Growing Edible Red Leaf Amaranth in Kratky Hydroponics – Update: Week 3

Edible Red Leaf Amaranth Grown In Kratky Hydroponics Container, Week 3

It’s been three weeks since I planted my Amaranth seeds. I’ve watched them germinate and grow. And I have loved every minute of it.

Edible Red Leaf Amaranth Grown In Kratky Hydroponics Container, Week 3
Edible Red Leaf Amaranth Grown In Kratky Hydroponics Container, Week 3

The amaranth is getting quite big. This week saw the leaves doubling in size. Compare this to week 2 (they were under a different grow light in the following photo).

Edible Red Leaf Amaranth Grown In Kratky Hydroponics Container, Week 2
Edible Red Leaf Amaranth Grown In Kratky Hydroponics Container, Week 2

The largest leaves are now about the size of my palm. A bit too small to start harvesting if you want to do a continual harvesting method. Maybe next week.

Edible Red Leaf Amaranth Grown In Kratky Hydroponics Container, Week 3
Edible Red Leaf Amaranth Grown In Kratky Hydroponics Container, Week 3

I love the colors that are developing on the leaves. The red is a lot less red than I expected; from the top the leaves look like a dark purple or burgundy hue. When you view them from underneath however, they are a very vivid blood red.

Edible Red Leaf Amaranth Grown In Kratky Hydroponics Container, Week 3
Edible Red Leaf Amaranth Grown In Kratky Hydroponics Container, Week 3

Have you grown amaranth before? Did you eat it in salads, or prefer to use it medicinally? Let me know in the comments below.

2 thoughts on “Growing Edible Red Leaf Amaranth in Kratky Hydroponics – Update: Week 3”

  1. I tried to grow amarath using Kratky and the standard blend but they did not take. What fertilizer mix and ratio did you use?

    1. I use General Hydroponics Maxigro at the recommended ratios. When I first start the seedlings they are usually in plain water, and will use the standard (or slightly diluted) strength Maxigro whenever I need to start topping up the containers (usually that’s about 1-2 weeks into seedling growth).

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