Jamaican Callaloo Seeds (GREEN Amaranth) Asian Vegetable

Exotic Caribbean  Vegetable Seeds - Real Jamaican Callaloo, SUMMER SPINACH

• Heirloom seed refers to seeds that have been cultivated over time.
• Benefits of heirloom seeds.
• Approx 41,000 seeds per oz

Grow this annual vegetable in your garden for a nutritious addition to your diet. Callaloo is grown extensively by people living in the Caribbean islands. It is very popular in Trinidad-Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, Asia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, West Indies, Barbados and Bahamas!

 Jamaican Callaloo (GREEN Amaranth) are a type of edible vegetable popular in Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and Dominica. Traditionally, callaloo soup is made using taro or dasheen bush by Trinidadians, Grenadians, and Dominicans. While Dominicans may also use water spinach, amaranth is primarily used by Jamaicans, Belizeans, and Guyanese. However, it is worth noting that the callaloo made in Jamaica differs from the callaloo made in Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, the Virgin Islands, and Guadeloupe.

This popular local vegetable is known as Jamaican Callaloo, and is often cooked with onion, garlic, tomatoes, thyme, and Scotch bonnet pepper. It makes for a perfect, healthy side dish that pairs well with both tropical breakfasts and lunches.

Food security
Calla-loo vegetable,used in Jamaican,West Indian & Chinese Cuisines,can be grown as a micro green for salads or cut-and-grow-again methodâ it can be harvested 30 days after sowing.

JAMAICAN CALLALOO Also known as Amaranthus cruentus or "edible leaf amaranth," callaloo grows as an annual in the U.S. and is harvested for its leaves and seeds. callaloo is grown extensively in the West Indies, and is popularly used in soups and stews. High in iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamins A and C, as well as protein

Grows well on most soil, Requires full sun and moist soil during germination (10-14 days, usually less during 70°+ weather). Afterwards keep watered to 1" in depth at all times. Reaches maturity in about 30-40 days. 
How to grow:
1 Prepare your soil for spring planting of the callaloo seeds. Break up the soil to a 12-inch depth using a pitchfork. Test the pH of the soil using a soil testing kit. Callaloo seeds prefer to grow in soil that has a pH between 6.5 and 7.5.

2 Amend the soil if necessary before sowing your seeds. Add lime to soil with a pH below 6.5 and peat moss to soil with a pH above 7.5. Refer to the required amendment's packaging label for allocation amounts and application requirements.

3 Sow the callaloo seeds when the outdoor temperatures hold steady at 65 degree Fahrenheit. Sprinkle the seeds over the soil by holding them in the palm of your hand and fanning them out in front of you. Rake the soil lightly afterward to cover the seeds with approximately ½ inch of soil.

4 Dampen the soil with water from a garden hose. A light misting is all that is necessary. Keep the soil moist throughout the germination process, which will take about 10 to 14 days.

5 Continue to maintain moist soil as the callaloo seedlings grow. Once the callaloo seedlings begin to develop their second set of leaves, water to plants more deeply, keeping the soil moist to a 1 inch depth at all times.

6 Spread a 3-inch layer of bark mulch around the callaloo plants to deter weeds. Mulching will also improve drainage. Harvest the leaves as you need them for your recipes by plucking them off of the plants using your fingertips.

Health Benefits
Callaloo leaves have all the nutritional benefits of other leafy green vegetables. They are high in fiber, iron and calcium, and contain large amounts of vitamins A, B, and C, lutein, amino acids, and carotene. Callaloo is said to be one of the cancer fighting plants, especially when when it is made into a green smoothie with other greens.