Siru Keerai (Amaranthus Polygonoides) Seeds Packet

Planting And Care:

• Successive sowings will provide greens over a long period
• The leaves have a sweet, tangy flavour and are best cooked, raw leaves should not be eaten very often, as they are high in nitrates and oxalic acid
• Well, there really isn t much to it
• Amaranth seed is very fine
• If you grow leaf amaranth you want a large number of plants because you will likely harvest the whole plant while it is still young
• There is no point starting it in punnets
• Thinly sprinkle the seed on the ground and rake it in
• Like all fast growing leafy greens amaranth loves rich soil with steady moisture and a good supply of nutrients, especially nitrogen
• But it isn t as fussed as spinach or silverbeet would be
• Amaranth is much hardier
• It can cope with heat and dry conditions a lot better than any other leafy green
• If you are frustrated with trying to grow tasty, leafy greens in the tropic, amaranth is a plant you should start growing today
• Once established, amaranth needs little care
• It is more tolerant of drought than most other leafy vegetable and will tolerate a wider range of soils than other grain crops

Green Amaranth Care:

• Amaranth is responsive to nitrogen and phosphorous
• Plants grown in average garden soil will be four-feet to six-feet tall, while those grown in rich soil or compost may reach over eight feet
• Optimum soil is a well-drained loam but both plants will do well in all but poorly aerated clay soils
• Amaranth are grown from seed
• Amaranth seeds can be directly seeded into your flower garden, or started indoors for transplanting later
• Note, Amaranth plants are susceptible to frost
• Amaranth prefers warm weather
• If planting outdoors, sow Amaranth seeds after the soil has begun to warm in the spring
• We recommend an indoor start, six to eight weeks before the last frost in your area
• Sow seeds early in the season and cover lightly with soil
• Space seeds or seedlings 10-12" apart
• They will tolerate a little crowding, and look good in clumps or groups