Article submitted by Lucinda, free seeds on their way.

Over the last few years I have regularly grown quinoa.  It is a really attractive plant, the leaves are great in salads or used as greens and the seeds are an added bonus.   I generally sow late march/early April.  I use a fine seed compost and cover the seeds quite lightly.  These seeds need quite sun and warmth so I always start them off on a sunny windowsill.  Once they are a few inches high I prick them out and then a pot on a few times until they are ready to plant out at the end of May/beginning of June.

Apart from issues with the usual suspects such as slugs quinoa seems to be pretty much trouble free.  The main problem is that they can have a tendency to get a bit leggy and then may need staking.  I start harvesting leaves as soon as the plants are established outside. The seeds are ready to harvest in the early Autumn once flowering is finished.  Hang the seed heads over a bowl somewhere dry.  Once they are totally dried out put on a pair of gardening gloves and rub the seed heads between your fingers to loosen the seeds.  You then have to separate the seeds from the chaff by winnowing.

I have grown rainbow quinoa which has flower/seed heads which are a nice pink colour. I have also grown Amaranth – the method is exactly the same as for quinoa.  Apparantly the young leaves are edible but I found them a bit tough.  The seed heads are beautiful and full of amaranth seeds.