Few plants are as loved in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry homes as the drumstick tree – murungai. One tree gives you tender pods for sambar and poriyal, and fresh leaves for murungai keerai, often for years. The good news is that you do not need a large garden to grow one. With the right pot, a well-draining mix and a little pruning, murungai grows well on a terrace or in a small backyard. Here is a simple guide to starting drumstick from seed, with tips for the northeast monsoon weeks we are in now.
Why grow drumstick from seed?
Drumstick (Moringa oleifera) is fast-growing and suits our hot South Indian climate. Starting from seed is cheap, and you can raise two or three seedlings and keep the strongest. Our drumstick moringa seeds are native, non-hybrid seeds. They usually germinate in 7–14 days, and the first harvest comes roughly 6–8 months after sowing.
Step 1: Choose a big pot with good drainage
Murungai grows into a tree, so give it room. Start seeds in a small pot or seedling tray, but plan a large final container: a 12 inch pot is a good starting size for a terrace plant, and bigger is better if you have the space. Drainage holes are essential – drumstick roots dislike sitting in water and can rot in soggy soil. Our pack of 12 brown 12 inch pots works well if you want to grow drumstick alongside tomato, chilli and brinjal in a uniform terrace garden. Raise pots slightly off the floor on bricks so rainwater can drain freely.
Step 2: Prepare a light, well-draining mix
Heavy, sticky soil holds too much water. A simple mix that works for most home gardeners is red soil, compost and cocopeat in roughly equal parts. Red soil gives body, compost feeds the plant and cocopeat keeps the mix airy. You can use our red soil (5 kg) and cocopeat (1 kg), or any good-quality mix you already trust. Moisten the cocopeat before mixing.
Step 3: Sow the seeds
- Soak the seeds in plain water overnight to soften the shell.
- Sow them about 2 cm deep, one or two seeds per small pot.
- Keep the mix just moist, not wet. Overwatering is the most common reason seeds fail.
- Place the pots where they get good light. Sprouts usually appear within one to two weeks.
Step 4: Look after seedlings during the monsoon
The northeast monsoon brings most of our rain between October and December. Young drumstick seedlings are tender, and days of heavy rain can wash out seeds or rot small roots. Keep seedling pots under a sunshade, a covered balcony or a sheet roof during downpours, and bring them back into the open when the sun returns. Check the soil with your finger and water only when the top inch is dry. Our earlier northeast monsoon guide for potted plants has more tips on drainage and wind protection.
Step 5: Transplant and give full sun
When seedlings are about 30 cm tall, move the strongest one into its final pot or into the ground. Drumstick loves sun, so choose the brightest spot on your terrace – at least six hours of direct sunlight is ideal. Tie the young stem loosely to a bamboo stake if your terrace is windy, especially when cyclone warnings are announced.
Step 6: Prune to keep it short and bushy
Left alone, drumstick shoots up tall and thin, which is hard to manage in a pot. When the plant is around one metre tall, cut the main tip. This encourages side branches, a bushier shape and an easier height for picking leaves and pods. Keep trimming long shoots from time to time.
Harvesting murungai keerai and pods
Once the plant is well established and growing strongly, you can pick leaves for keerai regularly – take a few sprigs at a time rather than stripping a branch bare. Pods follow later as the tree matures. A light feed of compost every month or so during the growing season helps keep the plant productive.
Quick checklist
- Large pot with drainage holes, raised off the floor
- Light mix of red soil, compost and cocopeat
- Soak seeds overnight, sow 2 cm deep
- Shelter seedlings from heavy monsoon rain
- Full sun after transplanting; prune the tip at about one metre
Want to start a monsoon kitchen garden alongside your murungai? Browse our keerai seeds and vegetable seeds. Dream Nursery grows and packs from Perambai, Puducherry, with delivery across India – shop at dreamnursery.in.