Globe Amaranth

Other common names: Bachelor's Button, Thousand Day Red, 千日红

Globe amaranths produce small, striking white, purple or pink flowers that can be boiled into tea, or preserved to be used in cut flower arrangements. The flowers also attract a variety of bees and butterflies.

A small annual herbaceous plant, globe amaranths are typically grown as part of perimeter planting, or in ornamental gardens, edible gardens, and biodiversity-attracting gardens.

Sun and soil needs:

Globe amaranth grows best in 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. Plants do best in pots with loamy soil at least 10cm deep, or in true ground. These plants are also highly tolerant of sandy and clayey soil, and can be used as part of crop rotation.

Sowing seeds:

Sow seeds individually in a seedling tray filled with potting mix or seedling mix. Lightly mist the soil until damp, once a day. Seeds should sprout within 10 days.

The seedlings will be vulnerable to high heat and heavy rain and are best kept in a sheltered propagation area or a shaded space with around 4 hours of partial or direct sunlight.

Seeds can be sown directly into pots or the ground around 10cm apart. Lightly water the soil until damp, once a day. Seeds should sprout within 10 days.

Transplanting:

Seedlings will be ready for transplanting into pots or true ground when they have developed 4 or more leaves, or roughly a week or two after germination. Leave 10cm between each plant to encourage more growth and better ventilation.

Growing:

Globe Amaranth will produce more flowers when fed with fertilisers high in Phosphorus and Potassium. Plants can be fertilised regularly a month after germination for more flowers.

It is a good practice to prune regularly and remove dead leaves and stems to improve ventilation and allow light to reach more of the plant. Regular pruning also decreases the likelihood of pests quickly taking over the plant.

Harvesting:

Plants can be harvested for flowers at any time. Fruits can be harvested for seeds when they are brown and dry.

Propagation:

Globe amaranth can be grown from seed.

Common problems & solutions:

This plant is relatively resistant to pests and disease if kept healthy.

Young plants have soft stems and can be completely eaten by slugs and snails. Grow seedlings till they are at least 10cm tall before planting them in true ground, or use DIY cloches or netting to protect young plants.

If your plant has few to no flowers, you can fertilise the plant with fertilisers high in phosphorus and potassium.

Aphids, mealy bugs, whiteflies, and spider mites often infest the plant if it has underlying problems like repeated wilting from heat stress. Mechanical pest control methods like pruning the infested parts are the best methods for managing these pests in the short term, but resolving the underlying problem will prevent them in the long term.

Wilting may occur during periods of hot weather or from the lack of watering. Regular wilting will stunt plant growth. Increase the number of times a plant is watered, or use mulch to retain moisture in the soil.