Quinoa

Quinoa is an Andean pseudocereal, not a grass grain. It favors well-drained soil and a cultivar suited to local day length and summer temperatures; hot conditions during flowering can reduce seed set.

Sun

Full sun

Water

Keep moist through establishment and grain filling; avoid waterlogging

Spacing

12 in

First harvest

90–150 days

Tips

• Choose a locally tested grain variety; some Andean seed does not flower or mature reliably at other latitudes.
• Sow about 1/4 inch deep into a firm seedbed in cool spring weather, then thin to the cultivar’s spacing.
• Weed carefully: young quinoa resembles lamb’s quarters; use identified seed, not foraged seedlings.
• Maintain moisture for germination and seed fill without waterlogging; avoid heavy nitrogen.
• Harvest dry seed heads, thresh and clean; remove bitter saponins by the cultivar’s recommended washing or processing before cooking.

Sow with local quinoa guidance; cultivar day length and flowering heat matter more than a universal frost window.