What are the planting methods and timing for amaranth?

Amaranth contains relatively high amounts of minerals such as iron and calcium, and is also rich in carotene and vitamin C. It has strong resistance, is easy to grow, likes heat, tolerates drought and moisture, and has few pests and diseases, making it one of the most popular summer leafy green vegetables. So, what are the planting methods and timing for amaranth?

1. What are the planting methods for amaranth?

1. Site selection and land preparation

Amaranth has strong adaptability to soil. You can choose flat clay or sandy soil with convenient drainage and irrigation, and slightly alkaline soil is most suitable. Before preparing the land, apply base fertilizer, spreading 2000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per mu. After fertilizing, plow deeply, then make beds, using soil to form bed ridges 10 cm high, with a bed surface width of 1 m; the bed length depends on the plot. After the beds are made, apply base fertilizer once more, using a compound fertilizer with a nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of 15:15:15, at 50 kg per mu. Spread it evenly to avoid too much fertilizer in one spot burning the seeds. Run a rake over the soil once to mix the soil and fertilizer evenly. Because amaranth seeds are small, when raking, make the ground level and the soil fine, which helps with germination.

2. Sowing

Because amaranth seeds are small, only 1/4 the size of sesame seeds, it is not easy to sow them evenly. Through long-term sowing practice, a practical sowing method has been summarized: before sowing, mix fine sand and seeds evenly at a ratio of 1:5, and sow directly on the ground. The amount of pure amaranth seed used per mu is about 0.6 kg. After sowing, rake the bed surface once so that the amaranth seeds are covered with a layer of soil, then tread over the bed surface once and press it level to prevent the seeds from being washed away when watering, which would cause uneven germination.

3. Watering

When watering, use a mist-like spray to avoid washing pits into the bed surface and to prevent too strong a flow from washing away the seeds. After the water has completely seeped into the soil, cover the bed surface with plastic film and press the edges of the film down with soil. This can promote the seeds to germinate as quickly as possible. Before amaranth emerges, no watering is needed.

4. Weeding

Because amaranth seedlings are small, in just over ten days the weeds grow much taller than the seedlings and must be pulled out in time. Otherwise, they compete with amaranth for nutrients and affect the amaranth's access to light.

5. Fertilizing

About 20 days after sowing, when the seedlings have grown more than 2 leaves, carry out the first topdressing. Choose a sunny day and apply 15 kg of ammonium sulfate per mu, then water promptly after fertilizing. Carry out the second topdressing at an interval of 12-15 days. After the first thinning harvest, carry out the third topdressing using the same method as above, to promote the vigorous growth of the smaller amaranth after harvest. Be careful to water promptly after each fertilization and to pull out weeds.

6. Pest and disease control

Amaranth has strong disease resistance. The main disease is white rust, which can be controlled with triadimefon or mancozeb. The main pest is aphids, which can be controlled by spraying with imidacloprid or pirimicarb.

7. Harvesting

Amaranth is sown once and harvested in batches. Harvest in time. The first harvest is mostly combined with thinning. When the plants are 10-12 cm tall and have 5-6 leaves, harvest the plants gradually by thinning, following the principle of harvesting the large and keeping the small and keeping the remaining seedlings even. After harvesting, topdress in time.

2. When to plant amaranth

Amaranth's growth cycle is not long, generally 40-45 days. It can be planted from spring to autumn. For open-field planting, sow from March to August. For planting covered by greenhouses or small arched sheds, sowing can be advanced by about 20-30 days.

The planting method for amaranth is not difficult, and it can be sown in both spring and autumn. Growing it with sufficient water and fertile soil is more conducive to increasing yield and quality.