Our latest supply of quinoa was originally sourced from Hodmedods. Quinoa is a high-protein grain you can easily grow at home. It is cooked just like rice, and as well as tasting good, it is rich in lysine, giving a good nutritional balance to your meal. The grain is naturally protected from insects, rodents and birds by a yellow coating that tastes bitter. This is easily removed – by soaking the seed overnight and rinsing a few times in cold water before cooking. It's no more hassle than soaking dried beans before you use them, and means that you lose less of the crop to the beasties in your garden.
Sow quinoa in around April either in seed trays for later transplantation, or where it is to grow. Wait until after there is no longer a danger of frost in your area. Cover the seeds you sow with a thin layer of compost – no more than ¼ inch deep. Space your quinoa seedlings around 1-2ft apart and expect the plants to grow almost 6ft tall (when they will require staking) in optimum conditions.
Thin seedlings out (or transplant) as soon as they are large enough to handle. You will find that the rate of growth will tend to be slow initially. But then the plants will have a sudden growth spurt and will quickly grow to their eventual height over the summer months. Flowers will form in around June or July, and seed heads will then begin to form.