Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Pumpkin Lady <pumpkingal@clearwire.net>]

Ken Hargesheimer wrote:
>     Lamb's quarter is of the same family as Amarath which is used all
>     over the world.  Two strains of it:  one is for the leaves and the
>     other for the grain.  Some for both.  Seeds are so tiny.  Amarath
>     has red in the young leaves.

Umm... are you sure about that? Amaranth is Amaranthus and 
Lamb's Quarters are Chenopoduim. LQ are related to Quinoa, 
although all the pictures of Quinoa grain I see has it being 
tan and my LQ seeds are definitely black.

>      
>     20 years ago I was given some seed for a leaf variety and planted it
>     in the alley.  Comes up every year.  It is now about eight feet tall
>     and producing seed.  In fact, it comes up everywhere due to the
>     birds scattering the seed.

This I believe, for either one of them. Both of them 
comprise a large part of what most Lubbock homeowners call 
"weeds" ;-)

>      
>     In Mexico, one can purchased "candy" made of the seed and with
>     nuts.  Love it.  Not as widely available is in years passed.

Amaranth seed, you mean, right? I've never seen the candy 
but I have a couple of recipes. The seeds are popped and 
then mixed with honey and other things depending on the recipe.

Morgan, who still hasn't a clue when to cut this stuff. the 
seed heads are full AFAICT, but *shrug* I guess I'll cut a 
lot just before the first frost.