Sage Garden Herbs - AMARANTH, TRICOLOR PERFECTA

AMARANTH, TRICOLOR PERFECTA

CAD $3.00

Description: Heirloom variety with tri-colour red, yellow, and green foliage. One of the most remarkable ornamental plants anywhere... and it is edible! Be ahead of the curve - everyone will gush with envy and admiration when they spot them in your garden or large planters. The foliage becomes increasingly colourful as summer goes on, and ends up looking like a huge summer poinsettia, but with better colors! Young leaves are popular with chefs, and the seed from grain amaranth is highly nutritious.

Latin Name: Amaranthus
Main Uses: Edible; Ornamental

Zone Hardiness: Annual
Exposure: Full Sun
Ht: 75 cm

AMARANTH, TRICOLOR PERFECTA

CAD $3.00

Pruning: Prune regularly during active growing season to achieve the bushiest plants! Always prune at internode points (i.e. where leaves branch out from the stems).

Growing in Containers: Well suited to containers.

Fertilizing (Containers): Add up to 25% quality compost to your potting mix. Fertilize every one to two weeks with a balanced organic plant food during the active growing season. In addition, using Sea Magic kelp weekly improves the over all health of your plants, increases stem strength, flower set, root development, and resilience to diseases.

Watering (Containers): Water deeply when top inch of the soil feels dry to the touch. During hot weather, check pots daily. The addition of up to 25% Diatomite is an excellent organic method for managing water in pots; Diatomite holds several times its weight in water, and slow releases it out as the roots require water. This helps manage both over and under watering!

Growing in Mixed Planters: Well suited for larger mixed planters.

Fertilizing (Garden): Plant in a garden bed recently amended with quality compost. No additional fertilizing is required.

Watering (Garden): Water daily for the first two weeks post transplanting, then only as conditions require.

AMARANTH, TRICOLOR PERFECTA

CAD $3.00

What about Grow Lights? Simple fluorescent grow lights allow for year round growth and productivity that would otherwise be impossible in our northern climate. We recommend the ultra efficient and compact T5 units, which are inexpensive and easy to install. Leave lights on 16-18 hours per day to simulate summer daylight conditions.

General Indoor Care: Grow lights are required for healthiest indoor/winter growth. We recommend the ultra compact, affordable, and efficient T5 fluorescents.

Indoor Container Suggestions: Minimum 6" pot with excellent drainage. Avoid strawberry pots (those with multiple pockets) or other types of mixed planters.

Winter Fertilizing: Repot or refresh soil in fall, when bringing pots indoors. Add up to 25% quality compost. During the lower light months (October-January), fertilize monthly with a balanced organic plant food. As light levels go up, and new growth emerges, increase fertilizing to bi-weekly. If growing under lights, fertilize bi-weekly right through winter. Soluble (non-organic) fertilizers are not recommended, as these can cause burning or difficult-to-manage changes in the soil.

Winter Watering: Water deeply when top inch of the soil feels dry to the touch. Check soil moisture two to three times per week.

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