Amaranth: The Prehistoric Crop You Can Still Grow
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Date: 2024-09-16
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Comments and reviews: 20
silverdragoneyes
I haven't grown amaranth but there's some sorghum(martin milo) growing right up against the wall of the warehouse I work at. Another ancient grain, sorghum is related to corn. Looks a lot like corn when it's growing. When I pointed it out to my boss he mistakenly said that it was corn. I told him it wasn't corn, it was sorghum. In the US, it's mostly used in animal feed, especially chicken feed, but it's perfectly edible for people. In fact, if you ever hear someone say they know how to make Roti(a type of flatbread, that's what it's made of. It can also be boiled like rice or popped like popcorn.
Milo is a grain variety that only grows about four feet tall but some varieties of sorghum grow eight feet tall with some stalks pushing twelve feet. The Rox Orange variety is used to make syrup, kind of like sugarcane. Some varieties are used as silage, grazing or bait for hunting wild deer(not as enticing as corn but it's much easier to grow.
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I haven't grown amaranth but there's some sorghum(martin milo) growing right up against the wall of the warehouse I work at. Another ancient grain, sorghum is related to corn. Looks a lot like corn when it's growing. When I pointed it out to my boss he mistakenly said that it was corn. I told him it wasn't corn, it was sorghum. In the US, it's mostly used in animal feed, especially chicken feed, but it's perfectly edible for people. In fact, if you ever hear someone say they know how to make Roti(a type of flatbread, that's what it's made of. It can also be boiled like rice or popped like popcorn.
Milo is a grain variety that only grows about four feet tall but some varieties of sorghum grow eight feet tall with some stalks pushing twelve feet. The Rox Orange variety is used to make syrup, kind of like sugarcane. Some varieties are used as silage, grazing or bait for hunting wild deer(not as enticing as corn but it's much easier to grow.
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courtneycullen6289
Amaranth is the most efficient trap crop I grow and I grew spinach around the base of it all summer that was and is pristine because the bugs all went to the amaranth. and the pests never seem to bother it. Try decapitating/pinching the main head for an amazing big centerpiece and then with the side shoots make it into a very striking shrub. I also love green verdil, red spike, and the dreadlocks version. it's a pretty vigorous self-seeder, but the young plants are very obvious. I just love it and it does not seem bothered by powdery mildew, so its great mixed with summer veg and flowers like zinnias and dahlias. I've just been very happy with it scattered around my flower and veg gardens. The red spike, with its silvery red leaves, definitely fills in the spots that Laura from garden answer might say needs red for color balance. I'm planting more next year for sure.
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Amaranth is the most efficient trap crop I grow and I grew spinach around the base of it all summer that was and is pristine because the bugs all went to the amaranth. and the pests never seem to bother it. Try decapitating/pinching the main head for an amazing big centerpiece and then with the side shoots make it into a very striking shrub. I also love green verdil, red spike, and the dreadlocks version. it's a pretty vigorous self-seeder, but the young plants are very obvious. I just love it and it does not seem bothered by powdery mildew, so its great mixed with summer veg and flowers like zinnias and dahlias. I've just been very happy with it scattered around my flower and veg gardens. The red spike, with its silvery red leaves, definitely fills in the spots that Laura from garden answer might say needs red for color balance. I'm planting more next year for sure.
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sharonknorr1106
Grew amaranth for the first time this year. Originally I mislabeled an Epic 4-pk with a kind of pepper. I thought it looked a little weird, but I planted it out anyways - my peppers got started way late this year due to cooking my seed starts in a hot greenhouse, so they were all still really small. As it grew, I finally realized that it was amaranth, especially when the red variety showed more color in the leaves. The red was teeny, tiny when I planted then out, so never got very large, but will dry it for fall flower arrangement. But the yellow ones got huge and are just gorgeous. Going to harvest one for dried flowers and leave the other for the birds. Will be planting lots more next year along the fence - need to get Love-Lies-Bleeding seeds. And yes, plucked a leaf or two along the way to put in a salad.
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Grew amaranth for the first time this year. Originally I mislabeled an Epic 4-pk with a kind of pepper. I thought it looked a little weird, but I planted it out anyways - my peppers got started way late this year due to cooking my seed starts in a hot greenhouse, so they were all still really small. As it grew, I finally realized that it was amaranth, especially when the red variety showed more color in the leaves. The red was teeny, tiny when I planted then out, so never got very large, but will dry it for fall flower arrangement. But the yellow ones got huge and are just gorgeous. Going to harvest one for dried flowers and leave the other for the birds. Will be planting lots more next year along the fence - need to get Love-Lies-Bleeding seeds. And yes, plucked a leaf or two along the way to put in a salad.
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aryah1513
Oh the easiest way to harvest seeds is to NOT harvest the flower. While it's still on the plant, shake the flower onto something so you can see what falls out. If seeds fall out, it's time to collect and you do so by simply shaking it over a piece of white paper and using that as a funnel for your ziplock bag. You will get nothing other than seed way before the flowers dry.
However, when you're not selling the seeds, you don't need to seperate from dry flowers/hulls etc. - just strip the flower stalk WITH all the other matter into a ziplock bag, plant them WITH the dry matter the next year and the dry matter will turn into soil over time.
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Oh the easiest way to harvest seeds is to NOT harvest the flower. While it's still on the plant, shake the flower onto something so you can see what falls out. If seeds fall out, it's time to collect and you do so by simply shaking it over a piece of white paper and using that as a funnel for your ziplock bag. You will get nothing other than seed way before the flowers dry.
However, when you're not selling the seeds, you don't need to seperate from dry flowers/hulls etc. - just strip the flower stalk WITH all the other matter into a ziplock bag, plant them WITH the dry matter the next year and the dry matter will turn into soil over time.
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McMaverick44
I found a surprise amaranth plant in my yard six summers ago and suspect the seed was carried in by a bird. Since then I've had amaranth in my yard every summer and fall. It is the tall burgundy variety generally with burgundy leaves but some with colorful almost coleus like leaves. It replants every year and I have to pull it to control its population. Beautiful plant. Some are 6ft tall and others more compact, without pruning. The quail and some smaller birds feast on the seeds in all seasons. I'm in Zone 6B, high desert.
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I found a surprise amaranth plant in my yard six summers ago and suspect the seed was carried in by a bird. Since then I've had amaranth in my yard every summer and fall. It is the tall burgundy variety generally with burgundy leaves but some with colorful almost coleus like leaves. It replants every year and I have to pull it to control its population. Beautiful plant. Some are 6ft tall and others more compact, without pruning. The quail and some smaller birds feast on the seeds in all seasons. I'm in Zone 6B, high desert.
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MichelleLWhitney
You completely missed talking about the pigweed flea beetle. It is an amaranth-specific pest and in the mid-Atlantic region of the US, It can be really destructive and not much can control them organically. Diatomaceous earth works, but you have to be diligent with use and not have a rainy season where it is constantly being washed off. I’ve mostly given up trying to grow it because the plants never get large as their leaves are made into lace with all the pigweed flea beetle holes. It’s a real problem here.
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You completely missed talking about the pigweed flea beetle. It is an amaranth-specific pest and in the mid-Atlantic region of the US, It can be really destructive and not much can control them organically. Diatomaceous earth works, but you have to be diligent with use and not have a rainy season where it is constantly being washed off. I’ve mostly given up trying to grow it because the plants never get large as their leaves are made into lace with all the pigweed flea beetle holes. It’s a real problem here.
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epic_gardening
This is crazy. I just harvested some of my Amaranth today. I have Love lies bleeding’ too. It’s my 2nd year and when you mentioned pruning so that it gets bushythat’s what I didn’t do. Now I know for next year. I don’t know why but it was kind of peaceful sitting outside at my table and harvesting the seeds and letting the breeze blow the chaff away. Amaranth is one of my favorites. Beautiful plant but also an amazing little seed/grain with so many healthy benefits. Thanks, Kevin!
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This is crazy. I just harvested some of my Amaranth today. I have Love lies bleeding’ too. It’s my 2nd year and when you mentioned pruning so that it gets bushythat’s what I didn’t do. Now I know for next year. I don’t know why but it was kind of peaceful sitting outside at my table and harvesting the seeds and letting the breeze blow the chaff away. Amaranth is one of my favorites. Beautiful plant but also an amazing little seed/grain with so many healthy benefits. Thanks, Kevin!
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earthisflat
I grew your hot biscuits amaranth, i live out in Phoenix and man did that thing take off, i collected and processed the seeds but lost it somewhere in my garage, i did eat a couple of the seeds before i lost it though and had alot of fun watching it grow, i had no idea it would grow so tall though also i threw some dead amaranth plants in my compost pile and it self seeded to my surprise lol definitely gonna have to get me some of those burgundy amaranth seeds
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I grew your hot biscuits amaranth, i live out in Phoenix and man did that thing take off, i collected and processed the seeds but lost it somewhere in my garage, i did eat a couple of the seeds before i lost it though and had alot of fun watching it grow, i had no idea it would grow so tall though also i threw some dead amaranth plants in my compost pile and it self seeded to my surprise lol definitely gonna have to get me some of those burgundy amaranth seeds
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foodnwords
I saw a bunch of amaranth in a student garden when I visited a friend in Portland a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm obsessed! Definitely haven't gotten around to planting it but this year (or next year) is the year! I'm in Oakland, CA (Zone 9/10) can I plant it this fall for spring growth I know it prefers warm soil, but we don't get frost where I am, just lots of rain over the fall/winter. I'm wondering if I should plant it now- October, or wait until January!
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I saw a bunch of amaranth in a student garden when I visited a friend in Portland a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm obsessed! Definitely haven't gotten around to planting it but this year (or next year) is the year! I'm in Oakland, CA (Zone 9/10) can I plant it this fall for spring growth I know it prefers warm soil, but we don't get frost where I am, just lots of rain over the fall/winter. I'm wondering if I should plant it now- October, or wait until January!
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TaLeng2023
No one sells amaranth for garden use in my country. There are grains available by the gram but they don't say what variety those are. I guess that's my only option Would there be any indicator what variety it is Like those red leafed ones being sold for microgreens, usually what variety would those be
I also grew safflower from bird seed mixes coz they also don't sell them for garden (I wanted to get the petals.
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No one sells amaranth for garden use in my country. There are grains available by the gram but they don't say what variety those are. I guess that's my only option Would there be any indicator what variety it is Like those red leafed ones being sold for microgreens, usually what variety would those be
I also grew safflower from bird seed mixes coz they also don't sell them for garden (I wanted to get the petals.
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epic_gardening
Amaranth is just about the only tall stalk plant I can grow for the Three Sisters method. It gives you a lot of seeds, so there's more room for error. It grows like a weed, it seems to shrug off insect pests, and it plays well with plenty of other crops. It also regrows quite well after you harvest it. The main downside is that it can get quite top-heavy, so I often have to stake it later in the season.
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Amaranth is just about the only tall stalk plant I can grow for the Three Sisters method. It gives you a lot of seeds, so there's more room for error. It grows like a weed, it seems to shrug off insect pests, and it plays well with plenty of other crops. It also regrows quite well after you harvest it. The main downside is that it can get quite top-heavy, so I often have to stake it later in the season.
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jerrycaughman6324
Grew Garnett Amaranth this year. For starters it is pretty dang hardy. I pretty much ignored it for long stretches and it didn’t seem fazed. I’m in Oklahoma so the wind came sweeping down the plains and blew it over MULTIPLE times and it just kept growing, sideways in some instances. lol. It’s gorgeous and I’ve had people that drive by and see it stop and ask me what it is.
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Grew Garnett Amaranth this year. For starters it is pretty dang hardy. I pretty much ignored it for long stretches and it didn’t seem fazed. I’m in Oklahoma so the wind came sweeping down the plains and blew it over MULTIPLE times and it just kept growing, sideways in some instances. lol. It’s gorgeous and I’ve had people that drive by and see it stop and ask me what it is.
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tinad6812
I have three of the tall amaranth and one is taller than my garage. It has to be over 12 feet tall. I put it as a center backdrop and it looks so beautiful. The other two are on the side of the garden. I will grow more next year and hopefully I will get volunteers. I grew it for the beauty and for my love of birds. I can’t wait to see the birds eating them. Thank you.
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I have three of the tall amaranth and one is taller than my garage. It has to be over 12 feet tall. I put it as a center backdrop and it looks so beautiful. The other two are on the side of the garden. I will grow more next year and hopefully I will get volunteers. I grew it for the beauty and for my love of birds. I can’t wait to see the birds eating them. Thank you.
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lindawoody8501
As long as not Spiny Amaranth which we had when we tried to garden on part of 6 acres in E. Tennessee over a decade ago. That stuff is a weed with yes, spines and prickly stems and so hard to pull by hand. These weeds must be hoed or dug out. They take over and re-seed quickly and easily. A really hard bad plant in my opinion.
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As long as not Spiny Amaranth which we had when we tried to garden on part of 6 acres in E. Tennessee over a decade ago. That stuff is a weed with yes, spines and prickly stems and so hard to pull by hand. These weeds must be hoed or dug out. They take over and re-seed quickly and easily. A really hard bad plant in my opinion.
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millergrrrl
I was surprised you didn't mention amaranths grown for their foliage, like Callaloo, Hopi Red Dye, or Joseph's Coat, as amaranth leaves are edible and very nutritious, and Joseph's Coat leaves turn bright colors, reminiscent of pointsettia bracts. Can be used like kale or spinach, only it thrives in summer heat.
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I was surprised you didn't mention amaranths grown for their foliage, like Callaloo, Hopi Red Dye, or Joseph's Coat, as amaranth leaves are edible and very nutritious, and Joseph's Coat leaves turn bright colors, reminiscent of pointsettia bracts. Can be used like kale or spinach, only it thrives in summer heat.
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sherimatukonis6016
You can also eat the leaves of the amaranth as well as the grain. they are also considered a trap plant for insects, as the insects that are damaging to other veggies, don't really have a detrimental affect on the amaranth and the insects love it. so they'll probably leave your harvest veggies alone.
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You can also eat the leaves of the amaranth as well as the grain. they are also considered a trap plant for insects, as the insects that are damaging to other veggies, don't really have a detrimental affect on the amaranth and the insects love it. so they'll probably leave your harvest veggies alone.
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aryah1513
My friend had it, I got a ziplock bag and filled it with seeds in a couple of minutes, which is why it is an invasive weed by the way, and just chucked a fistful in my yard, walked on it to tamp it, and left.
For years I couldn't get rid of it. After much effort I did. I had no idea it had uses.
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My friend had it, I got a ziplock bag and filled it with seeds in a couple of minutes, which is why it is an invasive weed by the way, and just chucked a fistful in my yard, walked on it to tamp it, and left.
For years I couldn't get rid of it. After much effort I did. I had no idea it had uses.
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cherylb. 9766
I'm growing amaranth right now. I had a storm cone through and lost the main stem but it's come back with a vengeance! It's not flowers yet but I'm a bit concerned about letting it! I've heard they spread quite easily and they can be hard to get rid of. It's that true It's a gorgeous plant!
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I'm growing amaranth right now. I had a storm cone through and lost the main stem but it's come back with a vengeance! It's not flowers yet but I'm a bit concerned about letting it! I've heard they spread quite easily and they can be hard to get rid of. It's that true It's a gorgeous plant!
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thaliav89
In Greece we usually harvest amaranth when the plants are young, boil them in salted water, drain them and serve them as a salad or side dish with lemon juice and olive oil.
Also, I saw on the internet someone making tiny popcorn with the amaranth seeds, I haven't tried it though!
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In Greece we usually harvest amaranth when the plants are young, boil them in salted water, drain them and serve them as a salad or side dish with lemon juice and olive oil.
Also, I saw on the internet someone making tiny popcorn with the amaranth seeds, I haven't tried it though!
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SN-sz7kw
One just appeared on the outside edge of one of my beds. A volunteer deposited by a bird I happily adjusted the wicket and included it inside the bed. It’s thriving next to the switchgrass & liatris & just coming into bud. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind it is.
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One just appeared on the outside edge of one of my beds. A volunteer deposited by a bird I happily adjusted the wicket and included it inside the bed. It’s thriving next to the switchgrass & liatris & just coming into bud. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind it is.
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