Leafy amaranth

Light

Sunny, Part sun

Pot size

Small pot (up to about 5 litres)

Care level

Easy

Year round or seasonal

Seasonal crop for warm weather

Pets

Pet safety not confirmed

Light and position

Full sun or part shade; NC State suggests late-afternoon shade.

Size and pot

Picked young as greens, so a shallow pot works; NC State lists Amaranthus tricolor at 1.5 to 5 feet if left to grow on. Our pot band: small pot (up to about 5 litres).

Watering

TNAU irrigates weekly after germination. In pots, keep the mix just moist: NC State notes root rot if kept too wet.

Potting mix and feeding

Well-drained, slightly acidic loamy soil (TNAU).

Growing through the year

TNAU describes it as a warm-climate crop that can be sown through the year, broadcasting seed mixed with sand and thinning seedlings to 12 to 15 cm. Some leafy types are ready about 25 days after sowing. NC State rates it heat and drought tolerant.

NC State’s vegetable handbook says warm-season vegetables are frost-sensitive and grow well when temperatures are above about 21 °C (70 °F).

Watch for

Aphids and leaf-eating caterpillars; root rot and leaf spot.

Pets and people

We did not find an ASPCA entry, and our sources give no pet rating, so pet safety is not confirmed.

General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.

Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (Low). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.