Quinoa
Chenopodium quinoa
Also known as: Kinwa, Kiwicha (related), Goosefoot grain, Inca rice, Suba
Quick facts
- Category
- fruiting
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Days to harvest
- 100 to 130 days
- Harvest type
- single harvest then replant
- Spacing
- 30 cm between plants
Environment
- Temperature
- 7–28°C
- pH
- 6 to 8.5
- EC (hydroponic)
- 1.2 to 2 mS/cm
- Daily light
- 18 to 26 mol/m²/day
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 4 to 9 (winter low around -34°C or warmer)
- Frost tolerance
- frost hardy (handles regular frost)
- Season
- cool (spring and fall crops)
Viable growing environments:
- outdoor year-round (in zone)
- outdoor in growing season (annual)
USDA zone bounds reflect outdoor year-round survival. Anywhere outside the bounded zone range, this crop still grows as an annual in the warm months (outdoor_seasonal), under cover (greenhouse), or indoors under lights.
Growing systems
Quinoa works in:
- soil bed
Growing media
The substrate the roots sit in. Choice depends on the system (clay pebbles don't fit NFT channels; rockwool isn't used in media beds) and the crop (quinoa works in the media listed below).
| Medium | pH effect | Water retention | Bacterial surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil-based mix (Potting soil) | varies by source | high | high |
Bacterial surface area matters for aquaponics: clay pebbles, lava rock, and pumice double as biofilter substrate. Low-surface media (rockwool, perlite, pea gravel) work in hydroponics but need a separate biofilter in aquaponics.
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights at each growth stage; the nutrient mix calculator scales them to absolute grams or ml. EC targets shift through the plant's life: seedlings need a much lighter solution than fruiting adults.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC target (mS/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seedling | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| vegetative | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 |
| flowering | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.6 |
| fruiting | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 |
Aquaponics suitability
Not recommended for pure aquaponics. Fish waste alone doesn't provide enough of the nutrients this crop demands (typically potassium, calcium, or boron). It can be grown in a hybrid system where the reservoir is supplemented with hydroponic-style nutrients, but expect to dose actively.
Care notes
Not a standard hydroponic crop, but feasible in media beds or large containers for personal use. EC 1.5-2.5 mS/cm. pH 6.0-7.5 (salt-tolerant, handles slightly alkaline conditions). Temperature: 15–25°C (cool-season; heat above 30°C during flowering reduces seed set). Moderate to high light (DLI 14-22 mol/m2/day). Direct seed into media beds. The plants are tall (1–2 m) and may need staking in exposed conditions. From seed to grain harvest: 90-120 days. Harvest when the seed heads dry on the plant and the seeds can be rubbed off easily. Processing after harvest: rub the seed heads to release seeds, winnow to remove chaff, and rinse thoroughly in several changes of water to remove bitter saponins (the water foams; keep rinsing until the foam stops). Dry rinsed seeds completely before storage. Each plant produces 30–60 g of seed. A fascinating crop to grow for educational purposes and personal use, but yields per plant are modest for the space occupied.
Notable varieties
A starting shortlist of cultivars worth knowing about. Not exhaustive: the seed catalogs list hundreds of named varieties. These are the ones home growers commonly choose between.
| Cultivar | Type | Days | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Vanilla | open-pollinated | 105 | Wild Garden Seed (Oregon) selection. Vivid pink-cream variegated seed heads, low-saponin (less rinsing needed), excellent home-garden performer. The variety most US home growers start with. Tolerates a wider temperature range than pure Andean cultivars. |
| Brightest Brilliant Rainbow | open-pollinated | 110 | Multi-color seed strain from Wild Garden Seed, mixed red/orange/pink/yellow/cream heads from one packet. Striking ornamental in addition to grain crop. Performance varies plant-to-plant; useful for someone growing for visual and culinary mix. |
| Cochabamba | open-pollinated | 120 | Bolivian valley type, the traditional white-seeded quinoa most commercial production uses. Low-saponin. Needs the high-altitude / cool-summer conditions that match its Bolivian origin. Less reliable in lowland gardens than Cherry Vanilla. |
| Black Quinoa | open-pollinated | 110 | Specialty selection with black-coated seeds. Holds shape and slightly nuttier flavor than white quinoa once cooked. The seed-color types (red, black) sell at premium and are more common in specialty home plantings. |
Verified against: u-of-saskatchewan, wsu-extension, fao-fisheries-aquaculture, instituto-nacional-de-innovacion-agraria-peru. Last reviewed 2026-05-15.