By Liliana Usvat
Blog 214-365
Names:
- Argan
- Argania spinosa
- Moroccan "The Tree of Life"
Growing Environment
The argan tree is also ecologically important: It withstands high
temperatures, needs little water, and flourishes in extreme climatic
conditions. Argan trees grow in areas that would otherwise be desert.
The argan tree is highly tolerant of drought, high heat, and poor soil conditions. Grow in full sun. Argans can live up to 250 years through heat and drought in meager, stony soil. The name "argan" likely came from the village of Argana, where the tree may have first been identified.
Growing to a height of 8-10m, the twisted and gnarled trunk of the
tree enables goats to climb and eat its leaves and fruit. After the
goats consume the green, fleshy, olive-looking fruit, they excrete the
nut.
Argan nuts contain oil slightly darker than olive oil with a reddish
tinge and nutty taste. Called Moroccan "liquid gold," the oil is
extracted in a largely traditional production process that starts with
farmers collecting the nuts left by goats.
Opening the nuts to remove kernels requires 20 hours of work to produce one litre of oil.
The Argan tree takes 15 years to yield nuts and one tree can yield only a couple liters of oil,
Medicinal Uses Psoriazis
Argan oil is effective in treatment of all types of psoriasis.
There are two main ways in which pure Argan oil improves psoriasis. First acids and carotenoids act to balance the skin's natural hydration. Dry skin psoriasis worsens. This is why it is very important to use argan oil daily, even when you do not have a rash. When psoriasis remains untreated, expose your risk of infection.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that is found naturally in argan oil. This part of oil helps to reduce inflammation caused by psoriasis. You will begin to feel a reduction in pain and itching immediately after applying oil on the skin. Vitamin E reduces redness caused by psoriasis, causing injuries to be less visible.
Argan Oil
Argan oil is produced by several women's co-operatives in the
southwestern parts of Morocco. The most labour-intensive part of
oil-extraction is removal of the soft pulp (used to feed animals) and
the cracking by hand, between two stones, of the hard nut.
The seeds are
then removed and gently roasted. This roasting accounts for part of the
oil's distinctive, nutty flavour.
The traditional technique for oil extraction is to grind the roasted
seeds to paste, with a little water, in a stone rotary quern. The paste
is then squeezed by hand in order to extract the oil.
The extracted
paste is still oil-rich and is used as animal feed. Oil produced this
way can be stored and used for 3–6 months, and will be produced as
needed in a family, from a store of the kernels, which will keep for 20
years unopened.
Dry-pressing is becoming increasingly important for oil
produced for sale, as this method allows for faster extraction, and the
oil produced can be used for 12–18 months after extraction.
Argan oil is sold in Morocco as a luxury item, and is difficult to find
for sale outside the region of production. The product is of increasing
interest to cosmetics companies in Europe.
It used to be difficult to
buy the oil outside Morocco, but since 2001–2002 it has become a
fashionable product in Europe and North America. It is now widely
available in specialist shops and occasionally in supermarkets. Its
price (US$40–50 for 500 ml) is notable compared to other oils.
Other Uses
High costs lead to consumers generally only using argan oil in
moderation to flavour dishes such as couscous, salads, vegetables, meat,
and fish. People who make their own oil are more likely to utilize it
for general cooking.
Argan oil is considered healthy because it contains 80 per cent
unsaturated fatty acids like oleic and linoleic. Attributed health
effects include reducing cholesterol levels and bolstering the body's
natural defenses.
The oil is packed with natural vitamin E and is used as a skin care
product. Argan oil's anti-aging effect on skin and ability to soften it
makes it a popular ingredient in Moroccan cosmetics. There is also
evidence the oil can protect against skin infections.
Fruit
Argan fruit falls in July, when black and dry. Until this happens,
goats are kept out of the argan woodlands by wardens. Rights to collect
the fruit are controlled by law and village traditions. The leftover nut
is gathered after consumption by goats.
Cultivation
In Morocco arganeraie forests now cover some 8,280 km² and are designated as a UNESCO Biosphere reserve.
Their area has shrunk by about half during the last 100 years, owing to
charcoal-making, grazing, and increasingly intensive cultivation.
The forests have receded over time,
resulting in desertification in many cases. Reforestation is necessary
to reverse this trend.
The
best hope for the conservation of the trees may lie in the recent
development of a thriving export market for argan oil
as a high-value product. However, the wealth brought by argan oil
export has also created threats to argan trees in the form of increased
goat population.
Locals use the newfound wealth to buy more goats and
the goats stunt the growth of the argan trees by climbing up and eating
their leaves and fruit.
The argan (Argania spinosa) woodlands cover Southern
Morocco, mostly between the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas mountains, in a
region bordering the Sahara desert. They constitute a unique resource in this
semi-arid to arid environment, and have long been central to the livelihood of
local populations, fodder for goats and camels; shade for rain-fed crops; and an oil that
is now a famous cosmetic ingredient in the western world, where it is sold at
skyrocketing prices. The argan woodlands, however valuable they may be, are
widely perceived to have receded strongly during the last decades, among other
things due to the expansion of irrigated crops, logging, and overgrazing.
The Argan Solution against desertification?
This tree can be used in China Sahara Desert USA against desertification and also used as a medicinal tree.
Propagation
By seeds.
Grow
argan from seed planted in 3-inch plastic pots. Plant the seeds 2
inches deep in a damp soil mixture made up of two parts loam, one part
peat moss and one part humus. Germination takes up to a month.
Transplant the seedlings into 6-inch pots once they have produced a pair
of leaves and before their tap root is damaged by the pot. Plant the
seedlings in a mixture containing three parts soil to one part peat moss
and one part humus.
2
Plant argan seedlings outdoors in free-draining soil and a sunny
location. Take care not to damage their delicate taproot when planting.
Avoid very sandy soil soil and waterlogged ground. Argan trees grow in
poor soil in their native habitat, according to the University of
Arizona's Campus Arboretum website, and are not fussy about soil
quality
.
3
Water your argan tree during the summer if its soil is in danger of
drying out. Argan trees in nature receive up to 39 inches of rain per
year. Argan trees that do not receive enough water will go into dormancy
and not produce any fruit.
Read more :
http://www.ehow.com/how_12107207_grow-argan-tree.html
Grow argan from seed
planted in 3-inch plastic pots. Plant the seeds 2 inches deep in a damp
soil mixture made up of two parts loam, one part peat moss and one part
humus. Germination takes up to a month. Transplant the seedlings into
6-inch pots once they have produced a pair of leaves and before their
tap root is damaged by the pot. Plant the seedlings in a mixture
containing three parts soil to one part peat moss and one part humus.
Read more :
http://www.ehow.com/how_12107207_grow-argan-tree.html
Grow argan from seed
planted in 3-inch plastic pots. Plant the seeds 2 inches deep in a damp
soil mixture made up of two parts loam, one part peat moss and one part
humus. Germination takes up to a month. Transplant the seedlings into
6-inch pots once they have produced a pair of leaves and before their
tap root is damaged by the pot. Plant the seedlings in a mixture
containing three parts soil to one part peat moss and one part humus.
Read more :
http://www.ehow.com/how_12107207_grow-argan-tree.html
Grow
argan from seed planted in 3-inch plastic pots. Plant the seeds 2
inches deep in a damp soil mixture made up of two parts loam, one part
peat moss and one part humus. Germination takes up to a month.
Transplant the seedlings into 6-inch pots once they have produced a pair
of leaves and before their tap root is damaged by the pot. Plant the
seedlings in a mixture containing three parts soil to one part peat moss
and one part humus.
2
Plant argan seedlings outdoors in free-draining soil and a sunny
location. Take care not to damage their delicate taproot when planting.
Avoid very sandy soil soil and waterlogged ground. Argan trees grow in
poor soil in their native habitat, according to the University of
Arizona's Campus Arboretum website, and are not fussy about soil
quality.
3
Water your argan tree during the summer if its soil is in danger of
drying out. Argan trees in nature receive up to 39 inches of rain per
year. Argan trees that do not receive enough water will go into dormancy
and not produce any fruit.
Read more :
http://www.ehow.com/how_12107207_grow-argan-tree.html
Germination
Argan seeds can be slow and difficult to germinate. Due to their hard
seed coat, soaking the seeds prior to planting is essential. Soak in
room temperature to warm (90-100F) water for 2-4 days prior to planting.
Some sources have suggested good results sprouting the seeds in moist
towels kept at warm room temperature. Or, plant seeds in small
containers, in well-drained, moist soil at 1" deep. Keep soil regularly
watered, though do not over water to the point where soil is dripping
wet. Seeds can take several weeks to a few months to sprout.
It takes a lot of effort to cultivate them in nurseries and many die shortly after being planted out in the forest.
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