If you want to plant an unfading flower on your site, then amaranth would be an excellent solution. This effective plant, which can decorate flower beds, flower beds, paths and borders. It grows in the form of a bush that is short and compact in size. Amaranth can be planted in combination with other crops or separately, using different varieties.
Amaranth is present today in wide variety varieties. Each of them differs in size, color and cultivation characteristics. The following varieties remain popular:
Red-leaved amaranth
Gulliver
Argentinian
White-seeded
Caudate
Kharkovsky
And although amaranth has many advantages, it also has its disadvantages, including long germination. If you are planting amaranth to obtain oil, then you should decide in advance on the timing of sowing. At the same time, make sure that the plant has enough light and warmth.
In the Russian climate, where short summer, seeds should be planted in the first half of February. With this early sowing it is necessary to provide auxiliary lighting and monitor the temperature. For the full development of young seedlings, it is necessary to ensure a room temperature of 22-25 degrees.
The substrate for amaranth can be used as a universal one. It still needs to be prepared in the fall. Soil mixture It should be loose, retain moisture well and contain all the necessary microelements.
If you are going to grow seedlings, then you should use a substrate consisting of turf soil, peat and humus. Take everything in equal quantities. Saturate the soil with mineral and potassium fertilizers in advance. You can also add nitrogen and wood ash. In addition, the soil should be disinfected. To do this, pour boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate over it. This will eliminate pathogenic microorganisms.
It will also be interesting to learn about how Ursinia Undine is grown from seeds:
In the video - growing Amaranth:
For small seedlings, moderate watering is necessary, but without stagnation of water. If the seedlings are planted tightly, they should be thinned out. Perform picking 2-3 times so that the crop develops a powerful root system.
During picking, deepen the sprout to the first leaves. Caring for seedlings also involves the use of fertilizers. Complex fertilizers, for example, Kemira, are suitable for this. It should be applied as soon as true leaves form. The second time feeding will be necessary in a couple of weeks.
To grow a full-fledged plant, it is necessary to create adequate conditions for it. When choosing a site, make sure that it has fertile land and good illumination.
In the fall, fertilize the soil using humus with the addition of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. This should be done not in the spring, but in the fall. Dig up the area thoroughly. Plant grown seedlings in holes located at a distance of 30 cm. Such activities should be carried out at the end of May, when the soil is thoroughly warmed up and there are no frosts.
Caring for amaranth is not at all difficult. This should be done only before the plant begins to grow. The first month the crop develops slowly, so you will have to carefully water it, weed it and loosen the soil. Then the plant accelerates its development and weeds no longer form.
The video shows how to properly care for the plant:
Regular watering for amaranth in the first month is extremely important. It is during this period that the active formation of the root system occurs. When the roots of the plant have already penetrated deep into the ground, watering can be canceled. Irrigate the crop only during drought.
It is also important for amaranth to fertilize. do it 3-4 times per season. It is best to use a solution of mullein and ash in a ratio of 1:5. Fertilize in the morning, as soon as the area has been watered.
Amaranth is a crop that, although it is especially popular today, still flaunts in flower beds and flower beds. The plant has numerous properties, as it can be used as animal feed, oil is obtained from it, and it is also an excellent decoration for anyone. personal plot.
The amazing amaranth plant came to us from the wild lands of China, America and India. IN Eastern countries it has long been cultivated, both as a grain crop and as vegetable crop, And How ornamental plant.
Description of the plant Amaranth is also called amaranth and belongs to the Amaranth family. In Mexico and South America
It was this plant that became the main one used in nutrition in ancient times among indigenous peoples. Now some varieties of amaranth are already considered weeds.
This culture came to Europe from the Spaniards, who brought amaranth as an element for decorating flower beds. Later the plant began to be used as feed and grain. Amaranth plant Amaranth can grow on branched or porous stems. The leaves are always entire and alternate, and can be diamond-shaped, ovate or lanceolate.
They are elongated at the base, the top of the leaf has a small pointed point and a slight notch. Axillary flowers are found in various colors: golden, green, purple, red.
Flowers are always collected in bunches, and at the very top they are represented by spike-shaped panicles.
The variety also affects the height of the amaranth, and can vary from 30 centimeters to 3 meters. It is most often grown as an annual plant. Because of its decorative and unpretentiousness, the flower is often used for arranging flower beds and flower beds. For more details regarding the formation of a flower garden at the dacha, see In our open spaces, amaranth has many alternative names: cat's tail, amaranth, cockscomb, velvet, axamite. However, the name amaranth has Greek roots and is translated as an unfading flower. And the qualities of each type were derived accordingly: in food - on the taste of the whole plant, in grain - on the number of seeds and their taste, in fodder - on the nutritional value and size of the plant, in decorative - on the bright and unusual appearance.
Food grade
Food amaranth stands out for its high content of various beneficial nutrients and a fairly high protein content in the stems and leaves. Reproduction occurs, as in all Amaranthaceae, by seeds. Despite the emphasis on nutritional qualities, the plant is most often used for decorative purposes. These varieties are also characterized by the fact that absolutely all parts of the plant are edible: stems, leaves, seeds.
The most famous edible varieties:
Amaranth seeds are incredibly healthy and can be used to make oil, for food and to feed pets. Cereal species are characteristic big amount It is the seeds that are harvested, and the leaves and stems are considered inedible. The most famous grain varieties:
Orange giant
Most farmers appreciate the benefits of growing fodder varieties of amaranth. These varieties are most often very tall, have succulent leaves and stems, grow quickly and produce large yields. Suitable for feeding almost all animals: cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits. All parts of amaranth can be eaten, including the root system.
The following varieties are suitable for sowing forage amaranths:
Decorative varieties vary in leaf color and flowering beauty. Flowers can not only be bright, but have radically different shapes. Decorative amaranth will delight appearance both during the dry period and until frost. A lot of time was devoted to the cultivation of ornamental varieties. Only the most famous varieties:
Dark amaranth
All decorative amaranths are incredibly beautiful, so they are often used not only to decorate a flower bed or garden plot, but also in making bouquets, flower arrangements, and wreaths. They remain fresh for a very long time after cutting, and when grown in the ground, they are very resistant to weather conditions.
Amaranth can be sown in pots to obtain seedlings, and immediately in open ground. For growing in pots, best time- March. You can take regular ones from the container. flower pots or peat, and a suitable height is 10 centimeters. The seeds do not sink very deeply, 1.5-2 centimeters is enough and this makes watering much easier: the ground can simply be sprayed with a sprayer.
The speed of germination depends on temperature regime and light. At a temperature of 22ºC degrees, the first shoots will appear on the 4th-5th day, and at 16ºC – on the 10th day. To stimulate the growth of green mass, seedlings can be treated.
Since the germination rate of Amaranth seeds is very high, the sprouts will need to be thinned out as soon as they have three full leaves, and then planted in separate slightly deeper pots.
Amaranth germinates very well even when sown directly into the ground. Here it is important to wait for the time when, at a depth of 4-5 centimeters, the soil warms up by about 10ºC under the sun. Before this time, it is advisable to fertilize the soil on the site. Will fit mineral mixtures And complex fertilizers. You will need 30 grams of mineral fertilizers for each square meter for digging, and complex ones are mixed as indicated in the instructions. For more information on the types and use of mineral fertilizers, see. When choosing a fertilizer, try to find formulations with lowest content nitrogen, since amaranth “knows how” to process nitrogen fertilizers into nitrates.
Soil preparation
Sowing in the ground exactly at this temperature, usually at the end of April, allows amaranth to grow quickly without the risk of being “suppressed” by weeds. Sowing in May will also give good seedlings, but you will have to constantly weed the amaranth from weeds. Sowing is done in furrows with moist soil. You can place each seed 1.5-2 centimeters into the soil, or you can mix the seeds with sawdust or sand in a ratio of 1:20. The grooves should be 45 centimeters apart, and 7-10 between seeds. The first shoots will appear in a little more than a week, and all frequent shoots should be thinned out. Be sure to loosen the soil until the amaranth “comes into force.”
When the plant reaches 20 centimeters, you can “feed” the amaranth a little more. Now it will do, but reduce the concentration by half as recommended by the manufacturer.
Planting of seedlings occurs when the night frosts have definitely ended. Most often this is mid to late May. The best soil is nutritious and light, with limestone admixtures, and the site is lighted and drained.
Planting seedlings
Amaranth is not known for its capriciousness, but the cold and a large number of He doesn't like moisture in the ground. Before planting amaranth seedlings, dig up an area with 20 grams of nitroammophoska per square meter. Read more about the properties and application rates of nitroammofosk fertilizer.
The location between seedlings is determined by the amaranth variety and can range from 10 centimeters to 30, and the rows can be spaced from 45 centimeters to 70 centimeters apart.
Collecting seeds after flowering It is very easy to collect seeds for future planting. Amaranth seeds will retain their germination capacity for another 5 years.
Storing them is also easy - a paper bag or box will do.
At the end, be sure to sift the amaranth seeds through a sieve. If you planted several varieties, then dry them in different places so that the seeds do not mix. The remaining parts of amaranth can also be used. The remaining stem can be folded into compost pit
, which will provide amazing fertilizer for the future. Amaranth is completely undemanding in terms of care. The most difficult period for this plant is until the moment of active growth.
Usually amaranth needs almost a month to become well established and during this time it grows very slowly. In the first month you will have to weed the beds, regularly water the amaranth and loosen the soil near the seedlings. Feeding is not often necessary. Enough 3-4 times throughout the season. The most the best feeding– solution of mullein and .
The solution is diluted in proportions 1:5, and ash will need 200 grams per 10 liters of water. The best time of day to fertilize is early in the morning after watering the entire area. Some varieties can grow 5-7 centimeters in just one day. After this, there is no need to water the amaranth frequently - its roots go very deep. However, if there is a very dry period, watering will still be needed. Just make sure that the soil is not too dry or constantly wet.
Amaranth is also distinguished by its excellent “health”. It is practically not attacked by pests and almost never gets sick. Only weevils and aphids can harm the plant. The latter pests pose a strong threat only in the first month of amaranth growth, but weevils develop in the amaranth stem and can greatly delay its development.
An aphid attack can be expected if the summer is too wet, but everything can be solved by treatment. by special means. Both aphids and weevils die after treating the plant with karbofos (fufanon) or actellik. Strong moisture can also provoke fungal diseases. But they are also very easy to treat with spraying. Copper oxychloride, colloidal sulfur, copper sulfate and other fungicides.
For more useful details about growing amaranth from seeds, watch the video
The only drawback of amaranth is its inability to survive the winter. In hotter countries, this plant is considered a perennial, but in our latitudes, sowing is necessary every year. Incredibly useful and beautiful plant will find a place in every area, especially since it requires virtually no maintenance. It looks great as part of flower arrangements. More details regarding creation beautiful flower bed look at the dacha. Amaranth is a natural source of such beneficial carotene and contains a lot of vitamin C. There are now quite a few recipes floating around the internet with amaranth.
Amaranth is an ornamental plant that pleases people with its attractive appearance and beneficial properties, for more than 8000 years. America is considered the birthplace of culture. The name of this plant comes from the word “amanthos” and is translated as “unfading flower.” In addition to its external beauty, amaranth is a fodder crop, used as medicine, and also as food. In this article you can learn how to grow amaranth and the features of caring for the plant.
Amaranth is a very beautiful plant that can become a real decoration summer cottage or lawn. This annual crop, reaching 2-3 m in height, has a fleshy stem and leaves of red, purple and green colors. Amaranth is a weed crop, so it is not afraid of long droughts, is little susceptible to diseases and pests, but at the same time loves light and warmth. Amaranth is absolutely picky, grows on any soil, except wetlands, and in any conditions. weather conditions, with the possible exception of the desert and the far north. It feels best at an air temperature of 25 to 30 °C, and can easily tolerate light frosts and heat of 45-50 °C. In addition to their decorative properties amaranth is used in livestock and poultry farming. This plant serves as the most effective and environmentally friendly feed compared to other feed crops. It contains 18 out of 20 all existing amino acids. Amaranth is not just a fortified and nutritious food, but also replaces some medications. In addition, the plant is actively used in human nutrition. Grain and flour made from it are used in baked goods, in canning and as an additive to vegetable salads. Bread made with amaranth flour does not go stale for a long time. Leaves and inflorescences are used to prepare medicinal tea, which can remove harmful salts and radionuclides from the body. The leaves can also be added to fresh salads instead of spinach. And amaranth oil is considered more useful than even sea buckthorn oil. It is very widely used in Food Industry and in cosmetology. Amaranth varietiesThere are many varieties of this beautiful and useful plant. Get to know the most popular types:
Obtaining amaranth seedsIn order to grow amaranth, you can buy seeds at any specialized store. Still, many people prefer to grow crops from their plants. It’s easy to get amaranth seeds:
Germinating amaranth from seedsGerminating amaranth from seeds for seedlings does not require special effort, but some recommendations are still worth considering:
Picking seedlings:
Transplanting amaranth into open groundChoosing a place in the gardenBefore transplanting seedlings into open ground, you need to choose a place where the plant will be comfortable. Amaranth is absolutely not picky and takes root anywhere. And, nevertheless, there are some points that need to be taken into account when choosing a place to transplant seedlings:
Preparing seedlings for transplantationIn May, when the average air temperature reaches above 4 °C, you can begin planting seedlings in open ground. Since the seedlings have been in greenhouse conditions all this time, before transplanting they need to be prepared - hardened and accustomed to outdoor conditions:
Planting seedlingsIf you have already hardened the seedlings sufficiently, the soil is completely ready to accept seedlings, and there is no threat of frost, it’s time to start planting plants in open ground:
How beautiful amaranth grows from seeds can be seen in the photo:
Features of caring for amaranthAmaranth is completely unpretentious in care, it does not require a lot of moisture or any special conditions. But in order for the plant not to die and give good harvest, must be adhered to the following recommendations:
Amaranth diseasesSome pests and diseases can be dangerous for amaranth:
So, you have already learned everything about amaranth, growing it from seeds and about the features of caring for this crop. As you can see, growing amaranth from seeds is absolutely easy. It is completely unpretentious and can easily tolerate dry weather. The main thing when growing is to adhere to the following recommendations - create special conditions in the room where the seeds will germinate, moisten them in time, choose the right place and prepare the soil for replanting. After the seedlings are planted in the ground, it is necessary to periodically weed and hill up the amaranth bushes. If you do not forget all these rules, amaranth will give a good harvest and will delight you with its beauty all season long. Growing amaranth. Video |
Amaranths are annual and perennial herbs with branched, less often simple, stems. The most widespread in floriculture is amaranth caudate with drooping purple-red or yellowish-green inflorescences, red stems and bright green leaves.
Amaranth caudate is an unpretentious, fast-growing annual plant, reaching a height of 100 cm. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, collected in large inflorescences. Numerous stems end in long, trailing, racemose panicles reminiscent of a fox's tail; this is why the plant is nicknamed "fox tail." The seeds are small, round, reddish-brown. Germination persists for 4-5 years.
Amaranths are propagated by sowing seeds (May) in picking boxes or peat pots in a greenhouse or greenhouse, followed by transplanting into the ground after spring frosts(June). It blooms on the 35-40th day after sowing. It sprouts well by self-sowing and sowing in the ground in spring or autumn. The distance between plants should be 30-50 cm.
Amaranth grows well in open sunny places and fertile loose soils, with regular watering, the plants bush up strongly and form powerful hanging inflorescences. For greater compactness and bushiness, the tops of the plants are pinched.
The garden variety of caudate amaranth is hybrid amaranth. The plant is 90 cm tall with brown-red leaves and erect red inflorescences.
Amaranths are used for flower beds, in ground and single plantings, when planting tall groups of shrubs and for cutting (can also be dried for winter bouquets).
Everyone probably knows amaranth as a weed, but amaranth is its cultivated cousin. This plant was known in South America several thousand years ago. Ancient peoples valued it on a par with gold, and it was not only the main grain crop, but also a cult plant, revered as a symbol of immortality.
Amaranth was brought to our country by N.I. Vavilov, after whose arrest the plant was declared a weed. Later new varieties were developed. The best variety is Valentina, with a red-brown color and up to 2 m in height. This annual plant, sown in the second half of May, is resistant to drought and is little affected by diseases and pests. Does not tolerate acidic soil.
Amaranth seeds contain a high content of protein, lysine, biologically active substances, vitamins; 200 g of amaranth leaves are equivalent to a kilogram of tomatoes. The oil contains squalene, a polysaturated liquid hydrocarbon that suppresses cancer cells, improves immunity, normalizes cholesterol. The substances contained (rutin, beta-carotene and zeaxin) prevent the development of eye diseases and suppress bacteria and fungi.
Amaranth can be used as an additive to dishes in the form of seed flour or dry crushed leaves. Amaranth oil is useful for dressing salads or drinking 1 tbsp. l. before eating.
Amaranth caudate (fox tail) is a good dried flower, also suitable for cutting. You can get a well-developed plant on loose fertile soils, well permeable to water; in a sunny place.
Amaranth is an unpretentious, fast-growing plant, the rapid growth of which can be caused by pruning the roots that go deep into the soil. If a more compact form is required, just pinch the top of the seedling.
Considering the impressive size of amaranth, it is better to plant it as a tapeworm on the lawn or as a central plant in a composition with shorter ones. Amaranth works well as a hedge, decorating unsightly places in the garden.
The technology for growing amaranth is quite simple. Due to its unpretentiousness, the plant is especially popular. This is a unique flower, native to the lands of America. The crop has been grown for more than 8 thousand years. Many young leaves, flowers and stems are eaten, sent to feed livestock and used as medicinal plant. To grow healthy and beautiful amaranth, you need to know when to plant it in open ground and how to care for it.
The crop can be grown in almost any climate zone, except for the desert and the Far North.
When cultivating it, the following characteristics of the plant should be taken into account:
To grow amaranth in Siberia, you need to use ready-made seedlings.
In order for the crop to branch well and produce a higher yield, it is necessary to systematically weed the bed and thin out the seedlings. A distance between stems of up to 10 cm is preferable for food specimens. A wider space (about 20 cm) is required for plants that are grown for seeds.
After the first month of growing season, the crop adds 6-7 cm per day. At this stage, there is no need to weed it, since the weeds cannot compete with amaranth. But we should not forget about introducing organic or mineral fertilizers. Plantations need to be fed once every 10 days. It is better to do this in the morning, immediately after watering. You cannot overdo it, as nitrates will accumulate in the plant, as a result it will be unsuitable for food.
Many people do not know what amaranth seeds look like. In fact, it is not difficult to distinguish the grains of this crop from other plants. Planting material amaranth is very small. Light varieties of plants with green leaves have seeds sand color(like white sesame, only much smaller), with dense, smooth, slightly shiny shells. Such varieties are used for food and feed purposes. Plants with red leaves are decorative varieties which are grown for beautiful flowers. They have black seeds, also very small. Before planting amaranth seeds, it is recommended for convenience to mix the grains with sawdust or sand in a ratio of 1:20.
The seeds ripen well when placed on inflorescences in a dark place.
The growing season of amaranth is 70 days, and the seeds are formed after 3 months of cultivation. The grains do not ripen at the same time, so it is easier to cut off entire amaranth inflorescences, otherwise some will simply end up on the ground.
When the panicles turn brown and dry well after about a month or two, you need to remove the seeds. They need to be dried only in a dark place. 
You can simply clean them in the wind or on a very fine sieve. When stored in a dry place, amaranth seeds retain the ability to germinate for five years.
In this way, varieties oriented toward the accumulation of green mass are cultivated. Before growing amaranth from seeds, it is necessary to prepare beds for it in the fall. To do this, the earth is dug up to a depth of at least 20 cm, and also added. The best option- This is humus or compost. For each hundred square meters you will need approximately 500 kg. The beds should be oriented in a north-south direction. It is impossible to sow amaranth on slopes, since even small streams from rain can wash away its seeds. In the spring, the beds need to be dug up again and mineral fertilizer applied. Amaranth is sown in rows and then thinned out. 
In order for the grains to germinate well, it is important to choose right time planting a plant. The soil should have time to warm up to positive temperatures. This is usually the end of May. The depth of the holes should be about 5 cm. In such conditions, the seeds will germinate well, and the crop will grow so quickly that it will easily overtake the weeds and they will not be able to choke out the amaranth. You don't even have to weed it. 
If you miss optimal period and sow later, you will have to fight weeds, as well as pests: aphids, weevils, caterpillars. In a flowerbed or small garden, amaranth is sown by hand. In large fields, sowing is carried out using special seeders. The soil should be moist and nutritious. Also, in order for amaranth to develop well in open ground, in addition to care, it is necessary to follow the planting rules.
The distance between rows should be:
The first sprouts break through the ground after a week or 10 days. At first, amaranth grows slowly, but then noticeably accelerates. You can re-sow after 2 weeks so that the period of formation of young greenery is as long as possible.
In Siberia, ordinary plant varieties from seeds can only be grown for green mass, since they do not have time to form new grains. It is better to cultivate in this climate zone early ripening varieties amaranth, for example, Cherginsky. You can also plant plant seedlings in open ground.
Cultivating a plant from seeds is the easiest way. But to speed up the ripening period of amaranth, which is about 3 months, it is better to grow it using seedlings. This method guarantees more lush flowering, That's why this method also practiced for decorative varieties.
Before germinating amaranth at home, you need to remember that the grains should be sown in a container at the end of February or in March.
In order to grow amaranth for seedlings you need:
Another option for obtaining seedlings is to sow the seeds in a box of soil and place it in a plastic bag and place it in a warm place. After one or two weeks, shoots appear and the plants can be kept on the windowsill.
Some tips on how to germinate amaranth at home:
You cannot plant seedlings at lunchtime when it is very hot outside.
If the first three or four leaves appear on the seedlings, this means it’s time to pluck the amaranth. To do this, you need to take pots with a diameter of about 12 cm and plant the plants so that there is only one specimen in each of them.
You can plant seedlings in open ground about a month after germination. The best month is May, when there is no longer any danger of frost. The average daily temperature must be at least + 5°C. The procedure should be carried out in cloudy weather. It is also good to plant a flower in the evening. 
The culture feels great on various soils. Including on sandy and rocky soils, even on salt marshes.
Transplant stages:
Caring for amaranth obtained from seeds or seedlings is no different. At the beginning it is weeded, and then only watered and fed. For better “branching”, you can pinch the top of the plant at the end of June. It is good to periodically hill up the crop, and tie up the tallest specimens. If this is not done, they may break due to their heavy panicle flowers.
When the plant reaches a height of 20-25 centimeters, it can be trimmed for greenery. Through a short time the stems will sprout new shoots. After harvesting, it is better to put the remains of the plant in a compost pit to get excellent fertilizer for the next season.
As can be seen from the article, planting and caring for the amaranth plant is very simple. To grow beautiful flower It is enough to follow the basic rules.
