Love Lies Bleeding Amaranth
Seed Count: Approx. 100 seeds
Days to Maturity: 75 days
Description: Love Lies Bleeding Amaranth is definitely an old fashioned variety, that'll make your garden feel like it belongs to a cute countryside cottage. Each plant is adorned with lots of long lasting, 18 inch long, soft, crimson red tassels. Its long tassel like flowers make unique floral arrangements as well. Its green leaves are edible, and is great added to soup, curries, stir-fries, and anywhere else that you would use cooked spinach. Even its seeds are edible, and can be used as an alternative grain! This variety is easy to grow, and can grow quite big, around 3-4 ft. tall, even in poor soil conditions. Amaranth thrives in hot areas with a long growing season, but can be grown elsewhere if started indoors early. Use these beauties to add drama and fantabulous color to your garden, as a focal point, or as a back border plant.
How To Grow
Sowing: Amaranth germinates when the soil temperature reaches at least 70 degrees F, so gardeners in cool climates may want to start their seed indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting. Direct sow the seed several weeks after the last spring frost. Sow thinly, 1/4" deep, in rows 16-18" apart, thinning the seedlings to 10-12" apart as soon as they appear. Some gardeners prefer closer spacing such as 2-3" if they are harvesting the greens only. Amaranth prefers full sun and well drained soil. Germination should occur within 8-10 days.
Growing: Amaranth tolerates drought very well once it's established, but the greens will be more tender, if the soil is kept moist. Plants grown in average garden soil will be 4-6 feet tall, while those grown in rich soil or compost may reach over 8 feet. Add a general purpose fertilizer once or twice during the season.
Harvesting: Amaranth greens can be harvested as soon as they grow big enough for eating, and they continue producing well into late summer. For the best flavor, harvest the leaves before the plant flowers; the leaves will begin to mature in about 40 days after planting. Individual leaves can be lightly harvested from each plant even if the goal is to harvest the grain, which will mature about 120 days after planting.
