Midnight Red amaranth deserves its place in hedges, flowerbeds, but also on the plate. The leaves can be harvested as young shoots and eaten in salads, and when mature, they can be prepared as spinach. If the plant is allowed to mature, the seeds or red spikes can be harvested for beautiful cut flowers.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Seeds

~1500

Difficulty       

Easy

Sowing        

Direct, Indoor

Lifecycle      

Tender perennial

Root cellar   

No

Sowing season       

Spring, Summer

Growing tips

Conditions of germination:

depth of sowing: 2.5 cm

optimal temperatures of germination: 26 to 32 ºC

time for germination: 14 to 21 days

soak seeds in warm water 2 to 12 hours before sowing to facilitate germination (optional)

When to sow:

Sow indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date in your area for early flowering, preferably in peat pots OR

direct seeding when the soil is warm (18 ºC and +)

Sowing technique: in pocket

Inside the same hole, sow 3 to 5 seeds spaced 1 to 2 cm apart; when the seeds have germinated and the seedlings have reached a height of 5 cm, keep all the plants if space is available or keep only the best plants.

for indoor seedlings: transplant into individual containers while waiting for transplanting in the garden OR

for direct seedlings: transplant to their final location in the garden

Transplanting outdoors (for seedlings started indoors):

When all risk of frost is removed and the air is warm (18 ºC and +)

Distance in the garden:

between plants: 30 cm

between rows: 60 cm

Height of the plants: 100 cm

Soil: well drained, rather poor

Exposure: full sun

Days to harvest: 25 days for young shoots, 90-120 days for a mature plant

Specificities:

grows well in pots