Amaranthus is heat tolerant crop with several nutrients, requires soil temperatures between 20-30 degrees celsius easy to grow and considered a grain crop because of its small naughty flavoured seeds.
Amaranthus can be harvested young and added to salad mixes while larger leaves are perfect for steaming however fertilizer application should be moderate for recommended fertilizer depending on the vegetable to be grown also the best times to apply fertilizer is when a deficiency symptoms appear these should be broadcasted before land preparation to enable easy disperse of soil nutrients for easy plant absorption.
Amaranth growing requirements
First select suitable site with 6- 8 hours of sun, access to waterbodies for easy collection of water during the dry season this should be followed by amending soil with compost supplemented with nitrogen sources such as blood meal since the plant requires more nitrogen for vegetative production however fertilizers should not be applied in large quantities as it can distract proper root development.
Furthermore animal manure is applied since it is readily available, cost friendly. To add on that when planting mix with coarse sand with seeds to help disperse them since they are very small then distribute seeds sparingly across field surface and rig them in soil since there is no need to plant in rows as the grids will be harvested before the plant reaches maturity but seeds have to be watered weekly during drought to increase moisture levels for better production.
Lastly harvest by cutting off entire plant a few inches above ground level 7 to 14 days when the plant has first sprout of true leaves and allow the plant to reach 1 to 2 feet tall before harvesting for better production levels.
