quinoa and amaranth???

[ohiogoatgirl]

hello! i'm trying to find things to grow for my animals and i am reading about quinoa and amaranth... can i grow them if i live in ohio? how difficult are they to grow? and how difficult are they to harvest the seed?
thanks!

edited to add: what about millet?

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

millet is very easy to grow and it will reseed itself if you don't get to the tops before they drop the seeds. it is just a very tall grass.

 

[RustyDHart]

I grow red amaranth...and live in Northern Michigan...it grows like crazy here...is very beautiful and the chickens like it...and my sheep love the stocks.

 

[wifezilla]

I am growing amaranth this year too. There are 2 types. One is grown for greens. One is grown for the seeds. I got some of each.

Quinoa is supposed to be easy to grown, but you have to process the seeds a bit before they are edible.

"Quinoa seeds have a soapy coating of saponins that needs to be washed off before cooking, but this stops birds from eating your crop, making it suitable for cultivation in small gardens where small scale cereal growing normally attracts an immovable flock of pigeons."

Read more at Suite101: Growing Quinoa from Seed: How to Grow Quinoa in Small Gardens and Allotments http://www.suite101.com/content/grow-your-own-quinoa-a58823#ixzz1CaO5zhlB"

 

[silkiechicken]

I grow a red amaranth that we eat like a spinach. Not sure if it is a real "red amaranth", or just an Asian veggie called amaranth. It grows like weeds here.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

what are the grain types and where can i buy seed for amaranth?
and where can i buy millet seed?

 

[wifezilla]

For amaranth, try www.rareseeds.com

 

[lesa]

If you don't mind a mix- it is fun to buy a bag of cheap mixed bird seed. It is usually 90 percent millet. Spread it around and watch it grow!! I get 35 pounds for under 5 bucks at Tractor Supply...

 

[wifezilla]

I got some pretty black oil sunflowers by throwing dirty quail bedding on the garden bed during the winter. I sometimes give them seed mix as a treat

 

[Mattemma]

I have grown red and orange amaranth in NE Ohio. No problems growing it and collecting seed.

I agree that cheap bird seed will grow well. You can get various grain seed packets at BOUNTIFUL GARDENS.

I throw the seeds from my flax,wheat berry,and oat out into the yard,and it grew well. Alfalfa sprouting seeds also grew well in the yard!


I know in the sandhill preservation catalog they listed a mix for chickens,but I don't recall off hand what seeds were in the mix.

I am hoping my chickens eat the problem bugs and not so much my plants.They can have the grass,lol. I justy throw send all over the place and see what grows.