Red Amaranth/ Red Chinese Spinach (Amaranthus blitum) - Used for centuries and yet almost forgotten
20 seeds
€2,10
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Red Amaranth/ Red Chinese Spinach (Amaranthus blitum) - Used for centuries and yet almost forgotten
€2,10
Pickup available at Bei der Kirche 3
Usually ready in 24 hours
Red Amaranth, botanically *Amaranthus blitum*, and traditionally known as purple orache, Chinese spinach, and ascending amaranth, is an extremely decorative and fast-growing leafy vegetable. With its intense purplish-red to wine-red foliage, it not only adds vibrant accents to vegetable or ornamental gardens but also provides a tasty and nutritious harvest over many weeks. It combines high ornamental value with culinary utility and is a low-maintenance addition to any garden bed or planter.
Package contents: 20/ 50/ 200 seeds each
Overview of sowing tips:
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Pre-cultivation: From April indoors on a bright windowsill, direct sowing outdoors from mid-May (after the Ice Saints)
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Sowing depth: Light-dependent germinator! The fine seeds should not be covered with soil, but only gently pressed into the sowing substrate
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Germination temperature: 18 to 22 degrees Celsius
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Germination time: Usually reliable and rapid, generally between 7 and 14 days
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Moisture: Keep the substrate consistently slightly moist during the germination phase using a fine spray bottle, but never keep it wet
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Plant spacing: When sowing directly, thin out the seedlings later to a distance of about 20 to 30 cm so that individual plants can develop well
Growth habit, location, and care:
Red leaf amaranth grows as an annual, upright, and bushy branched plant that reaches a height of 40 to 80 cm, depending on nutrient availability. The entire plant, including the stems, is captivating due to its deep red coloration. The ideal location is full sun to partial shade and warm. Nutrient-rich, loose, and humus-rich soil is preferred. The plant is easy to care for, but requires consistent soil moisture for abundant leaf production, especially on hot summer days. It can also be cultivated excellently and productively in sufficiently large containers on balconies and patios.
Harvest and use: Leaf harvesting can begin just a few weeks after sowing. Regular cutting of young leaves and shoot tips encourages the plant to grow back bushier. The young leaves are excellent raw as a visual highlight in salads. Older leaves are prepared like spinach. In addition to being used as a leafy vegetable, the countless tiny seeds from the flower clusters can also be harvested in late summer and autumn. The seeds of amaranth plants are an extremely nutritious, gluten-free pseudo-cereal. They can be cooked similarly to quinoa, popped into mini-popcorn in a pan, or finely ground as an additive for baked goods.
Origin and history: The Amaranth genus looks back on a fascinating history spanning thousands of years. Originally native to South and Central America, amaranth was considered a sacred plant by the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs and was one of the most important staple foods for indigenous peoples alongside corn. While special grain amaranth species were often cultivated there, the robust *Amaranthus blitum* was prized early on as a valuable leafy vegetable. Over the centuries, the plant spread to Asia and Europe. In Central Europe, "purple orache" was a highly valued and widely used culinary herb in monastery and cottage gardens during the Middle Ages and early modern period. It was only with the increasing cultivation of common spinach that this historic and visually highly appealing crop was almost forgotten in this country.