Gardening
7 Easy Steps to Grow Amaranth from Seeds
Amaranth is gaining popularity as a health food due to its impressive health benefits. This ancient vegetable seed has been used for many years in many parts of the world. It is a nutritious seed, naturally gluten-free and rich in protein, fiber, micronutrients and antioxidants.
Amaranthus species grow better within a temperature of 25 to 35° Celcius, making it a great option to grow in Malaysia. There are 60 species of Amaranthus; they can be recognized by the beautiful foliage that goes from purple, through red and green to gold.
Amaranth Nutritional Facts
Amaranth is a superfood that provides fiber and protein. Being low in fat and gluten-free, it is a rich source of manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and potassium.
Amaranth has many benefits, including:
- Improves brain function
- It helps with DNA synthesis and muscle contraction
- Promotes bone health
- Helps your body produce blood
- Lower cholesterol
- Reduced inflammation
How to Grow Amaranth from Seeds
What you need:
- Soil bed
- Black compost
- Red sandy soil
- Fertilizer
- Sprayer
- Shovel
- Prepare the Seeds
The first thing you need to do is to have your Soon Huat Amaranth Seeds ready. You can buy these seeds easily online.
- Prepare the Soil Bed
Fill in three parts of compost mix with two parts of red sandy soil, and one part of fertilizer.
Mix well with a shovel.
- Germinate Seeds
Sow seeds directly onto the soil. They need the sun to grow.
In the bed soil, make little holes with 3 centimetres between each hole. Place two seeds per hole.
- Add Thin Layered Compost and Keep the Soil Moist
Once you place the seeds in the holes, add a thin layer of compost and sprinkle water to keep the soil moist.
- Thin Out Sick, Old Plants and Remove Weeds
Weed regularly to ensure healthy plant growth.
Make sure the soil is well-drained.
- Fertilizer Application
Applying fertilizers to your Amaranth seeds will help the plants to grow, and develop in optimum conditions.
Use 100 grams of fertilizer after 7 days and reduce it by 50 grams to fertilize after 14 days of sowing.
- Ready to Harvest
After 25 days of waiting, it is time to harvest.
Amaranth Care and Maintenance Tips
Amaranth is one of the easiest tropical vegetables to grow from seeds, all they need are the sun and water. They are receptive to nitrogen and phosphorus. When they are grown in the compost, they may reach over 30 centimetres in height.
As mentioned before, you need to make sure the soil is well-drained to avoid any root problem.
Keep in mind that Amaranth is a tropical seed but prefers warm weather, so you can plant it almost all year long in Malaysia.
Maintaining
Amaranth is easy to grow, all you need is a warm climate, full sun, and well-drained soil.
The soil should be moist, so you only need to water them once or twice per week.
When weeding, it is best to sow seeds in rows, this way it will be less confusing. Amaranth needs little maintenance, but you need to keep the weed under control, especially at the beginning to avoid mulching.
Conclusion
As you can see, growing Amaranth from seeds is easy; you only need to follow seven simple steps. Try to grow them once every year, to have enough to cook and enjoy in soups, pasta or rice.
You can buy vegetable seeds online, have them ready, and start growing them when the temperature is warm.
Amaranth is considered a superfood full of fiber, protein and micronutrients. They are perfect to be added to your diet.
Happy planting!
