More information about amaranth tailed, growing from seeds, care

Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) is a cosmopolitan genus of annual and perennial herbs. The homeland of this useful representative of the flora is South America.

Author of the article

Eduard Dmitriev

Florist and lover of indoor and garden plants.

It is from here that more than 60 varieties spread around the world, with different leaf shapes and different shades of flowers, from purple and red to golden.

Although some species may be weeds, people value them for their foliage, seeds and as ornamental plants.

Amaranth translated from the Greek “amaranthos” means “eternal”, “unfading”, and “anthos” means “flower”. That is, “eternal flower”. Due to its exotic appearance, the plant has received many nicknames. The most popular of them are “cockscombs”, “oxamite”, “cat’s tail”.

Brief information about the plant

Amaranth is an annual plant that belongs to the Amaranth family. The plant blooms from June to September. The inflorescences are collected in spike-shaped panicles, which can be red, golden, purple or green. The amaranth bush has a thick stem and elongated leaves, which are colored green or burgundy depending on the variety.

Amaranth can be of decorative, grain, vegetable and fodder type. However, most often, ornamental species are grown to decorate the site and vegetable plants that are suitable for consumption.

For summer residents, the plant is better known under the following names: amaranth, velvet, cockscomb, cat's tail.

The plant is distinguished not only by its decorative characteristics, but also by its beneficial qualities. Amaranth is used for medical purposes and helps to cope with diseases such as:

1. Obesity.
2. Kidney diseases.
3. Diseases of blood vessels and heart.
4. Increasing immunity after infectious diseases.
5. Skin diseases accompanied by an inflammatory process.

Amaranth contains a lot of protein, so it is often used as animal feed.

Description of amaranth

Nature has endowed this plant with a strong taproot that can penetrate deep into the soil.

• Stems are erect and branched.
• They are able to grow one and a half meters in height, and even rise to 3 meters. Some species grow to only 30 cm. Long or tall, the bushes can still contain tens of thousands of seeds.
• The stems of the plant are especially unique - they are veiny, with longitudinal grooves and pleasing to the eye with a bluish-green color.
• The leaves are large petiolate, with a strictly green or purple color on their matte surface. Gardeners love amaranth for its foliage, because it has beautiful raised veins and an attractive notch at the top. There is also the opportunity to choose varieties with diamond-shaped, ovoid or elliptical leaves.

Bloom

This perennial becomes even more beautiful in the first days of summer, when the flowers bloom.

So, on the stems, at the very top, small spikelets appear. They unite into one panicle. After this, real miracles begin. Fluffy branches are transformed, becoming burgundy, purple and greenish.

Amaranth is a plant whose species are both monoecious and dioecious. Usually the most noticeable part of a flower, the corolla, is easily recognized by insects, but not in the case of the hero of our article today. Its corollas are very small, they do not have petals, they consist of 5 bracts and short stamens.

Fruiting

It is very interesting to observe how fruits are formed after pollination. Amaranth fruits are nuts.

There may also be seed pods. One plant can produce about half a million fruits.

When ripe, small round seeds of a yellowish tint simply scatter on the ground. By the way, they are edible.

The most common varieties

Variety	Appearance	Peculiarities
Valentina	The height of the bush is 110 cm. The stem is strong with a large number of side shoots. During the flowering period, it is covered with burgundy inflorescences, which are collected in ears. The leaves are burgundy and elongated.	Suitable for human consumption.
Prefect	Plant height 80 cm. Spreading bush with variegated leaves up to 20 cm long.	Young leaves are yellow. During the growth period, green and burgundy blotches appear on the leaves.
Sturdy	The height of the bush is up to 1.4 meters. The leaves are green and juicy. The inflorescences are collected in a dense panicle of rich green color with brown splashes.	The growing season is 80 days. Can be used for food.
Green Thumb	The height of the bush is 50 cm. The shoots are strong, the leaves are elongated green. The inflorescences are colored emerald.	During seed ripening, the inflorescences turn brown.

Origin

Everyone has probably seen amaranth, a colorful plant from the Amaranthaceae family, if not as a plant, then in the form of grain or cereal.

Flowering in June

Amaranth is a herbaceous medicinal plant that was known to the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. All its parts are used by humans:

• Stem,
• Foliage,
• Root,
• Seed.

Its modern name comes from the Greek word “immortal”. However, it grew not only in Greece. It has long been cultivated in Latin America, then it was a very famous food crop, grown in many areas of the continent and used as food, along with corn, beans and zucchini.

Note! Archaeological samples of an amaranth seed and dried flower dating back to 4000 BC were found near the Mexican town of Tehuacán, in the state of Puebla.

From historical sources it is known that white amaranth is an assistant in ancient religious rites. They were carried out by the Aztecs and Incas. The most popular of these was the process of making statues of deities and idols. For this purpose, women took a plant seed, dyed it red using human blood (from a sacrifice), and mixed it with honey and molasses. Then they sculpted the figurine and broke it after the ritual. The fragments were eaten by all members of the tribe.

Additional Information. Not everyone knows that a journalist and model, Amaranta Hanks, was named after a cereal crop. Some time ago, the star girl opened the world's first university, where participants study sensitive issues. Amaranta "movie star" Henk introduced a special training program, and an active fight against professional burnout is being waged. The girl herself believes that there should be no routine in life - this is the plague of the modern generation. Amaranta Hank warns about the age of 18+ students, the rector is determined and serious.

When to plant seeds for seedlings

In order for the seedlings to have time to grow and get stronger before planting in open ground, the recommended planting dates are observed.

It takes 2-2.5 months to grow strong amaranth seedlings.

Many summer residents use hints from the Lunar calendar.

When planting, the region of residence is also taken into account, since weather conditions differ significantly.

• For southern regions , where the air temperature warms up faster, seeds for seedlings can be planted in mid-February.
• In the middle zone, seeds are sown in early March.
• In Siberia and the Urals, planting begins no earlier than the end of March, since overgrown seedlings are poorly accepted and remain weak for a long period.

The plant is only annual

Amaranth can withstand temperature drops to 0 degrees. Therefore, it can be in the beds until the end of September. Although the plant is an annual. Even with warm winters, it cannot remain in the ground during the cold season.

After the harvest is harvested, all amaranth residues must be removed and disposed of.

Leaves and seeds are used for harvest. Even the stems can be used for drying for later use in cooking.

But what’s left in the garden shouldn’t just be thrown away or burned. I collect all the remains of amaranth in a compost pit. It turns out to be a very good fertilizer for next year.

Preparing for sowing

Preparatory work allows you to obtain uniform seedlings and grow strong seedlings.

Seed selection

You need to buy amaranth seeds in specialized stores. Otherwise, you may encounter a fake and purchase wild species that have low decorative qualities or are not used for food.

When choosing seeds, consider the following features:

• Amaranth seeds with green leaves have a beige or cinnamon hue. The surface of the seeds is smooth and shiny;
• amaranth with red leaves has small black seeds.

Seeds collected from the site should not show signs of damage or mold.

Preparing seeds for sowing

Amaranth seeds are very small and have a good germination rate of about 90%, so no preparation is carried out before sowing.

Soil selection and preparation

The plant prefers loose soil. To grow seedlings, you can purchase a commercial substrate intended for violets.

If desired, you can prepare the soil mixture yourself. To do this, mix:

• 1 part turf;
• 2 parts peat;
• 1 part humus;
• 1 part coarse river sand.

The resulting composition is thoroughly mixed and fried in an oven to eliminate fungus and pest larvae. The duration of heat treatment is 20 minutes at a temperature of 70-90°C.

Choosing a container for seedlings

To plant seeds, use a container 10 cm high. The bottom of the container should have drainage holes to remove excess water. You can use plastic cups, pots, boxes, or food packaging as containers.

Before use, the container is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. Mix 2 grams of substance in 1 liter of water. This treatment is necessary to disinfect containers.

Sowing work

When planting amaranth seeds, follow the following algorithm:

1. A drainage layer of expanded clay or perlite 2 cm thick is placed at the bottom of the planting container. This is necessary to prevent stagnation of water and prevent rotting of the root system.
2. Fill the containers with soil, departing 2 cm from the top edge.
3. The seeds are scattered in a thin layer over the surface of the soil and pressed to the ground. Surface sowing means that there is no need to cover the planting material with soil.
4. Spray with water from a spray bottle and cover with glass or film.

Every day the cover is removed and the soil is ventilated, otherwise the seeds may rot. Ventilation duration is 15-30 minutes. Condensation from film or glass is wiped off. If the top layer of soil has dried out, it is moistened with warm, settled water.

How long will it take for the shoots to appear?

Shoots appear 4-6 days after planting. After the first shoots appear, the covering material is removed, otherwise burns may appear on the delicate leaves.

Since the seeds were sowed superficially, the root system of amaranth sprouts will be above the soil. To cover the bare roots of the plant, they are carefully covered with earth using a sieve.

How to grow agaric in a summer cottage

You can plant agarica either directly from seeds or from seedlings. It is important to choose the right site for planting. Land that has no shady parts and receives plenty of light is best suited. And the soil itself must be sufficiently nutritious.

Amaranth takes an average of 3 to 4 months to ripen. And it doesn’t matter at all what varieties we are talking about - vegetable or ornamental.

Amaranth seeds

If you are going to grow a plant from seeds, then planting them before the beginning of May hardly makes sense. The soil should warm up to 10 degrees at a five-centimeter depth.

Before sowing seeds, you need to fertilize the soil. Any mineral mixture is suitable for this - you can buy it at any gardening store. But when using mineral fertilizers and fertilizers, it is important to correctly calculate the dosage. Because amaranth has the unique ability to convert nitrogen contained in fertilizers into nitrates.

You do not need any special equipment to sow seeds. You can also sow them by hand. But here it is important to be careful - for every seven centimeters of soil you should use no more than one grain. Then the crops will not be too dense, the plants will develop normally without shading each other. The distance between rows is 40-45 centimeters.

The first shoots will appear above the ground in about 9-10 days. If necessary, you will need to thin out the sprouts.

Amaranth seedlings

I also like this method of planting amaranth. I sow the seeds in small wooden containers with soil from the dacha around March. Closer to April. The depth of my containers is 8 centimeters.

I make sure to moisten the soil and sow the seeds to a depth of 1.5 centimeters. Then I put the box in a bright and warm place. The temperature for seeds to germinate well should be approximately 20 degrees. Well, naturally, plus or minus a couple of degrees.

It is necessary to ensure that the seedlings do not suffer from hypothermia. That is, it is not advisable to place boxes on window sills if you have old windows from which the wind can blow.

Another important point is moisturizing the seedlings. I spray it with a spray bottle - there is no strict frequency. You need to make sure that the soil does not dry out and is always sufficiently moist. If you follow everything, the first shoots will appear no later than in a week.

After the sprouts appear, thinning also needs to be done. The weakest shoots are removed. It is necessary to leave enough free space so that the sprouts do not shade each other or crowd each other.

When two separate, rather powerful leaves appear on the sprout, it should be transplanted into a separate container. For example, in a plastic cup. Planting in open ground is carried out towards the end of May, and if the temperature does not allow, then even at the beginning of June. That is, when the weather has already become quite stable and warm.

Before transplanting the sprouts, I make sure to fertilize the soil. For this I use nitroammophoska. Approximately 20 grams per square meter of planting soil. I make a distance of approximately 15 centimeters between the seedlings. It's enough. I read somewhere that the distance can be up to 30 centimeters, but I’m not sure if this is correct. There's a lot of free space left. Although, perhaps, we are talking about some especially large varieties of amaranth. Row spacing - up to 50 centimeters, but not less than 45 centimeters.

Conditions for growing seedlings at home

By following simple care recommendations, even a novice gardener can grow amaranth seedlings.

Temperature and lighting

For rapid seedling growth, a temperature of +20-22°C is required. Indicators below +20°C lead to the plant growing poorly and becoming weak.

Seedlings should be placed on a well-lit windowsill, preferably on the south side. If there is not enough light, use phytolamps for additional illumination. Additional lighting is also used in cloudy weather.

Watering

Water the seedlings as the top layer of soil dries. Watering is done at the root so that drops do not fall on the ground part of the seedlings.

Picking

Picking is carried out so that the roots of the plant develop well. After this procedure, the seedlings quickly gain strength and are ready for further replanting in open ground. Picking is carried out only when the plant has 2-3 true leaves.

1. The container with seedlings is watered generously with warm water and left for 2-3 hours.
2. New individual containers are filled with the soil that was used when planting the seeds. You can choose peat cups, so during the process of transplanting into open ground, the planting container will not need to be cut; the seedlings are planted together with the container.
3. Using a wooden spatula, separate one plant at a time along with the soil and transplant it into a new container.
4. After picking, the seedlings are watered with warm water and the container is placed on the windowsill.

After the soil in the cups has settled a little, add a little more soil on top and compact it.

Top dressing

1.5-2 weeks after picking, the seedlings can be fed with wood ash. This type of fertilizer saturates the soil with nitrogen and reduces the risk of blackleg disease. The ash is sprayed through a sieve onto the soil in a layer of about 0.5 cm and watered with warm water.

Hardening

Hardening begins 2-3 weeks before planting in the ground. On the first day, open the window slightly to ventilate the room with the seedlings for 20-30 minutes. Every day the duration of hardening is increased by 30-60 minutes. The procedure is necessary so that the plant, after transplanting into open ground, quickly adapts to changing conditions.

Video: how to sow amaranth seeds correctly.

Planting and care

In the central zone, in the Urals and in the Moscow region, amaranth is grown mainly by seedlings, which is due to the harsh climate. In the southern regions, you can sow seeds directly into open ground. They begin to harvest seedlings in mid-March, when daylight hours are already quite long and artificial additional lighting is not required.

Decorative varieties of amaranth have black seeds.

First, prepare wide but shallow boxes (no more than 10 cm in height). For amaranth, ready-made purchased soil is suitable, but if desired, you can prepare it yourself. To do this, mix garden soil, peat and humus in equal proportions. The main requirement is that the soil mixture be loose, fertile and with a neutral pH. Before sowing, it must be disinfected in any way:

• bake in the oven at a temperature of 90 o C for 30–40 minutes;
• pour boiling water;
• keep in the freezer for 1–2 days;
• pour with a weakly concentrated manganese solution or a special preparation (copper sulfate, colloidal sulfur, any systemic fungicide).

After this, proceed as follows:

1. Fill the containers with prepared soil and water it.
2. Distribute the seeds evenly over the surface and sprinkle with a layer of earth about 0.5 cm thick.
3. The seedlings are sprayed again from a spray device and covered with glass (film) to create a greenhouse effect.
4. Mini-greenhouses are located where the temperature does not drop below +22 °C.

Literally after 7–8 days the first shoots hatch. Then the protection is removed. As soon as two true leaves are formed, the plants are picked into separate cups.

Seedlings are planted in separate pots after at least one leaf has formed.

Subsequent care of seedlings consists of regular watering

It is important not to allow the top soil layer to dry out completely. 10–14 days before planting the seedlings in open ground, they begin to harden them: every day they take the boxes out onto the balcony and leave them there first for 15 minutes, then gradually increase the stay time

Amaranth seedlings are transplanted into the garden when the ground warms up to at least +10 °C. This usually happens at the end of May. For planting, select a well-lit place, since this is a light-loving plant.

Seedlings are planted at a distance of 50 cm from each other in rows with a spacing of 10–15 cm. For planting, choose a cloudy day, since under sun exposure the sprouts do not take root well and may die.

During the first week of its stay in the garden, amaranth grows slowly as the root system grows. During this time, it is necessary to loosen the ridges at least 2 times and remove weeds. Then the growth rate accelerates. In the future, there is no need for weeding, since the plant suppresses weeds. Caring for sprouts during the summer season consists of periodically loosening the soil between the rows and watering. During the growing season, 3-4 feedings are carried out, for which an ash solution or universal mineral compositions are used. Fertilize flowers in the morning after moistening. But it is not recommended to frequently feed amaranth with nitrogen-containing preparations, so that increased foliage growth does not interfere with flowering.

Video: how to plant amaranth in open ground

With the help of the amaranth plant, you can create the main background of a flower garden or add brightness to a green lawn. It is better to plant low-growing varieties on the sides of garden paths and in flowerpots, while tall varieties are suitable for creating hedges. And the main advantage of amaranth is its ability to take root in any conditions.

Planting seedlings in open ground

Amaranth seedlings should be replanted after the air warms up to +15°C. Plant the plant in the morning or in cloudy weather. For planting, choose an open sunny area, protected from drafts.

Amaranth, which is grown in sunny areas, is distinguished by its bright leaves and abundant flowering.

The distance between plants should be at least 30 cm. The crop has a highly developed root system, so if there is not enough space, the bushes will oppress each other. Amaranth goes well with any other plants. For decorative purposes, it is often used to decorate flower beds and garden paths.

After transplanting into open ground, seedlings may stop growing for 10-15 days. This is due to changing conditions. However, gradually the growth will become intense and the plant will quickly gain green mass.

Selecting a seat and transferring

Amaranth caudate is a big fan of the sun and its direct rays; it can grow both in sunny places and in partial shade.

be located in an area with well-drained soil and shelter from the wind.

there is still a draft at the planting site In winter, indoors the plant requires a temperature of about 12 °C.

At home, amaranth requires a transplant .

Caring for seedlings in open ground

After transplanting seedlings into open ground, it is important to follow proper care, which consists of the following recommendations:

• Seedlings tolerate drought well, but for rapid growth you need to regularly moisten the soil. Water the plant every 2 days after sunset. During the hot period, watering is carried out every day.
• 2 weeks after planting in open ground, the seedlings are fed. Complex mineral fertilizers, for example, Kemira Lux, are used as fertilizing. Mullein infusion is also used. To prepare, dissolve 1 kg of the substance in 2 liters of water and leave for fermentation for a day. The resulting composition is diluted in 5 liters of warm water and watered over the seedlings.
• Weeds are removed in a timely manner and the soil is loosened so that the plant receives a sufficient amount of oxygen. Often, to protect amaranth seedlings from weeds and maintain soil moisture, the area is mulched. To do this, use sawdust mixed with humus or sphagnum moss. The mulch thickness is at least 2-3 cm.

To get a lush bush, the tops of the plants are pinched. The procedure is carried out after the bush reaches a height of 20 cm.

The longest and most elongated shoots are pinched, thus forming attractive lush bushes.

Growing amaranth from seeds

Sowing

Growing such a flower is very simple. In some areas, sowing directly into open soil can be done already in the last days of April, but the soil must be warmed up to 10 degrees to a depth of 4 to 5 centimeters. However, before you start sowing, you need to prepare the area; for this, during digging you need to add a mineral mixture (about 30 grams of substance per 1 m2) or you can use complex fertilizer, following the instructions attached to it. The plant should be fed in moderation. The fact is that a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers contributes to the appearance of nitrites in the flower, which pose a danger to human health. If the seeds are sown in a timely manner, the amaranth will begin to grow quickly and choke out the weeds, so there is no need to weed it. To sow, furrows are made in moist soil and seeds are placed in them; they only need to be buried one and a half centimeters deep. To make it more convenient, you can mix small seeds with sawdust or simple sand (1:20), which will make sowing much easier. The distance between the rows should be approximately 45 centimeters, while the distance between the bushes should be from 7 to 10 centimeters. In this regard, flower growers who have enough experience advise not to mix the seeds with anything when sowing, but to lay them out one at a time. In about 1–1.5 weeks, the first seedlings will appear, after which it will be necessary to thin out, if necessary, and loosen the surface of the soil between the bushes. If sowing is done in May, then you will also need to pull out the weed. After the height of the bush is 20 centimeters, it must be fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizer, but at the same time take ½ of the dose recommended on the package

It doesn’t matter for what purpose you grow this plant, it will reach full maturity only 3–3.5 months after sowing

Seedling

If you wish, you can grow amaranth through seedlings, which is quite simple to do. Seeds are sown for seedlings in the last days of March. For sowing, you can use ordinary plastic containers or simple pots reaching a height of 10 centimeters. Sowing is done in moist soil, and the seeds are buried 15–20 mm. After this, the container is transferred to a well-lit, warm place. The crops should be watered using a spray bottle; seedlings will appear most quickly if they are provided with an air temperature of 22 degrees. If everything is done correctly, you will see the first seedlings after 7 days. After the shoots appear, thinning must be done, and weak shoots must be removed. Picking individual pots (diameter 12 centimeters) is done when the plants have 3 true leaves.

Collecting seeds from the site

Amaranth seeds are collected only after the inflorescences have fully ripened. The most optimal period is considered to be from late August to mid-September. The collection process is carried out as follows:

• after the panicles have finished flowering, they are carefully cut off and placed on the windowsill for 2 months until fully ripened;
• The ears are kneaded so that the seeds fall out.
• then the grains are sifted through a fine sieve and placed in a dark, dry place.

Useful properties of amaranth

Amaranth seeds are gluten-free, but they contain a lot of fiber. In addition, food prepared with the seeds and leaves of the plant is easily digestible by humans. By the way, the leaves of the plant can be eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach, and the seeds can be cooked like quinoa.

B vitamins, as well as vitamins C, PP, E, contained in the seeds, are easily used by the human body. Amaranth also contains lysine, an essential amino acid that helps the body absorb calcium, build muscle, and produce energy.

Anti-inflammatory effect, lowering blood pressure, strengthening the immune system - these are also properties of this representative of the flora.

Common mistakes when growing seedlings

When growing amaranth seedlings, summer residents make mistakes that lead to the death of the plants. The most common ones include:

• incorrectly chosen landing site. Planting the plant on a loamy type of soil leads to the fact that amaranth grows weakly and does not form buds. To correct the situation, humus is added to the soil in a proportion of 10 kg per 1 m2 and river sand 5 kg per 1 m2;
• too early planting in open ground. The plant does not tolerate night frosts well. If the seedlings have outgrown and need to be planted in the ground, then cover the bushes with film or plastic bottles at night;
• planting seeds too deep. The planting material is not deepened, otherwise the seedlings will be uneven, or the seeds will not germinate and will rot.

Another mistake when growing seedlings is sowing seeds too thickly. If the seedlings have sprouted densely, thinning is carried out, leaving the plants at a distance of 1 cm from each other. Such actions also facilitate the picking process in the future.

Amaranth is a common plant among summer residents. Caring for the crop is undemanding, so even a beginner can handle it. In order to get a lush bush, it is recommended to grow amaranth in seedlings, and only after that transplant the plants into open ground.

Watering and humidity

From spring to autumn, caudate amaranth needs abundant watering without waterlogging. In winter, when grown in a pot or winter garden, the plant should be watered moderately. Regular, but not too frequent spraying of the leaves will not hurt.

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