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Western PA

Hello All, I am on the hunt for some giant amaranth (Amaranthus australis)seeds. If you have some extras to trade, I have some LG, Craven sunflower, & Pumpkin seeds to trade.

Thanks

3/29/2009 12:57:43 PM

West Amwell, NJ

Yeah.. email me at sunflower_info@yahoo.com. I'm the keeper of the giant amaranth seeds. :)

3/29/2009 7:50:32 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Info, how many varieties are there? Just out o curiosity??? Peace, Wayne

3/30/2009 8:02:59 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Brian is the go to guy for amaranth seeds that's for sure. Mine finally got serious and are kicking into gear. They're buggers to germ but once they bite they take off quick. Hope I can keep them going.

3/30/2009 8:21:41 PM

West Amwell, NJ

I've grown many different types of amaranth. The tallest amaranth is Amaranthus australis (giant amaranth). This amaranth is capable of growing over 30 feet tall in the wild. In NJ, I was able to direct sow seeds in the spring and get 21 feet. Starting it indoors I had 23 feet 2 inches, which was a world record for a short time.
http://cdn-media.gardenguides.com/media/images/000000/07/25/MDc~NjI1_large.jpg

3/30/2009 9:30:27 PM

West Amwell, NJ

Another giant is Amaranthus cannabinus (tidalmarsh amaranth). This plant doesn't get quite as large as A. australis, but still grows to a tremendous size. My tallest was 18 feet tall and 16 feet wide. A. cannabinus is easier to grow than A. australis. A. australis is native from Virginia to Florida, while A. cannabinus is native from Canada to Florida. Grows faster and flowers sooner.
http://cdn-media.gardenguides.com/media/images/000000/41/71/MTQxMTg3_large.jpg

3/30/2009 9:33:09 PM

West Amwell, NJ

I accidently produced a cross between a A. cannabinus X A. australis. Two years ago I tried to grow A. cannabinus. It was hammered by cucumber bugs; so it never caught on and was only a few feet tall. However, it ended up flowering at the same time as the A. australis. I saved the seeds and planted them the following year. I was a little confused when they looked like A. australis plants. It wasn't until they were full size that I realized it was a cross. The leaves were intermediate in size, the seeds were intermediate in size, speed of growth, time of flowering, etc. I was able to produce plants around 20 feet tall.

3/30/2009 9:36:19 PM

West Amwell, NJ

Another interesting amaranth is this Amaranthus hybridus from Zambia. This plant is very long seasoned and tough to produce flowers. It generally grows about 13-14 feet tall.
http://cdn-media.gardenguides.com/media/images/000000/97/60/MDk3MjA2_large.jpg
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http://cdn-media.gardenguides.com/media/images/000000/27/81/Mjc~Nzgx_large.jpg

3/30/2009 9:37:55 PM

West Amwell, NJ

The fascinating thing about the Zambia amaranth is that it can cross with A. australis. The reason it can is that it also flowers very late, like A. australis. However, the offspring are completely sterile. I've yet to find a seed out of quite a few plants. It produce plants that are similar to giant amaranth, but the stem is not as hollow so the plants are extremely heavy. I made the world's tallest ornamental amaranth. It flowers are red and it generally grows 18-19 feet tall. The only way to keep this is to make the initial cross again, or take stem cuttings from the offspring and keep them through the winter.
http://cdn-media.gardenguides.com/media/images/000000/06/61/MTA2MjA2_large.jpg
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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3170/3089111076_c4a949b59a.jpg?v=0

3/30/2009 9:42:51 PM

West Amwell, NJ

Unlike the Zambia cross, the A. cannabinus X A. australis cross is very fertile. That is most likely because both plants are dioecious. I've read blurbs in scientific literature that A. cannabinus may be a descendent of A. australis. In nature, they generally don't cross I would assume. I can tell from growing them that they flower at different times. If you grow them in pots and stress them then you can get them to flower at the same time.
http://cdn-media.gardenguides.com/media/images/000000/46/71/MTQ2MTg3_large.jpg

3/30/2009 9:46:35 PM

Mississippi

I would like to try this too, but my concern is it will be invasive. We have a large farm and livestock. Will it take over the fence rows or harm the cattle?

3/30/2009 11:11:34 PM

West Amwell, NJ

amaranth is entirely edible; so it should not hurt livestock. In fact, it's would probably make great bio-mass. As far as being invasive, unless your farm is siting in a marsh, it's unlikely to cause that much of a problem.

3/31/2009 11:29:07 AM