RED AMARANTH SEEDLING FULL

Seeds are ready when they start dropping from the seed head, which matures after the flower dies back. Isolate by a minimum of 500 feet or cover the flowers with corn tassel bags to prevent unwanted cross pollination with other amaranths. Seed keeping notesĪmaranth is wind pollinated. Mature plants have deep pink taproots that allow them to go long periods of time without watering, and shoot up thick, bushy branches.

At this point on our farm, amaranth has seeded itself enough that we harvest many young, tender plants whole at 12' as a way of thinning, but the plants we allow to mature are given about 2' space in each direction.

Expect germination between 10-20 days, and fast growth after that. Germination rate: 83% on Planting / harvesting notesĪmaranth is an extremely self-sufficient crop. I plant it throughout my squash and cucumber patches, and in turn, it also makes a beautiful backdrop to the seed garden. In addition to great culinary uses, amaranth is a great distraction for cucumber beetles - they prefer it. Grow this variable beauty in your garden and allow it to adapt to your soil and climate.

RED AMARANTH SEEDLING FULL

Miguel says: 'I like promiscuity in plants, I believe that gives Nature a chance to express herself as she wants.' Rowen White of the Indigenous Seed Keepers Network adds that 'Landraces that are full of different expressions is where our resilience is at'.

It turns out his variety had some crossing with Hopi Red and/or Elephant Head amaranths giving the flowers maroon tips. It is gorgeous, and has spinach-like young greens as well as protein-packed golden seeds, which are great as porridge and incorporated into tortillas. We wanted to see how it would adapt to Philly. Golden Amaranth was gathered in 1978 in a door-yard garden near Rinconada, New Mexico by Native Seeds/SEARCH and I received seed from Miguel Santisteven when I was visiting him and his family in Taos a few years back.

Red amaranth seedling