How to Grow an Amaranth in Georgia
- 1). Fertilize the planting area with a high-nitrogen fertilizer, especially if the area has been used for crops recently without receiving fertilizer. The Jeffersonian institute suggests using 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre following a legume crop and up to 80 pounds of fertilizer following other crops.
- 2). Till the planting area lightly. Amaranth seedlings can have a difficult time emerging from soils with a crust on the top of them. Tilling shallowly before planting helps remove weeds and loosen the soil and prevents the soil from trapping seedlings underground.
- 3). Plant 2 pounds of amaranth seeds per acre at a depth of 1/2 inch or slightly shallower. Plant the seeds in rows spaced 30 inches apart. The University of Florida recommends a May planting time for USDA Hardiness Zone 8 and a June planting time for Zone 7. Much of Georgia falls into these two zones. Growers can also plant amaranth later in the season following a wheat crop, although Purdue University Horticulture warns that later crops will have a lower yield than crops planted in May or June.
- 4). Water the amaranth if less than 1 inch of rain falls per week or if hot temperatures cause the soil to dry out and the seedlings to start wilting.
- 5). Harvest amaranth seeds when the plants are dry, because the seeds become sticky when wet, warns Purdue University. Many growers choose to harvest the seeds with a combine after the first fall frost kills the plants. Since Georgia may not have an early enough fall frost, growers in the state can also harvest during dry weather, after the plant drops its leaves in autumn. People who plant small crops can harvest by hand, but large-scale producers use combines.
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