# Grains



## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Has anybody grown Amaranth or Quinoa? I've read that Amaranth is a warm weather grain, which would probably work in IA, but how much do you have to plant to get a reasonabe amount of grain at harvest?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Daisy, it grows all over my garden, it is one of the worst weeds I fight.

When I found out that the "stuff" was Amaranth I tried to harvest some of it but couldn't manage to get enough from a plant to make it worth growing. A domestic or commercial verity may produce better than the wild stuff around here though. The plants themselves are very prolific and sturdy.


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

I think that's "pigweed" isn't it? I wonder too if getting the seed variety makes a difference. The only reason I'm interested is because it's supposed to be a super source of protein, but if you've got to plant 10 acres of it to feed a family of 6 I don't really want to mess with it. Plus, around here I wonder if neighboring farmers would get testy if they saw us cultivating a weed they try to kill.


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## goatlady (Nov 7, 2011)

amarath is NOT pigweed at all. It can grow to 5 or 6' in height, very broad large leaves and a single seed head right out the top of the plant. The seeds are like poppy seeds, but a tad larger. You need LOTs of the seed to be able to make anything with it. Quinoa is a smaller version of amarath but can have a very bitter aftertaste depending on water availability when growing. Neither are suitable as a survival food crop in hard times. You will get 10 times the return of time and effort growing wheat or even corn instead.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Davarm said:


> Daisy, it grows all over my garden, it is one of the worst weeds I fight.
> 
> When I found out that the "stuff" was Amaranth I tried to harvest some of it but couldn't manage to get enough from a plant to make it worth growing. A domestic or commercial verity may produce better than the wild stuff around here though. The plants themselves are very prolific and sturdy.


Are you talking about spiny amaranth? (or spiny pigweed)

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/amasp.htm


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

i've grown Amaranth before and I have to say the one I grew got HUGE and had a huge seed head/flowering part on top.. and I just grew it out of the bag of whole grain amaranth I got for grinding and adding to my breads. Four large plants(I mean over 7 foot tall) filled a quart and pint mason jar. 
It was orange something in the name and if you have the room put some in and try it your self..
Don't use the flowering ones that are just for pretty or the ones that are for leaf harvesting.. they just do not make big seed heads.
Now the company that I bought the grain from said that it was either this plant http://rareseeds.com/vegetablesa-c/amaranth/golden-giant-amaranth.html
or this one and that they are both available commercially (which I found more seed from at Baker creek)
http://rareseeds.com/vegetablesa-c/amaranth/orange-giant-amaranth.html
The darn stalks on this plant could have been dried and used as tent poles the next year..  or even bean poles haha.. 
I liked it but the chickens were not that fond of it.. I had to mix it in with some old oatmeal that got buggy on me and then i poured boiling water over it and made warm "loaves" of amaranth and oatmeal for them on cold winter mornings..
I only liked it marginally. you can pop the tiny little seeds in hot oil and they look like tiny little styrofoam balls.. flavor was a tad better but not much.. My aunt was appalled that I let those big giant weeds grow in my garden


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## goatlady (Nov 7, 2011)

My apologies, pigweed IS a variety of amaranth, but..."Ancient amaranth grains still used to this day include the three species, Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus cruentus, and Amaranthus hypochondriacus" The grain varieties are not what is usually growing in the backyard/garden as pigweed. Apparently there are over 70 variations of this plant.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Will the stuff grow off to the side in areas where a person doesn't care about looking weedy or not? I don't want 7 foot tall "weed looking things" in our yard.


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

Added some _Amaranthus cruentus_ to my list of seeds to get. Looks nice, hardy, can be grown in the front yard as a decorative edible. No one would be the wiser and the HOA wouldn't know.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

ContinualHarvest said:


> can be grown in the front yard as a decorative edible. No one would be the wiser and the HOA wouldn't know.


No HOA where I live - I NEVER would buy in an area like that. The people I know who do live in a HOA, those snoops would definitely find out what it was.


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