Lambsquarters
Chenopodium album
Also known asLamb's quarters · White goosefoot · Fat hen · Pigweed · Bathua · Wild spinach · Melde
Environment
The bounded range this crop tolerates.
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 3–10 (winter low around -40°C)
- Frost
- tolerates light frost
- Season
- warm (summer, frost-sensitive)
Growing systems
Root mass: moderate.
Growing media
| Medium | pH effect | Retention | Bacterial surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil-based mix (Potting soil) | varies | high | high |
| Coco coir (Coconut coir) | slightly acidic | high | moderate |
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights. EC targets shift through the plant's life.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC (mS/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seedling | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.6 |
| vegetative | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1.4 |
Aquaponics suitability
Compatible
Fish waste provides enough nitrogen for healthy growth. Supplemental potassium, calcium, and iron may still be needed depending on fish stocking density.
Care notes
An easy, fast, and nearly foolproof hydroponic green. EC 1.0-2.0 mS/cm. pH 6.0-7.5 (extremely adaptable). Temperature: 10–32°C (grows in both cool and warm conditions). Low to high light (DLI 10-22 mol/m2/day). Any hydroponic system works. From seed to baby leaf harvest: 3-4 weeks. Full-sized harvest: 5-7 weeks. The plant grows vigorously and can be harvested cut-and-come-again by taking stem tips and upper leaves. Very high yield per square meter when succession planted. The main limitation is market perception: most Western consumers don't know lambsquarters as a food crop and may resist buying what they consider a weed. For personal use and for Indian food preparation, lambsquarters is one of the most productive and nutritious leafy greens available. The seeds germinate in 3-5 days with near-100% germination rates, and the plants are pest-resistant and disease-free. For aquaponics growers, lambsquarters thrives on the nutrient-rich water and produces continuously.
Notable varieties
| Cultivar | Type | Days | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magentaspreen | open pollinated | 45 | Selected cultivated form (sometimes called C. giganteum or magenta lambsquarters) with vivid pink-magenta new growth at the leaf crowns. Larger and more tender than the wild type. The seed-catalog standard for people who want lambsquarters deliberately rather than as a weed. |
| Cultivated bathua | open pollinated | 50 | Northern Indian selections grown commercially around Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, broader leaves and slower bolting than the European wild type. Sold through South Asian seed houses; less available in Western catalogs. |