General
Quinoa greens are packed with vitamins and minerals, and have a nice, mild taste. The seeds can be ground into a flour that is gluten free, or simply cooked like rice.
Latin
Chenopodium quinoa
Family: Amaranthaceae
Difficulty
Easy
Season & Zone
Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full sun
Zone: 4 and up
Timing
Direct sow in late April to the end of May, while night temperatures are still cool. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 18-24°C (65-75°F). Seeds should germinate in 4-10 days.
Starting
Sow 5mm (¼") deep, 10 seeds per 30cm (12"), and thin to 25-35cm (10-14") between plants. If growing for baby leaf production, plants can be spaced closer together.
Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-7.5. Use a well-drained, loamy soil with added orgnaic matter. Keep weeded, but otherwise quinoa is drought tolerant and undemanding. It's a great plant for xeriscaping, and looks good at the back of a floral border.
Harvest
Harvest any time after seeds have changed from green to their calico colours, even after light frost.
Seed Info
In optimal conditions at least 70% of seeds should germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. Per 100' row: 160 seeds, per acre: 42M seeds.
Diseases & Pests
Watch for slug/snail damage to young seedlings. Keep the area free from debris where these pests like to nest.
