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Amaranth caudate is a herbaceous ornamental annual with large green or purple-green leaves and unusual inflorescences formed by red, crimson or yellow-green flowers. It is valued for its unpretentiousness and spectacular flowering and is popularly known as foxtail, cockscomb, amaranth or the flower of false love.
Description and characteristics of amaranth caudate
Amaranth caudate is a plant with a height of 40 cm to 1.5 m with powerful erect stems and large elongated ovate foliage, colored in green or purple-green shades. Although the plant’s homeland is considered to be Africa, Asia and South America, it is found in the wild almost everywhere.
The root system of red amaranth is powerful, well developed with a pronounced taproot
The main distinctive feature of the caudal aphid is small crimson, red or yellow-green flowers, collected in hanging, complex-branched paniculate inflorescences up to 45 cm long. They are formed at the top of the plant 2.5 months after emergence and gradually grow, drooping down.
Varieties of tailed amaranth
The tailed acorn delights with its varietal diversity. Its individual species differ from each other in the shade of inflorescences, height and color of foliage.
Amaranth caudate Avalanche
Judging by the photo of Avalanche amaranth, this spectacular annual grows from 80 cm to 1.2 m in height and has original inflorescences. The plant prefers loose, fertile soil and needs plenty of sunlight.
The culture blooms from June to September and looks good in group plantings against lawns, in winter compositions and bouquets
Amaranth tailed Avalanche is recommended for growing on loose, fertile soils and requires abundant watering during dry periods.
Amaranth caudate Christmas tree toy
An unpretentious annual about 1 m high, it is characterized by rapid growth rates and has strong stems. The main feature of the variety is drooping inflorescences 60-100 cm long, resembling beads.
Inflorescences of amaranth Christmas tree toy are formed by small flowers placed on the stems in the form of whorls
Amaranth caudate Glamorous shine
A spectacular annual with erect shoots 40-50 cm high and large burgundy leaves. The plant has inconspicuous inflorescences, painted in a dark purple hue, and is characterized by rapid growth rates.
Shchiritsa Glamorous shine blooms from June to September and is approved for cultivation in the central and southern regions of Russia
Amaranth caudate Raspberry beads
A fast-growing, heat-loving variety with powerful, erect stems and bright crimson inflorescences resembling beads. The plant is valued for its high decorativeness and drought resistance.
The variety Raspberry beads rarely suffers from diseases
Amaranth caudate Emerald
An ornamental annual with powerful erect stems 100-120 cm high, during flowering it is covered with small pale green flowers collected in long, hanging inflorescences. It is grown in sunny areas well protected from the wind.
The amaranth variety Izumrud is widely used in landscape and floral design.
Amaranth caudatus Red Falls
The ornamental annual is characterized by rapid growth and is valued for its long flowering. Strongly branched amaranth has large green leaves and drooping racemes up to 75 cm long.
The Red Waterfall variety is strewn with small dark red and crimson flowers
Amaranth tailed Scarlet
An annual plant with powerful stems up to 1.2 m high, it has large elongated oval leaves, painted in a dark green shade. During flowering, which lasts from mid-June to October, it produces small, bright red flowers.
The flowers of the variety are collected in drooping paniculate inflorescences up to 45 cm long
Amaranth caudate Scallops
An annual with strong, erect stems up to 80 cm high and lush inflorescences that retain a rich shade in a dry bouquet. The variety looks impressive as a tapeworm.
Red amaranth Scallops can also be planted in the background of flower beds
Planting amaranth caudate
Amaranth caudate grows well in sunny areas, reliably protected from strong winds.The annual plant does not have the most powerful roots and a thick green mass, which is why it easily topples when planted in windy places.
Shchiritsa prefers permeable, light, not dry and not too wet soils with an acidity in the range of 6.0-6.5. It is best to grow it in humus soils enriched with calcium.
For seedlings
Disinfected and washed containers are filled with garden soil mixed with vermiculite in a 1:1 ratio, or with a special soil mixture for seedlings. Seeds are scattered over the surface of the substrate and covered with a small layer of soil. The crops are sprayed with a spray bottle, covered with glass or film and placed in a well-lit place.
Crops are regularly ventilated to prevent fungal infections and germinate at a temperature of +12-18 0C. When 2-3 true leaves appear on the seedlings, they are picked.
Seedlings are transplanted as carefully as possible so as not to damage the delicate stems.
14 days before planting in open ground, young plants are hardened off. First, they are taken outside for a couple of hours, and then left in the yard for the whole day. Seedlings are planted in a flowerbed when they reach 10 cm, that is, 20-25 days after sowing.
In open ground
Red amaranth is transplanted into the flowerbed after the threat of night frosts has passed. In the middle zone, this is done in the second half of May, focusing on the meteorological conditions of a particular area. Shchiritsa does not tolerate sub-zero temperatures well, and early planting can harm the plant.
To plant a crop in open ground, you can follow the recommendations of the lunar calendar
In order for amaranths to grow well and develop correctly, the distance between neighboring specimens in a row should be 40-60 cm. The denser the bushes are planted, the smaller they will be.
When growing acorn grass in open ground not from seedlings, but from seeds, the seed material is sprinkled with chopped compost or coarse sand. Before emergence, the substrate is regularly moistened, preventing it from drying out. To avoid accidental washing off and movement of seeds, spraying is replaced by drip irrigation. The emerging shoots must be thinned out so that the plants do not interfere with each other.
Features of care
Throughout the growing season, the acorn plant is regularly watered. In spring, the soil under the annual plant is moistened weekly. In hot weather, the amount of watering is increased.
In the first few weeks after planting red amaranth in open ground, the ground under it is regularly weeded and loosened. When the bush begins to actively grow, it will crowd out the weeds on its own.
Starting in spring, amaranth is regularly fed with organic matter. To do this, a mullein solution, rotted compost and vermicompost are added to the ground under the acorn grass. To strengthen the stems, the plant is fed with calcium nitrate. Every 10-15 days, the annual plant is fertilized with liquid fertilizer. Compositions enriched with nitrogen are used in doses. They stimulate lush growth, and the majestic inflorescences may not withstand such stress.
Reproduction
Red tailed amaranth is predisposed to self-seeding.It is sown with seeds or planted as seedlings in open ground.
Diseases and pests
Red tailed amaranth is immune to most diseases and pests. The greatest danger to annual plants is aphids. To combat it, ladybugs are attracted to the site, and for prevention, in early spring the plant is sprayed with infusion of horsetail, horseradish or garlic.
If aphids appear en masse, only chemicals will help, for example, Actellik
Amaranth of this species is often attacked by snails. You can protect your annual plant from these pests by spraying it with nettle or tansy or scattering sawdust and crushed eggshells around it.
How to collect amaranth caudate seeds
To collect red tailed amaranth seeds, select several of the largest and strongest plants. The procedure begins as soon as the lower leaves on the bushes turn red, dry out and fall off and the stems turn white. On a dry, fine day, the inflorescences are cut from the selected plants, starting from the bottom of the stem, and hung to dry in a dry, well-ventilated room.
After about two weeks, the dried panicles are rubbed with your hands so that mature seeds fall out of them. The collected acorn grains are sifted through a fine sieve and stored in boxes or paper bags.
Drying and harvesting of caudate amaranth
There is no exact time for harvesting the tailed acorn. If an annual is grown for its young fresh foliage, it is cut off during the period of active plant growth.The stems of the acorn plant are harvested when they grow to 20-25 cm in length. In this case, it is important to prevent the shoots from overripening, otherwise they can be eaten only after long-term heat treatment.
The harvested crop can be dried, frozen or pickled. In the first case, the leaves and stems of the acorn plant are laid out or hung in a well-ventilated area and left to dry. To freeze caudate amaranth, the cut parts of the plant are sorted, washed, packaged in bags and put in the freezer.
Marinate ashiritsa in water with added salt and sugar or simply sprinkle with salt
Photos in landscape design
Amaranth caudate is successfully used for decorating personal plots.
The annual is used as an edging or addition to ridges
Low-growing varieties of shiritsa, suitable for growing in flowerpots and flowerpots, are actively used for landscaping loggias and balconies.
Red amaranth looks impressive next to immortelle bracts, delphiniums, nasturtiums and forget-me-nots.
The annual is used to decorate walls, fences and low buildings; it looks good as a hedge and in high borders
Conclusion
Amaranth caudate is a beautiful and unpretentious annual that adapts well to any growing conditions. It is valued for its high decorative value and looks impressive not only in a flowerbed, but also in dry bouquets.
