Autumn’s Touch Amaranth – 50 Seeds

Autumn’s Touch Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus ‘Autumn’s Touch’) grows to a height of about 120cm. The plant features large, fluffy flower plumes which are initially bi-colored, green and light brown, and then in Autumn the bi-colored blooms deepen to a rich bronze color.

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Autumn’s Touch Amaranth Culinary Uses

Amaranth was an important food crop for the Aztecs and Incas. It is also used as a food crop by many people in South Africa.

• The seeds and the young leaves are edible.
• The youngest leaves are good to use in salads.
• The mature leaves are better cooked like spinach.
• The leaves can also be sauteed with chilies and spices.
• Anything you would use spinach for, just use amaranth leaves exactly the same way.
• The iron and calcium rich seeds can be dried and then cooked and eaten as you would oatmeal or porridge, or ground into a flour.

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Growing Autumn’s Touch Amaranth

Indoor Sowing: Spring and Summer.

Direct Sowing: Spring and Summer.

• Direct sow Amaranth seeds into prepared seed beds after all danger of frost  in groups of 4 seeds spaced 18-24 inches apart.
• Thin to the strongest plant.
• Or, scatter seed over ground that has had the top 1 inch of soil loosened. Rake seed in lightly, walk over area to firm soil.
• Keep moist until germination. Amaranthus seed is easy to germinate provided the soil is warm.
• Seed can also be started indoors in cell packs or containers.
• Kept at 18 – 21 Celsius , germination is in 10-21 days.
• Grow in full or part sun.
• Plants tolerate high heat, and will grow in any soil as long as drainage is good.
• Amaranthus will grow faster, produce more flowers with regular water, but will tolerate some drought once established.
• Seed heads attract birds.