Today we will discuss How to Grow Hopi Red Dye Amaranth? If you aren’t familiar then this article will take you through every lesson on Hopi Red Dye Amaranth. First of all, it is a beautiful annual Amaranth plant. It is grown for its beautiful purple-red leaves and dark maroon flowers. There are some varieties available all with similar characteristics. They are edible and you can cook the leaves as well as the flowers and seeds. Seeds can be roasted and be eaten as a morning grain breakfast.
Hopi Red dye Amaranth gets its name from the reddish color of its leaves and flowers. These plants belong to the Amaranth family of many colorful plants. they are easy to grow and pretty easy to care for. The only problem with Hopi red dye amaranth is aphids. They attack the plant during cloudy days and like to hide beneath dark spots under leaves. Tret them before they become a severe problem. The only deadly thing that you may face is a viral disease. Viral diseases are incurable in Amaranth. You can’t save a diseased plant so dig it ut and through in the garbage or just burn it for sake of healthy ones.
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Hopi Red Dye Amaranth Plaant Info
- Botanical Name: Amaranthus Hopi Red Dye
- Common Name: Purple Hopi Red Dye, Hopi Red Dye Amaranth
- Genus: Amaranthus
- Plant Type: Annual for Cultivation. These Deciduous Type Plants can become biannual or perennial in some areas.
- Plant Structure: 4 to 6 feet high and 0.5 to 1.5 feet wide. It is a cylindrical plant with edible leaves and seeds.
- Growth Conditions: They Require soft moist well-drained soil. These plants can tolerate a ph range of 5.6 to 7.8. So it should not be a big problem. Only care for watering and proper soil drainage.
- Sunlight: These Plants prefer direct bright sunlight for a minimum of four to six hours every day.
- Propagation: Hopi Red Dye can propagate through their seeds.
- Season: Plantation can be done after the risk of frost is over. They will bloom from mid-summer till late fall.
- Uses: It is a beautiful plant you can grow it for decorative purposes as well as for cooking. They are just as tasty as any other leafy vegetable with a unique color. You can also use the flowers cut flowers. They turn the vase water purple with time.
Soil Preparation for Hopi red dye Plants
Hopi Red Dye Amaranth is a deciduous plant that needs consistently moist soil. It is fairly drought tolerant and can survive weeks without it. Although they can grow better with fresh foliage and flowers if watered properly.
Any good quality healthy soil is fine for these Amaranths. They only care for proper drainage. If the soil becomes damp to soggy the plant may rot. Therefore use healthy soil rich in organic matter and better if you prepare a raised bed, especially in low areas.
I prefer plain garden soil to grow Hopi Red Dye Amaranths. Add plenty of compost and rake well thoroughly. If you are worried about the fungal problems then add some fungicide right along during soil preparation.
The only thing to care about is that the soil should drain properly. It should retain enough moisture for the roots but not much to dampen the soil.
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Seed Germination Process
Hopi Seeds are pretty small yet big enough to separate individually. You can directly sow these seeds in garden beds or prepare seedlings before frost ends.
Indoor seed germination should be done 4 to 6 weeks before the average last frost date in your locality.
Prepare a seedling tray with moist and healthy soil mix. You can use seed germination media or any commercial potting mix. Some gardeners also prefer soil-less compost and cocopeat mixture of seed germination. Choose whatever you like just make sure it drains properly.
Fill the seedling tray with soil mix and dampen it with water. Drench it out properly before seeding. Put seeds at 3-5 inch separation and cover them with 1/4 inch light cocopeat or soil mix.
Water it from the bottom hole or mist it thoroughly. Keep the seedling trays near a window with bright light and they will start germinating.
You can also show them directly on the garden soil. Just loosen the soil and mix compost in it. Add only 2-4 inches of compost and rake the soil properly.
At last put seeds at a 5-6 inch difference and let them grow. You can thin extra seedlings after germination.
Cover the seeds with soil not more than a quarter inches. Allow proper sunlight and let the temperature rise above 65 degrees Fahrenheit for better growth.
These seeds can germinate within 15-20 days. care for them and they are ready to harvest with multiple leaves.
How To Grow Hopi Red Dye Amaranth?
- First of all, you will need some seeds to grow Hopi Red Dye Amaranths. You can buy the seeds online or go check your local seed store, they should have some.
- Prepare healthy well-drained soil in garden beds or wide containers.
- Sow the seed in the soil at proper separation. A 5-inch distance is sufficient although a mature plant may need 12-20 inch separation.
- Cover the seeds and water properly. Keep the soil warm and moist and the rest will be done by sunlight.
- Seeds will start germinating within a few weeks. Keep them moist and healthy until they reach maturity.
- Feed these plants with an all-purpose fertilizer or NPK 20:20:20 once in 25 days. You can also use liquid fertilizers for Amaranths.
- Harvest the leaves and flowers once they grow to full size. Never harvest more than 1/3 of the leaves.
- Uproot the plant at the season end and hang them upside down in shade like a patio or deck. Let them dry and collect the seeds in a dry jar for the next season’s plantation.
- Use the Collected leaves and flowers for cooking or making natural dyes.
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General Care for Hopi Red Dye Amaranth
- These plants are naturally carefree although they may need help with aphid problems.
- Keep the plant clean and dry to void pests like aphids.
- Remove dead and damaged leaves and flowers for cleanliness.
- Prune the plants to half their size after flowering ends.
- Loose the soil and add compost once every 45 days. Rake and Water every time after feeding.
- These plants can benefit from NPK fertilizers especially if you want faster growth in Hopi Amaranth plants.
- Spray the plant properly with neem oil and soap water to get rid of pest problems. You have to repeat it a couple of times over the next few weeks to control the aphid problem.
- Harvest the leaves properly and not more than 1/3 of the total in quantity. Use fresh leave for cooking or dye-making.
