Copper Head Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus)

Copper Head Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus): Amaranth is an undemanding plant regarding soil and water, it is easy to grow , productive and ornamental, this one specially, its big copper-coloured inflorescences stand out from the green leaves in a truly remarkable composition.Nutritional qualities are important: it is consumed completely, seeds and leaves the later taste very similar to spinach, they should be picked when still tender, before flowering (40-60 days from sowing); while the seeds, used in numerous recipes, even bakery, have an important protein content in 100 gm you get 13 gm, 26 of carbs, and 7 of fibers, amaranth does not contain gluten. The Copper Head reaches 2 meters height, and displays large light green leaves. The cob (inforescence) is large and stands slightly erect, at  harvest time, the light seeds will stand out amongst the copper-colored petals. It tolerates temperatures well, both, high and low (even around 10 ° C) it is sown from April until June in the South, it takes 4-5 months to harvest leaves, then after a long flowering process, it takes 90 days approximately to harvest the seeds. After harvesting the inflorescence, the seeds can be obtained by sifting them to separate them from plant residues. The seeds do not disperse for a long time so they tolerate the inexperience of the one who cultivates for the first time.

Water requirements

• Very low: no need for irrigation
• Low: also suitable for hot and arid areas, irrigate only in case of prolonged drought
• Reduced: this variety is amongst the leas demanding of its species, hence it is highly suitable for areas with sporadic rainfall, to be irrigated only in case of prolonged droughts
• Tolerant to water stress: it needs moderate irrigation, suitable for gardens with low water consumption.

We are currently creating a guide for this kind of cultivation, unfortunately, until the guide is published, this is only an overall indication that we can provide without causing confusion about the process. Dry farming, in fact, requires cultivation techniques suitable for the specific  pedoclimate and substrate. All of the varieties included in this category have been acclimatized in Italy.