Topic: Amaranth

[student madwife]

Hello everyone

Is there anyone growing amaranth this year?  Anyone who has grown it in the past?  I had never heard of it until I saw it in the Real Seeds Catalogue and thought I would give it a go.

I just put a pinch of seeds in a pot and popped it on my window sill the other day and it has just germinated (must remember to write that up in the diary that I am attempting to keep  ;D ).  The seedlings are teeny tiny but they grow into quite big plants I believe.   :o  I also understand that I need to make sure they don't take over!  Well, they can have a competition with the couch grass ....

How many plants have other people planted out?  I want mine for the leaves and then for the seeds/grain later on.  I have an ENORMOUS (or so it seems to me) 10 rod plot to fill, so perhaps I can just plant out quite a few and see how we go!

Emma x

[jennym]

How do you use amaranth? seem to recall something on TV about it, but never grown it.

[CityChick]

Another amaranth newbie here :D  Got my seed from the same place.  Never grow it before either. 

The vidaverde website says to cook it with rice, but I seem to remember a lot more recipes from my veggie days.  Worst case will be... the chooks'll get it ;D

I'm trying Quinoa too.

[Gadfium]

Started mine off on the 14th March, then pricked them out, gave them a couple of weeks inside, then moved them to an unheated greenhouse before they got too leggy.

They seem okay, not making fantastic spurts, but looking healthy enough.

[chrispea27]

real seeds seem to have sold out any other suppliers?

[CityChick]

There are two sorts of Amaranth for sale on the real seeds website:

http://www.vidaverde.co.uk/index.html#cattable

Leaf armaranth is sold out, but grain amaranth is still showing as available...

I've got the grain amaranth... which one is everyone trying? :-[

[student madwife]

Thanks for the replies.

jennym - apparently you can eat the leaves, treating them like spinach and then collect the seeds and use like a grain, except it doesn't need grinding because it is already very fine.

CityChick - I'm going to check out that website as I'm not sure about the cooking.  Perhaps if we find any other recipes we can post them on Recipes 4 All?  BTW I'm growing leaf amaranth, but I thought you could use the seeds from that as 'grain'.    ???   Maybe not.  :-\

Chris - sorry don't know any other suppliers.  I just saw them on Real Seeds and since I was already buying quite a few different things I thought 'might as well give these a shot too!'

Gadfium - thank you for the photos.  It is interesting to see what my liitle seedlings should start turning into.  I read that amaranth starts really slowly then shoots away and makes big plants.  I'm interested to see that you also have a mixture of green and reddish seedlings as that is what I've got.  ;)

Emma x

[CityChick]

yes - the real seeds website says you can use the seeds from leaf amaranth after you've finished harvesting the leaves.  But I only wanted it for seeds, so I presumed the grain one would give me more.

[MutantHobbit]

People on the site may know it better as Calaloo, as djbrenton was very kindly giving people loose calaloo seed that he had been given.  According to my copy of "Grow Your Own Veg" by Joy Larkcom, Leaf Amaranth is also known as Chinese Spinach, Indian Spinach and Calaloo.  I think Bupster did a post similar to this last year.

As the book says the plants require a warm climate, the seeds needing soil temperature of at least 10 degrees C and the plants prefer of air temperatures of 20 degrees C, I'm following Joy's advice and waiting 'til Summer before sowing my seed outside.  Unfortunately, I haven't enough room to sow them under cover, as you can sow them in Late Spring/ Early Summer this way.

Gadfium, have you sown the seeds in March before?  If not, it'll be interesting to see how your plants fare, having started so early! ;D

Chrispea, try Chiltern Seeds

http://www.edirectory.co.uk/chilternseeds/pages/moreinfo.asp?Recordid=DBFBFGBE

or The Organic Gardening Catalogue

http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=215

Don't seem to have sold out yet, so might be worth a try if you follow the links. 

Dave

[CityChick]

Well that helps explain things - I'd heard of calaloo mentioned, but didn't realise it was a type of armaranth... Thank you.

[Gadfium]

I've got the grain amaranth (from http://www.vidaverde.co.uk/grains.html. You can still eat the leaves of this, but since these varieties have been selected for grain (rather than leaf) production, I think they have - comparatively -  fewer leaves.

Decided that if I could get a half-a-pound of amaranth grain per 6 plants (50% of estimate) then that would be a good return. Got 18 plants on the go - 90% germination from an initial 20 seeds - and thought that would give a good planting row, with the odd one scattered about the back of the border!

Chris - I've got a very small amount of grain amaranth seed left (very little - I've given most away to other A4As), but if 20/30 seeds would be enough... PM me with your address.

Mutant Hobbit - never grown it before, but am up for an experiment  :). Won't be planting out until 1st/2nd week of June.... as a back-up sowed another 12 seeds last week just in case I have a greenhouse paraffin heater/frost disaster.

[chrispea27]

thanks for all the info I will plant and have a go hope the summer  is hot for them and me!