HI
Quinoa, pronounced “keen-wa”, is well known to whole food enthusiasts as a nutritious and delicious alternative to rice, beloved of vegetarians thanks to its high protein content.
Advantages of Growing Quinoa in the Garden
A small amount of seed will grow a great deal of grain, though you must choose the right variety, with loose seed heads, if you are gardening in a temperate climate. Quinoa seeds have a soapy coating of saponins that needs to be washed off before cooking, but this stops birds from eating your crop, making it suitable for cultivation in small gardens where small scale cereal growing normally attracts an immovable flock of pigeons.
How to Grow Quinoa
Grow just as you would outdoor tomatoes (quinoa is, if anything, more robust than tomatoes).
* Sow quinoa seed thinly under cover in pots or seed trays in spring
* Prick out small plants, grow on individually in pots and harden off
* Plant out with around 50cm between plants
How to Harvest Quinoa
The seed are ready to harvest when the first seeds may be rubbed easily from the seed heads. Cut the stalk below the seed head and hang bunches of seed heads upside down, under cover, until dry.
Regards
Ashwini