Quinoa greens are packed with vitamins and minerals, and have a nice, mild flavour. The seeds can be ground into a flour that is gluten free, or simply cooked like rice. Continue reading below for our tips on how to grow quinoa from seed.
Latin
Chenopodium quinoa
Family: Amaranthaceae
Difficulty
Easy
Season & Zone
Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full sun
Timing
Direct sow in spring, while night temperatures are still cool. Night time temperatures should be consistently above 10°C (50°F). 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 more closely.
Days to Maturity: From direct sowing.
Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-7.5. Use a well-drained, loamy soil with added organic matter in the form of well-rotted compost or manure. Keep weeded, but otherwise quinoa is drought tolerant and undemanding. It’s a great plant for xeriscaping, and the tall plants look 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. Read more about How to Harvest Quinoa.
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.
Check out this podcast episode about quinoa on the Encyclopedia Botanica blog.