Planting amaranth seedlings in the ground. Planting amaranth and outdoor care

In the spring, amaranth itself grew on my site. Probably, the seeds were brought by the wind, but it was not possible to collect new ones - half fell off, and the rest did not have time to ripen before frost. I heard a lot about this plant, in particular, that it is better to grow it through seedlings. Advise what are the rules for growing amaranth seedlings?

Quite often in the flower beds there are tall bushes with plump long panicles burgundy. Many simply pull it out like weeds and make a mistake. This is far from a weed, but an annual cultivated one. It serves not only decorative purposes, but also widely used as a green manure, for animal feed, in cooking and even in traditional medicine. Therefore, many grow amaranth on purpose, and often on a large scale.

If there is no need to get seeds or flowers as soon as possible, amaranth is sown directly in open ground. To accelerate the growth and ripening of seeds, it is better to use seedling method growing amaranth, because in this case it will have time to bloom before the onset of frost. Simple rules and small tips for growing amaranth seedlings to your attention.

Sowing amaranth seeds for seedlings

It is better to sow seeds for seedlings at the very beginning of spring. It is good to use peat pots for these purposes, as the plant loves loose soil. It is enough to lightly cover the seeds with earth, it is not necessary to tamp it. To create a greenhouse effect, cover with foil on top. If the planting was not piecemeal, after the emergence of seedlings, the seedlings should be thinned out and left in a pot one plant at a time.

Care of seedlings consists in regular watering. So that the seedlings do not stretch, it must be hardened: containers with seedlings should be taken out into the open air, gradually increasing the time spent on the street.

Planting seedlings in the ground

The amaranth seedling will be ready for transplanting into open ground in about a month. Immediately before planting seedlings, it must be well watered so that it does not damage when taken out. root system. The transplant should be done in cloudy weather, and if nature has “pumped up” and there are sunny days, it is better to wait until the evening. In this case, the planted seedlings are recommended to be darkened additionally.

Amaranth seedlings should be planted in a reclining position, sprinkled with earth to the very first leaf. The distance between two plants should be at least half a meter, and when planted in rows, up to 80 cm should be left between them.

Dense plantings of amaranth will adversely affect its stems - they will begin to stretch and break.

Proper care of amaranth in the process of further growth

Amaranth is absolutely unpretentious in care, it is enough to water it in time and spud rows. Time will be spent on weeding only in the first month after planting in the ground, until the plant grows a little and gains strength. From the second month, amaranth will enter a phase of active growth, on the day the top will stretch by 7 cm, and no weeds will be afraid of it. It remains only to ensure that the soil under the amaranth does not dry out, and water regularly.

To increase the number of side shoots and fruit ovaries at the end of June, pinch the top of the amaranth. The culture is able to grow on poor soils, but it is still better to fertilize with a solution

(A. caudatus). The main decoration of this plant is the brightly colored variegated leaves of green, yellow and red, because of which it got its specific name. In Russian, the flower is most often found under its scientific name, while in English sources it has many everyday synonyms - "Joseph's Coat" - in honor of the biblical Joseph, who predicted the seven plagues of Egypt and, according to legend, walked in colorful clothes ), "fountain flower" (Fountain Plant), "summer poinsettia" (Summer Poinsettia), "Chinese spinach" (Chinese Spinach, more lettuce varieties). Some sources provide information about various botanical varieties, subspecies and forms of tricolor amaranth, such as different. willow, diff. red-green, shape red, etc. However, by modern classification they are all synonyms and are not distinguished separately from the main species.

Amaranth tricolor in nature.

The plant originates from the tropical regions of Asia, where it is one of the most common crops whose leaves are used as food. Cultivation occurred in ancient times and the wild ancestor of the plant is not exactly known. This fast growing annual can reach 80-120 cm in height. The stem is green or reddish, strong, erect, usually highly branched. The shape of the bush is spherical, pyramidal, compact or loose, up to 70 cm in diameter. The leaves are smooth, on long petioles, reach 15 cm in length and up to 10 cm in width. The shape is very diverse - elongated, oval, wide-elliptical. The arrangement on the stem is next in a spiral, the leaf blade is whole, the edge is most often wavy. The flowers are not decorative green or red, small, collected in dense panicles in the axils of the leaves and on the apical inflorescence. Seeds are small, 1-1.5 mm., shiny, black or brown, almost round.

Amaranth tricolor in culture.

how vegetable plant this species, with the help of man, has spread widely in regions with a warm climate and a large number of sunny days especially in Asia and Africa. Decorative leafy varieties cover a wider area. In the southern regions of Russia, the plant develops well when sown in open ground and is often renewed by self-sowing for many years. In the middle lane guaranteed results can only be obtained in hot summers, or by growing it through seedlings. Amaranth tricolor is almost unknown as a pot crop, but on a sunny windowsill or well-lit balcony, it will grow without any problems and will undoubtedly become one of the most bright jewelry flower collection.

In the State Register of Breeding Achievements for 2014, domestic varieties of tricolor amaranth were not registered.
There is also no active selection abroad, and there are less than a dozen old varieties on the market, which are mainly improved natural varieties (distributors offering seeds for sale are indicated in brackets):
- "Aurora" ("Aurora") - a variety with a bright yellow-lemon leaf color, without red pigment. It is found under the name "Kesha" (Sedek).
- "Illumination" ("Illumination") - undersized variety, the lower leaves are dark green, the upper ones with a smooth transition of orange and red tones, the center is yellow. The most popular among Russian distributors who sell it under the name "Illumination" (Gavrish, Poisk) or "Illumination" (Russian Garden - NK).
- "Perfecta" ("Perfecta") and "Splendens" ("Splendens") are synonyms of the same variety. The leaves are long narrow with contrasting yellow and red coloration. It is sold as "Perfecta" (Prestige), "Perfection" (Gavrish), "Splendens Perfecta" (Agros).
- "Molten Fire" ("Molten Fire") - the color of the upper "cap" of the leaves is bright brick red, the lower leaves are dark green with a transition to Brown color. It is sold under the name "Amaranth Bicolor" (Aelita), "Glamorous Shine" (Gavrish), "Molten Fire" (Sedek).
- "Early Splendor" ("Early Splendour") - similar to the previous variety, but the tone top leaves pinkish red. Referred to as "Earley Splendor" (Agros).
- "Flaming Fountains" ("Flaming Fountains") has narrowed leaves, the lower ones are bronze, the upper ones are scarlet.
- a mixture of varieties "Aurora", "Illumination" and "Early Splendor" is offered under the names "Brazilian Carnival" (Search), "Polovtsian Dances" (Sedek).
- "Joseph's Coat" is synonymous with the species, not the variety. Any of the following may be offered under this name. famous varieties depending on the developer's imagination.

Amaranth tricolor - maintenance and care.

❀ For cultivation in room culture compact varieties that do not take up much space are more suitable. Tall specimens may require support. Sowing seeds can be done from March to June, which will ensure the presence of ornamental plants from early summer until late autumn. AT winter period this annual is not commonly grown due to lack of sunlight. Color staining of the leaves appears only with sufficiently intense lighting and becomes more intense with age. dark tones, usually bronze or maroon. At the age of 4 months, with the onset of the flowering phase, the plants stop active growth. Removing inflorescences can extend the growing season by another 4-10 weeks. If desired, you can leave 1-2 plants per seed, which are easily tied, as the species is self- and wind-pollinated.

❀ For the full development of this flower, sufficiently high temperatures are needed. Optimal conditions are 25°C and above during the day and at least 15°C at night. Amaranth does not tolerate cold and dies even with short-term frosts. The species is so heat tolerant that it is the only edible lettuce plant that survives the summer temperatures in the South Indian states.

❀ Intense lighting is required, preferably direct sun on a southern window or balcony. The amount of light determines the brightness of the color of the leaves, which lose their gloss and variegation in the shade. The plant has a pronounced phytoperiodism - a shortened daylight hours of less than 15 hours stimulates the beginning of flowering.

❀ Amaranth tricolor is less resistant to drought conditions than other species and requires regular abundant watering. The lack of water leads to the formation of dwarf specimens and more early flowering, which reduces the decorative period of plants.

❀ The substrate for planting must be loose and well-drained. The level of soil acidity does not play a special role, since amaranth develops well in both slightly alkaline and acidic soil.

❀ The amaranth bark system is powerful, so the containers are selected sufficiently large and stable, taking into account the large size of the plants. It is better to use ceramic pots, or deep plastic crates for one year olds.

❀ Plants develop best in moderately fertile soil without excess humus and organic dressings, otherwise the color of the leaves becomes less bright. The species is distinguished by a very active absorption of minerals from the soil, therefore regular top dressing is recommended. mineral fertilizers with an approximate NPK ratio of 10:10:20.

❀ Air humidity does not play a significant role, the plant tolerates both dry air and high humidity well.

❀ Amaranth tricolor does not reproduce vegetatively.

❀ Sowing seeds is carried out on the surface of the earth and then sprinkled thin layer sand or soil, as the lack of light stimulates germination. For a more even distribution of very small amaranth seeds, they can be mixed with sand before sowing. At a temperature of 21°C and above, seedlings appear after 5-14 days. Cooler conditions significantly delay germination. The plant requires intensive lighting from the first days of development, therefore, when early landing in March-April, artificial lighting is used. Amaranth does not tolerate transplanting well and it is better to sow it immediately in individual containers, or pick it up as early as possible. Pinching the growth point at a height of 10-15 cm stimulates more active branching of the stem and the formation of a denser and more voluminous plant.

❀ Of insects, the main danger is aphids and stem- and leaf-eating caterpillars, which are quite rare in apartments. Plants can also be affected by mites and insect miners, but are immune to nematodes. The species is less disease resistant than other amaranths. The main danger is the root rot of young seedlings and adult plants. The main preventive measure is the selection of well-drained soil, which provides a runoff of excess water after irrigation, and its sterilization before sowing. Leaves are occasionally affected by rust.

It is interesting:
- amaranth tricolor has a rare type of C4 photosynthesis and is unique high ability to the absorption of carbon dioxide from the air and its processing into biomass at high temperature and the level of solar radiation.

Amaranth (Schiritsa) is a genus of plants of the Amaranth family, which includes about 100 species. Amaranths are common in regions with a temperate and subtropical climate. Most species are native to South America. North India and China are considered the secondary center of formation.

Botanical description

Mostly annual herbaceous plants up to a meter high.

Stems erect, often hairy.

Leaves entire, rhomboid, lanceolate or ovate, with petiole. They can be green and red, in some decorative forms - multi-colored.

Among amaranths there are both monoecious and dioecious plants. The flowers develop in the axils of the leaves and on the tops. Axillary bunches are collected in small inflorescences in the form of a bunch, apical - in panicles, which can be very long. The flowers are very small, but if they are brightly colored, then due to the large number they look quite decorative.

The fruit is a box. The seeds are small - the weight of 1000 seeds is about 0.4 g. One plant produces up to 500,000 seeds.

Application

Amaranth is cultivated over large areas as a fodder crop - the grain is used as poultry feed, and the green mass is used for ensiling, feeding and grazing livestock.

AT South America Amaranth is still grown as a cereal crop and has been one of the most important crops among South American Indians for 8,000 years. It was used and is used both in the form of porridge and in the form of flour products made from amaranth flour.

Amaranth oil is obtained from amaranth seeds - about it below.

Many forms are grown as ornamental crops. A few photos of decorative amaranths below:

Amaranth oil - benefits and harms. Evidence of medicinal properties

Amaranth oil, and the seeds themselves are traditionally considered valuable medicinal components - especially in folk medicine. But widespread use in traditional medicine is not proof of the benefits or harms of amaranth. We need scientific facts.

It is safe to say that:

1. Amaranth seeds contain easily digestible protein and have a low glycemic index (25).
2. Amaranth oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids (and a lot), rutin and carotenoids.
3. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are certainly useful: the effectiveness of their intake for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases has been proven. There is also evidence that they have anti-inflammatory effects.
4. Rutin (rutoside) is a glycoside of quercetin: it reduces capillary fragility, reduces blood clotting and is recommended for use with varicose veins, venous insufficiency and other vascular pathologies. At the same time, there is no evidence anywhere that its content in grain or oil is sufficient to achieve a therapeutic effect;

There is evidence that amaranth oil also contains amaranthine, but there is practically no reliable information about this substance. It is claimed to have strong antioxidant properties.

I'm not a doctor: so no personal opinion about useful properties I don't have amaranth. Everything that is written below is not my opinion, but excerpts from scientific publications.

1. Medicines based on amaranth oil are used externally for psoriasis, neurodermatitis, bedsores, and inside - for diseases gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, oncological diseases.
2. The mechanism of the hepatoprotective action of amaranth remains insufficiently studied.

Bliznetsova G. N., Korenskaya I. M., Polyakovasemenova N. D., Retsky M. I.
"The role of free radical oxidation processes in the mechanism of hepatoprotective action of amaranth seed oil"
"Biomedicine", 2006

The oil contains up to 8% squalene, which has a powerful antitumor effect, as well as vitamins.

Shevchenko I. A., Magomedov I. M., Vershinin A. S.
Prospects for the use of functional foods for the prevention and complex treatment of cardiovascular diseases
"Modern science-intensive technologies", 2004

Amaranth is not included in the official Russian pharmacopeia, but in the US Pharmacopoeia (United States Pharmacopoeia) it is mentioned repeatedly, but mainly as one of the components.

From all the above, I can draw the following (completely amateurish) conclusions:

• the beneficial properties of amaranth have been proven. If you at least partially replace animal fats in your diet with amaranth oil, this will definitely benefit you. However, the difference between amaranth olive oil is unlikely to be significant.
• adding amaranth seeds to the diet will also be beneficial - especially if they are added instead of high glycemic foods or some smoked meats.
• despite the fact that amaranth contains substances that can be beneficial (and harmful, by the way, too), it cannot be considered as a medicine. And even more so, it is impossible to replace the treatment prescribed by the doctor with any herbal products– even if they seem very useful.

Types, varieties, photos

In floriculture, 4 types of amaranth are widespread.

Panicled amaranth (crimson) - Amaranthus paniculatus or Amaranthus cruentus

An annual plant found in the wild in Asia.

Description

Stems: erect, up to 150 cm high. There are undersized forms.

Leaves: oblong-ovate with pointed apex and long petioles.

Inflorescences: erect panicles.

Flowers: small, red. Blooms from June to autumn frosts.

There are several decorative forms and many varieties.

A. paniculatus f. cruentus - with drooping inflorescences

A. paniculatus f. sanguineus - vertically arranged inflorescences with drooping ends

A. paniculatus f.nana - dwarf form, height up to 50 cm.

Amaranth dark or sad - Amaranthus hypochondriacus

An annual plant. The location of the wild form is unknown. According to some reports, it was introduced into culture in the middle of the 16th century.

Description

Stem: erect, slightly branched, up to 100 cm high.

Leaves: oblong-lanceolate, with a pointed tip, dark red or dark red with green.

Inflorescences: vertically arranged, different colors, but most often dark red.

There are several cultural forms and varieties.

Amaranth tricolor - Amaranthus tricolor

An annual plant. The most popular decorative look amaranth. It grows wild in the Indo-Malay region.

Description

Stems: up to 150 cm high, erect, form a back-pyramidal shrub. There are short forms

Leaves: oblong-ovate, lanceolate, sometimes with a wavy edge, tricolor.

Inflorescence: small erect panicle.

Tricolor amaranth has several decorative forms and varieties, but some are unsuitable for conditions. Middle lane Russia and require planting seedlings. A few photos:

Amaranth tailed - Amaranthus caudatus

Widespread species. It grows wild in South America, Asia and Africa. Wild forms are common in the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine, where they are actually weeds.

Description

Stems: powerful, erect, up to 150 cm high.

Leaves: large, oblong-ovate with a pointed end. The color is green or purple.

Inflorescences: complex hanging panicles

Flowers: small, crimson, dark red or purple. There are white and pale green forms.

Landing and care

Site and soil requirements

An important feature of amaranth is C4 photosynthesis. Plants that use this mechanism of photosynthesis are characterized by a higher growth rate and efficient use of moisture. True, they are also more demanding on air temperature.

Amaranths are typical C4 plants. They prefer well-lit and sheltered areas and cannot tolerate frost. The best soils for them are well-cultivated sands and sandy loams, as well as chernozems with a neutral or alkaline reaction of the soil solution. They grow poorly on acidic soils, do not tolerate stagnant moisture. For this reason, they are unsuitable for growing on peat-bog soils and are of little use for heavy loams.

Sowing

Most often, amaranth is grown from seeds. Amaranth seeds are very small - the diameter of the seed is only about 1 mm. This creates certain difficulties when sowing.

Sowing is carried out in the second half of May immediately on permanent place or in mid-April to a greenhouse, and then the seedlings are transferred to open ground.

As noted above, some decorative forms of tricolor amaranth in the conditions of the Middle Belt can only be grown in seedlings, and their leaves become truly saturated in color only at the end of summer, and then if it was hot.

Seeding depth - up to 2 cm. Planting pattern 50 x 35 ... .40 cm if you plant plants in rows. In practice, no one follows the scheme when sowing - they simply sow in rows with a distance of about 50 cm, and then thin out.

In the second half of May, the moisture reserve in top layer soil is small - so planting is best done before rain or just water the ground after sowing the seeds.

When growing in seedlings, the seeds are first sown in common seedling boxes, then the seedlings are transferred to separate pots. Seedlings are planted in open ground in a permanent place in the third decade of May.

Plants begin to bloom in June and bloom until frost.

Amaranth care

Watering

Amaranths are drought tolerant. They need watering only during prolonged drought.

top dressing

Amaranth grows well only on highly fertile soils, but feeding schemes for growing for decorative purposes have not been developed. Therefore, we will give a simple universal scheme that is suitable for all annuals:

• main entry - organic fertilizers are introduced in the fall when digging the site. Compost or humus in the amount of 10 ... 15 kg per 1 m2;
• sowing - 10 ... 15 grams of potassium sulfate and the same amount of superphosphate per 1 m2. It is introduced into the furrows when sowing seeds;
• top dressing at the beginning of flowering - any complex for flowering annuals or 5 ... 7 grams of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (according to the active substance) per 1 m2 + foliar top dressing with a solution of macro and microelements.

With such care, amaranths will definitely grow beautifully and delight you. abundant flowering. However, even if you just sow it on a plot with fertile soil, everything will be fine.

Weed control

Weeds are dangerous only for seedlings and very young amaranth plants: therefore, when growing from seeds, it is necessary to carefully prepare the soil before sowing. Slightly grown amaranths successfully compete with all weeds, and with continuous sowing, they completely drown them out.

Diseases and pests

Not described. It is known that decorative amaranths can be affected by aphids, but it is easy to destroy them with any insecticide.

Literature

1. Brovkina T.Ya and others, "Annual flower crops in open ground", "Kuban State Agrarian University", 2008.
2. Magomedov I.M., Chirkova T.V., "Amaranth - past, present and future", "Successes of modern natural science", 2015.
3. Kolesnikova E.G. "Annual Flowers", Moscow, "Publishing House of SMEs", 2003.

O medicinal properties amaranth

1. . Bliznetsova G. N., Korenskaya I. M., Polyakovasemenova N. D., Retsky M. I. "The role of free radical oxidation processes in the mechanism of hepatoprotective action of amaranth seed oil", "Biomedicine", 2006
2. Shevchenko I. A., Magomedov I. M., Vershinin A. Prospects for the use of functional foods for the prevention and complex treatment of cardiovascular diseases, "Modern high technologies", 2004

On my own personal plot I love experimenting with different ornamental plants. I especially like to grow annuals, because every year you can change the culture, variety or species. Last season I planted amaranth in my garden for the first time and was pleasantly surprised.

Amaranth (amaranth) is a common genus of annual herbaceous plants of the Amaranth family. plant in wild found in India, China and North America. In some southern regions, amaranth is grown as vegetable crop along with corn and beans.

The plant came to Europe during the colonization of America, and translated from Greek the name of the culture is translated as "unfading flower".

Externally, amaranth provides herbaceous plant height from 30 to 200 cm depending on the species. The stem is simple or branched, on which alternate lanceolate leaves are located. They can be green or purplish red.

In the middle of summer, axillary flowers are formed, painted in golden, red or green tint. Amaranth fruit is represented by a small box with very small seeds.

Kinds

More than 100 varieties are known, among which there are cultivars, hybrids, as well as weeds. Today, amaranth is more often used for decorating a site; it is practically not used as a grain crop. The most common types:

• Panicled, or crimson. Applied in landscape design, design of winter and summer bouquets. It is grown only as an annual, the height reaches 150 cm. The leaf blades are painted brown, the flowers are red. Flowering is possible all summer. Both short and tall varieties have been bred;
• Dark or sad. It has been cultivated in floriculture since the middle of the 16th century. The stem practically does not branch, it can grow up to 150 cm. The leaves are lanceolate, painted purple. The color of the petals depends on the variety, especially the popular inflorescences of a rich red tone;
• Caudate. In the wild, it is found in Africa, South America. The stem is powerful and erect, grows up to 1.2 meters. The leaves are purple-green in color, elongated ovoid. The flowers are collected paniculate inflorescences, formed from dozens of globular glomeruli of crimson-red color. It is very popular in floristry, this variety can often be found in bouquets;
• Tricolor. The most popular decorative type of amaranth. Height - 70-100 cm, stem and leaves form a pyramidal bush. The leaf blades are elongated and narrow, young age painted bright red or yellow. Flowering is possible all summer, the color of the buds is very diverse.

Among the popular varieties are the following: Aurora, Illumination, Grunschwanz, Rotschwanz, Fairy Elf. Almost all varieties of amaranth are edible, contain a large number of vitamins, beneficial minerals.

Landing

Amaranth should be planted when the soil on the site warms up well, there will be no threat of autumn frosts. In the south of Russia, seedlings can be transplanted from the beginning of May, in the north it is advisable to wait until June, when the air and soil finally warm up.

If you use the seedling method of growing, then you need to plant the seeds at home in early April, as the amaranth sprouts together and quickly.

Preparing for landing

Amaranth is a culture undemanding to the soil. Loose sandy or loamy areas with a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction are suitable for cultivation.

Before planting, the place must be dug up to the depth of the shovel bayonet, remove all plant remains, stones and plant roots.

During the autumn digging, it is advisable to add rotted manure or humus to the soil, which will accelerate the growth of the plant during planting for the next season. It is not recommended to apply nitrogen compounds in the spring - this will greatly enhance the growth of greenery, but reduce the abundance of flowering.

Amaranth seeds are very small, but have high germination. Before planting, it is recommended to treat them with a solution of 1% potassium permanganate solution to avoid infections; growth stimulants can not be used. After processing, they should be dried qualitatively using a napkin or a dry cloth.

Growing seedlings

In the climatic conditions of Russia, amaranth is usually grown by seedlings to speed up the flowering process, and when planting vegetable or grain varieties, it is faster to get fresh greens.

Planting material is sown in a common container, individual containers are not required, since picking is not carried out. Technology for growing amaranth from seeds:

1. Place a substrate in the container, consisting of sod land, sand and sawdust in a ratio of 2:1:1. Plentifully water the soil with warm, settled water at room temperature.
2. After disinfection and drying, mix the seeds with fine sand, and then scatter the mixture evenly on the surface of the soil. Sprinkle a light layer of earth or sand up to 1.5 cm thick on top.
3. After watering, the box with seedlings should be covered with a film or glass to achieve a greenhouse effect.

The first shoots appear after 10-12 days from the moment of planting. During this time, the container with seedlings should be kept in a warm and well-lit place at a temperature of 18-24 o C.

Every day you need to air the substrate, monitor the level of humidity. Additional illumination is not required.

Dive into open ground

After reaching a stable warm temperature amaranth seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place. By this time, 3-5 true leaves should form on the seedlings.

Seedlings are transplanted into individual holes with an interval of 25 cm between plants for vegetable (cereal varieties), 50-60 cm for decorative flowering amaranths.

After transplanting, the plants need to be watered abundantly. warm water, carry out shelter with agrofiber or spruce branches in case of a threat of sudden changes in temperature.

Amaranth care

In the first week after transplantation, amaranth develops very slowly, since the culture has poor adaptability to change. external conditions. In fertile and loose soil, starting from the second week, the flower begins to grow very quickly, up to 5 cm every day.

Caring for amaranth is simple, includes the following procedures:

• moderate watering is required, it is necessary to water the plant abundantly only on hot days. Waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed, which can lead to rotting of the root system. The procedure is recommended to be carried out in the evening;
• top dressing is carried out 3 times per season - 14 days after transplantation, during the formation of inflorescences and at the time of fruit formation. As a fertilizer, it is desirable to use a complex liquid composition for flowering plants;
• throughout the season, it is important to remove weeds in a timely manner, loosen the soil to a depth of up to 3 cm. Additionally, you can mulch the soil with sawdust or humus to retain moisture and additionally warm the root system;
• to stimulate the growth of lateral shoots, pinching the top of the plant is carried out, starting from the 2nd week of growth. This is only required for ornamental varieties amaranth.

You can determine the beginning of seed collection by changing the color of the leaf plates, usually this happens almost immediately after the formation of fruits. To collect planting material you need to cut off the inflorescences, place them in a dry and warm room.

After 10-15 days, the fruits should be rubbed a little, the seeds sprinkle themselves. They remain viable for up to 5 years, subject to temperature conditions storage, humidity.

If you do not use amaranth for decorative purposes, after flowering, the shoots can be cut and used to feed rabbits, poultry or pigs.

Diseases and pests

Amaranth has strong immunity, rarely infected with infections and pests. In a warm and dry climate, as well as with illiterate care, there is a risk of infection with aphids and weevil.

To combat these harmful insects should be used chemical insecticides wide action (Karbofos, Aktellik, Aktara and others). Spraying is carried out twice with an interval of 14 days.

In case of infection with fungal infections, which happens when growing amaranth in wet soil, it is recommended to use copper-containing preparations, for example, a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or a 3% solution of copper sulfate.

Amaranth is a unique plant. It has not only decorative effect and is suitable for decorating the site, but also is useful culture, which can be used for food, for feeding poultry, animals. The plant grows quickly and rarely gets sick, with the right choice of a place for growing, it practically does not need care.