Amaranth is a vigorous, heat-loving leafy green (and grain) that thrives when the lettuce has bolted — a colourful, nutritious summer substitute for spinach with real staying power.
Quick facts
- Position: full sun; loves heat
- Spacing: 20–30 cm apart
- Tub depth: our 23 cm+ depth
- Time to harvest: 6–8 weeks for leaf
When to plant: Amaranth loves warmth — sow from spring through summer, when many cool-season greens give up. It's frost-tender. Our free planting calendar shows the right months for your postcode.
Growing it in a raised bed: Sow into warm, rich mix in full sun. Pick leaves young for eating; let a plant or two run up to their striking seed heads for grain or self-seeding.
Watering and feeding: Water regularly for lush leaves, though it's more drought-tolerant than most greens once established.
Common pests: keep an eye out for aphids and caterpillars. Most are easily managed — see our safe pest guide.
Common diseases: the main one is leaf spot, usually from damp, crowded conditions. Good airflow and morning watering prevent most.
Companion plants: A great warm-season stand-in for spinach; grows happily among summer crops. See our companion planting guide.
Harvest and storage: Pick young leaves and tips for greens, cooked like spinach. Harvest the seed heads for grain once they dry, if you like.
More growing guides: warrigal greens, silverbeet and spinach.
Plan your patch: our free planting calendar shows what to plant now where you live. Ready to grow? Browse our raised garden beds or build your own with the garden bed builder.
Image: Ton Rulkens from Mozambique, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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