by Kimberly Smith

Created on: August 26, 2009

Quinoa is very easy to grow and a very low-maintenance plant. They respond well to nitrogen and phosphorous in the soil, this should be considered when selecting your planting location. Average plants are between 4 -6 feet tall, but plants that are sown in rich soil or compost could reach heights of 8 feet or more. They like well drained, aerated soils. They do not do well in compressed soil such as clay.

The best time of year to plant the seed in the northern US is late April to late May. This is the time the soil temperature should be around 60F. This is true for planting in any area. The seedlings should emerge within 3 to 4 days from planting. If the soil temperature is higher than 60F, it is recommended that you refrigerate the seeds over night before planting them.

The seeds will germinate faster if the soil is well prepared and they have sufficient moisture. Seeds should be sown no deeper than one-quarter inch in rows that are 1 to 2 feet apart. This will allow for a tiller to go between the rows. You can plant the seed by hand or use a row seeder. Plants will need to be thinned to 6 to 18 inches apart once they have begun to grow.

Quinoa is a low maintenance crop but weeds should be avoided by either cultivation or mulching. Soil moisture is probably fine until early June. Given good soil moisture, don't water the plants until they reach the 2 or 3 leaf stage. Quinoas grow slowly at first but are drought tolerant and do well on as little as 10 inches of water.

As the plants reach a foot high, they will start to grow much faster and a canopy will form to shade out weeds and help with moisture lose.

Quinoa is ready to be harvested when the leaves have fallen, leaving just the dried seed heads. With a gloved hand, you can quickly remove the seeds by stripping them upwards off the stalk. Quinoa is resistant to light frost. As long as the plant has matured past the stage where the seeds are green it should be fine.

It is important to harvest them before the rain falls on them. Rain can cause the seeds to begin to germinate and they will be ruined then. Make sure you allow them to dry completely before you store them away.

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