Amaranth 'Mekong Red'
Amaranth 'Mekong Red' is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Syn. Tampala, Chinese Spinach; a nutritious, leafy green for warmer areas. 'Mekong Red' is a very attractive, nutritious, red leafy green for warmer areas. It is fast-growing; best to harvest the whole plant as older plants get tough and bitter tasting. Successive sowings will provide greens over a long period. The leaves have a sweet, tangy flavour and are best cooked; raw leaves should not be eaten very often as they are high in nitrates and oxalic acid. In China and Japan it is the main vegetable used as a cooked green.
Product: Amaranth 'Mekong Red'
Product type: SEED ()
Botanical name: Amaranthus tricolor
Syn. Tampala, Chinese Spinach; a nutritious, leafy green for warmer areas. 'Mekong Red' is a very attractive, nutritious, red leafy green for warmer areas. It is fast-growing; best to harvest the whole plant as older plants get tough and bitter tasting. Successive sowings will provide greens over a long period. The leaves have a sweet, tangy flavour and are best cooked; raw leaves should not be eaten very often as they are high in nitrates and oxalic acid. In China and Japan it is the main vegetable used as a cooked green.
Plant type: Warm season annual
Plant height: 1m when in flower
Sow when: Germinate best at 20 - 27°C soil temp.
Temperate: Late spring to summer
Subtropical: All year, avoid frost periods
Tropical: All year
Germination: 7 - 14 days
Depth: Cover the fine seed very lightly, firm down and keep moist
Position: Full sun
Sow where: Sow direct into warm soil
Soil type: Fertile, well-drained soil; pH 5.5 - 6
Details: Self-sows readily
Harvest: 50 days to maturity at 20 cm tall
seeds per packet
Amaranthus tricolor
Warm season annual
Amaranth 'Mekong Red'
Syn. Tampala, Chinese Spinach; a nutritious, leafy green for warmer areas. 'Mekong Red' is a very attractive, nutritious, red leafy green for warmer areas. It is fast-growing; best to harvest the whole plant as older plants get tough and bitter tasting. Successive sowings will provide greens over a long period. The leaves have a sweet, tangy flavour and are best cooked; raw leaves should not be eaten very often as they are high in nitrates and oxalic acid. In China and Japan it is the main vegetable used as a cooked green.