2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
This unpretentious plant thousands of years ago was a grain crop used for human nutrition. Once banned, it was forgotten for a long time by people. Today they started talking about him again, as the savior of Mankind from hunger. In addition, it is a very ornamental plant, which can increasingly be seen in summer cottages and city flower beds
Rod Amaranth
Several dozen species of herbaceous tender perennials are combined into the genus
Amaranth (Amaranthus), known under the name “
Amaranth . In culture, they are often grown as annual plants.
The versatility of the plant is amazing:
* grains-seeds are suitable for human and animal nutrition, and they are also used to make oil;
* the leaves of the plant are used by some peoples as a vegetable;
* decorative, differently colored leaves and hanging bright inflorescences adorn flower beds;
* and some species are vicious weeds with which gardeners are relentlessly fighting.
Ornamental varieties
* Amaranth paniculata (Amaranthus paniculatus) is a powerful herbaceous bush reaching two meters in height. Large leaves with a smooth surface are dominated by erect inflorescences of small chestnut-red flowers.
* Tailed amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) - drooping long stems of a popular annual end in inflorescences, which are erect at the beginning of flowering, but gradually bend under the weight of purple-red small flowers, a friendly dense family located on a peduncle. The almost meter-long inflorescences look like the flirty tails of fluffy animals.
* Amaranth dark (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) - the plant is very similar to the above-described species, only its inflorescences-ears are collected from dark red flowers.
* Amaranth gangeticus (Amaranthus gangeticus) - it is beautiful not only by the cluster inflorescences of intense red flowers that appear at the end of summer, but also by the color of the leaves. Almost a meter high, the bush is covered with spotted leaves. On their purple or scarlet red surface, nature has painted spectacular green, yellow, bronze spots.
* Amaranth tricolor (Amaranthus tricolor) - grows to a height of 50 to 100 cm, delighting not with apical inflorescences-ears, but with picturesque leaves that have managed to combine three colors in one leaf at once. The narrow-lanceolate leaf can be yellow-red-green, or include different shades of the same color. There may be paints such as orange, pink, bronze and others.
Growing
All types of Amaranth are photophilous and require a landing site open to the sun's rays. They tolerate heat well.
The soil they need is fertile, loose, fertilized with organic matter, moist, but with good drainage. Only Amaranth tailed not be capricious and grows on marginal soil.
Considering that the bushes of the plant grow rapidly, the seedlings are planted, leaving 30-50 cm between individual bushes.
When growing Amaranth as a pot culture, soil is prepared from fertile soil and peat in a ratio (2: 1), adding complex mineral fertilizer during planting.
Since Amaranth loves moisture, watering is carried out often, sparing no water. During the period of active growth, for the brightness of the color of the foliage, the plant requires mineral fertilizing, which is combined with watering the plant. In the open field, one top dressing per month is enough, and potted plants are fed more often - once every 2-3 weeks.
In order for the plant to please the eye throughout the summer cottage, wilted inflorescences and damaged or yellowed leaves should be removed.
Reproduction
Amaranth is propagated by spring sowing seeds for seedlings, followed by picking seedlings into personal pots. Seedlings are planted when the heat is established, since Amaranth is afraid of frost.
If you are satisfied with the later flowering, you can sow the seeds directly into the open ground in May. In areas with a mild climate, amaranth reproduces by self-seeding.
Enemies
With poor drainage, excess moisture provokes root rot.
The tireless aphid loves to feast on leaves.
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