the leaves of a tree.

Moringa oleifera is one of the few members of the genus that is not native to desert, but it retains some vestigial adaptations such as a deep taproot and the tendency to go dormant during drought. Therefor, it is a valuable potential food source for warm dry climates. It's not as drought-resistant as M. stenopetala, but I've found it's easier to grow, being more vigorous, more tolerant of cool weather, and more disease-resistant.

The vendor shipped promptly and the shipping costs are very reasonable if you order multiple items.

Got these and several other seeds from Seeds of India. Nice thing is you pay a flat rate for shipping so you can get many different types of seeds at the same time.

Planted the Drumstick seeds on 4/13 after soaking them in water overnight. Kept the pot in a warm sunny spot indoors and this morning (4/26) 2 of the 4 seeds that I had planted have emerged as beautiful little green seedlings. I am so excited and look forward to harvesting lots of drumsticks for cooking this year!

5/1/10 Update: 3 of the 4 seeds have grown into healthy seedlings. One is almost 4 inches tall in less than a week! All plants are sprouting many perfect little leaves. So happy!

This item arrived by the date specified.
There was no label telling what seed it was and nothing describing how to plant and care for it.
I filled out one of these reviews before and did get a response from the company saying that if I would write another review and delete the first one from the record as they were a young company and just getting started out that they would appreciate it and if the seeds did not sprout that they would replace them for free. They also sent sites where I could get information as to planting and growth. I accessed these sites and decided that it would not be worth while to ask for more seeds even though they have not sprouted. One of the sites did mention that the seeds needed to be fresh seeds. There was nothing included with the seeds sent mentioning any date of collection or any date by which time they should be planted.
If they are a new company and just starting out, they do not need the added expense of sending more seed to a section of the country where they probably would not survive anyway. But even though I was not satisfied, remember, they did offer to replace.

You realy should start these in the spring. Mine got down in the 50's and that was plenty for my seedling to turn bad. The trunks may still be good but not sure. Grow these and eat them but make sure the temperatures are up before you grow them. I will buy more and do it right the next time. Once established mature trunks should come back if protected from freezes. Pile straw up the base and chop it down is what I was told by someone who has a tree. This company gave me good seeds but I was the weakest link.

Out of 50 seeds 50 germinated. I have them growing like wild fire. Need to be careful with them as they will grow quickly. Be careful in winter. They can't stand cold weather near freezing.