Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Red Garnet Amaranth is a stunning heirloom plant known for its bright red color and edible seeds. This lovely plant is tall growing, reaching over 6 feet in height, and has attractive fuchsia flowers, making it a unique ornamental with an edible twist. Red Garnet Amaranth can also be grown in containers. The stalks can be cut at maturity and kept in a vase for a unique addition to your home décor. The leaves of Red Garnet Amaranth can be eaten raw or cooked and contain a great source of iron. You can also allow the plant to go to seed and harvest them to use as a grain in gluten free baking.
NAME: Amaranth (Amaranthus)
VARIETY: Red Garnet
DAYS TO MATURITY: 90 – 120 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Annual
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 2 – 10
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun
SOIL: Average, loose soil with a pH 6.0 – 6.5
PLANT HEIGHT: 60 – 84 inches
SPACING: 10 – 14 inches apart
TEMP: 60 – 95ºF
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Sow seeds indoors 3 weeks before your last local spring frost
Sow 1 to 2 seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting soil mix in each cell of a cell tray
Keep the soil moist and ensure ambient temperatures are around 70°F
Seedlings will sprout in 6 to 8 days
As soon as the seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow 3 to 4 inches beneath fluorescent/LED plant lights turned on 15 hours per day, off for 9 hours at night, raising the light with growth
Before planting outside, you will need to harden off seedlings for several days. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night
Make sure soil and air temperatures are at least 60°F before transplanting
Transplant into prepared garden bed once seedlings are 4 inches tall and hardened off; space them 12 inches apart in rows that are 24 inches
Direct sow seeds outdoors once air and soil temps stay above 60°F during the day and night (Minor temperature fluctuations are okay)
Sow each seed 2 inches apart and cover with ¼ inch of fine soil; press soil down
lightly and water them in generously; seedlings emerge in 6 to 12 days (Warmer soil
temps germinate the seeds quicker)
When seedlings are 2 inches tall, thin to 12 inches apart; this will allow enough space for each plant to grow
It is important to keep the soil continuously moist until the sprouts get to be 7 inches tall.
Amaranth is not heavy feeder, but it can benefit from a balanced fertilizer application at planting time and again about halfway through the growing season.
Applying a layer of mulch around the base of the plants can help retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and keep the soil temperature more consistent.
While red garnet amaranth generally doesn’t require staking, tall varieties may benefit from support to prevent them from toppling over in strong winds or heavy rain.
Regularly prune or pinch back the plant to encourage bushier growth and prevent it from becoming too leggy.
You can start harvesting the leaves of red garnet amaranth when they are young and tender, usually around 30-40 days after planting. Continuously harvest the outer leaves to encourage new growth. You can also harvest the entire plant when it reaches maturity for its seeds.
Allow the bushy flowers at the top of the Amaranth plant to reach full maturity and turn dried and brown if you would like to harvest the grain-like seeds. Once this stage is reached, cut down the flowers and hang them upside down to cure for about a week. The seeds will then fall out easily and can be harvested by roughly shaking and rolling the dried flowers over a bowl or bucket.
