The quinoa growing experiment

This past spring we decided we were going to attempt to grow some of our own grains in our attempt to become as self sustaining as possible. One of the grains we chose to grow is called QUINOA or the mother of all grains.For ease in explanation here is a pretty good link describing it. It sone of the best grains available and is super high in protein content (20% or there abouts). It also has all your amino acids in it and very little is needed to be a very nutritious grain for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa

My own observations

It was very simple to grow, simply plant and let it go. It withstood both heavy rains as well as dry to drought conditions very well until just before it should have been harvested. The weight on the seed heads did cause it to snap off just before harvest time. I am assuming that part of the breakage was because we planted in rows and it wasnt dense enough to keep it standing .

The plant itself it beautiful, when it is nearing maturity it changes color much like hardwood trees do. There are shades of yellow, reds and oranges in the leaves then they begin to fall off. The quinoa we planted the seed heads were rainbow colored as well making the plants even more pretty.

Plants were ready to harvest here in about 4 months time. I direct seeded just after the last frost and harvested the second or third week of august. I simply went out and cut the stalks off then laid them out to dry or hung them to finish drying. Then I rubbed the seed heads between my hands onto a large sheet. Once this was done i harrowed it in front of a fan to get the chaff and junk from the actual seed. This is a bit tedious and boring... OK it is alot tedious and boring, but a good job for a useless eater. I then let them finish drying and tossed them into a storage container.

The biggest problem i have had wit the quinoa is removing the saponins from the outside of the seeds themselves. The saponins are also what make it a good plant since birds and other animals will not touch the seeds. Removing the saponins is very important before cooking , they can make you very ill or kill you if you ingest too much of them. To remove the outer coating, books will tell you to soak for 12 hours before cooking. I did this and it didnt work . I since have figured out that in order to eat the final product, you need to think about it 3 days in advance of when you plan on eating it and soak them in water for all three days. Change the water out several times a day and mix the grains around in it while doing this. The water may bubble some , much like soap does and it will be a greyish color when you change out the water. When the water runs clear and no more bubbles it should be ready for cooking. A different approach is to soak it for a day or two before cooking, Place it in water boil for one minute, change the water boil another minute and then cook.

It is a rather odd little grain, has a different consistency to it and takes a bit of getting used to . There are a few ways to cook it other than boiling like rice. Some roast it and "pop" it and make something resembling popcorn balls. It has a slightly nutty flavor to it when done this way. It is often seen in vegan and veggie dishes and there are a few cold salads that it can be used in... It can also be sprouted and used as a sprout.

Overall it is not bad to grow, harvest or cook. Its pretty and can be grown in some pretty rotten soil and conditions. As a survival food it would be good to grow in a garden or in a guerrilla fashion. It will reseed itself and grow again the next year. One other thing i did notice was that it will begin to sprout in the field when the seed heads are ready and a big rain comes so it is important to get it out of the weather when it is ready for harvest. I lost a few plants of it this season by not realizing just how easy it goes to reproducing.

 

I've actually got a nice little clump in an 8" pot doing decently with a tendancy to topple when overwet, but it always springs back after drying out. Been in soil since first week of August and are approaching a foot in length. Really just testing germination rate on the seed but cool to see it grow. How tall do they end up getting in the wild? (Also have a small 2'x'8' patch outdoors with some Flax and Buckwheat alongside the Quinoa thou it'll all likely just be a cover crop for spring.)

As far as the Saponins are concerned, I was always told that cold water rinsing two or three times prior to cooking would suffice. Planning on saving my rinse water and seeing how it will do with a few other additives. I read that Yucca root is another Saponin source, Adams needle is also a great source of fibre, reportedly the strongest natural fiber or so I read somwhere. Gathering Sand for my Xeriscape now.

Really looking forward to experimenting with a variety of grains this spring.

So have you tried grinding it into a flour as yet, using it like corn meal perhaps??

http://rareseeds.com/seeds/ <--- Nice Heirloom selection, cool lil' store too.

 

thanks for sharing your experience, dilli
ive read about quinoa and would like to try it next year.
ive read that putting the grains in a blender with a few changes of water will take care of the saponin, might be worth a try.

 

anyone know if the saponin will work as an anti-aphid measure?

 

i hadnt thought about using the saponins as an anti aphid or any other bug deterrent for that matter i may have to try it at some point.

 

if they dissolve oils it should work... apply as you would any other soap to strip aphids of their moisture.

 

Soooo, on a side note here,, In my lil' plot of Zone 6B I've had a gallon planter limping along since August. Last night (11/21) the temps dropped to +18F and are barely in the 40's today. The Quinoa has not wilted in the slightest despite it. I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that it will survive many more of these nights yet, but this stuff is pretty darn cold hardy.

 

I cleared a small field and broadcast egyptian golden wheat,purple wheat,wild red thai rice and purple quinoa just after the last frost mid september.Man does that stuff grow fast.Within 48hours they were fully sprouted just laying on top of the soil.Now the trouble was because it is soo nutritious(especially in sprout form)every bug and vermin for miles took it upon itself to one sprout at a time decimate my young crop.Today there isnt a single plant that I can find in the whole field.Yet the rice and wheat are two feet plus now.Unsure how to plant enough for a decent crop without the labourious task of tilling rows and rows.Especially as I dont believe in putting a spade into the soil much when it comes to gardening as I have had great success using the No-dig method.

 

Dont see why no tilling should prevent you from at least being neat & orderly? Grab some of that neon plastic stipping to use as a guideline. But of course, if you'r not tilling, perhaps focusing on Legumes first might be of some benefit? Guess it depends on your soil really. I've got 50/50 Sand~Clay added to about 50% overall volume of organic matter so not really suited for a wide variety of crops yet. Raking leaves like a madman for "wild mulch" these days.

 

What you mean neat and tidy ...hmmm?Not implying I am messy I hope as before suggesting this kindly check my introduction.You arent talking my language at all when you say things like neon plastic stripping!Im sorry but this is definately Not an Organic method.If you are unaware of No-dig gardening concepts a book I highly reccomend is "The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming: Masanobu Fukuoka".This is an amazing and inspiring book written by Fukuoka(an organic producer from Japan).I cannot explain enough what I felt and learned after this book.A real perspective and life changer.

 

we are or will be using the fukuoka method for some of our plantings this next year.Did you plant anything else other than the grains using this method. I would be interested in hearing how that went if you did.

DJN perhaps try tossing some quinoa in with your seeding next time. It is virtually bug resistant and we had no trouble in the plot where we had it planted with any bugs or birds.

 

I was more referring to how you implied that having rows might have better yeild. Use Jute twine if it suits your taste or grow some Adams Needle and make your own marking twine, I dunno, just a suggestion. Of course you were probably referring to the immediate, short term benefit of tillage.

I do like the fukuoka method in principal but haven't had much hands on with it. Certainly seems the way to go if you have an already fertile soil to work with and also long term potential for revitalizing poor grounds.

http://fukuokafarmingol.info/fover.html

Lots of useful, complimentary methods detailed on the site as well.

:cheers2:

 

Perhaps my quinoa was eaten by vermin and not bugs as within a week all the baby plants had been chewed into nothingness as I said I have not one plant to make up for it.Broadcast approx 10000 seeds to no bleedn avail.Grr

Have planted everything from rock melons to beans to snow peas, swiss chard, native spinach, tomatoes, poppies(for homemade laudenum,good pain meds), Marijuana, Tamarillos, rhubarb, the list goes on and on.All I do is scrape of the grass or handweed in smaller situations and plonk seedlings or seed straight on top followed by thin layer of manure compost and finally straw,.weeks later and all my plants are up and pre mulched with the straw and this layer next year becomes the second layer next promoting healthy nematodes, enzymnes, worms and all manner of benefitial micro organisms.Never once disturbed and living a happy spade free life.

 

oh we are probably going to do the seed balls here.

all that clearing, compost spreading and mulching looks to be to much effort.. j/k

Seed Ball Story



Masanobu Fukuoka Makes Seed Balls


Permaculture Seed Balls "The Fukuoka Method"

actually they just look fun to make and they obviously work..

 

Hey Dj, could just be that the Quinoa sprouts aren't putting off enough natural Saponins to act as a deterrant to the pests? Perhaps try a starter tray, let them reach a semi-mature stage and just move them into your plot, potting medium and all. At least they'll have more of a fighting chance.

I'm having pretty good luck with the stuff I've gathered from under deadwood logs so far as a potting soil, mostly well rotted leaves and wood mixed with a bit of dirt. Works good for my tobacco without any additional fertilizers needed so being that Tobacco is a pretty demanding plant, I'd have to say it's a good indication.

http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Nicotiana-or-Scented-Tobacco/Delaware-Indian-Sacred

Really nice tobacco, no need whatsoever to age or cure it unlike the others I've grown.

One thing I should add I've heard from other Quinoa growers, it does produce alot of volunteer plants in successive seasons, so be prepared to keep it's spread in check. One fellow gardener described it as Lambs Quarters on Steroids once it get's established in an area.

:cheers2:

 

Wow cool!Finally found some gardeners who actually seem worth their salt Hooray!!Thanks for the great advice guys.Am looking into that nicotiana now(seems like you have your soil down which is good) sounds like a good idea,is it the smaller blue fowering plant?I have found the big ones are just to damn harsh even after a decent curing.I have missed the spring now and the ground is in full growth heat so think I will try a combination of purple and standard quinoa next spring.Fingers crossed for me.

 

Two words for ya friend, Terra preta.

http://idigmygarden.com/forums/showthread.php?p=180456#post180456

Just a general discussion thread on it but tons of links to more info. Not quite traditional Fukuoka but I think it would do well to help establish a very healthy soil base to work with in a quasi-organic method (In the sense that a Forest fire is organic)

It seems essentially to be just taking all those long term processes of regrowth and soil development and hastening them up with the introduction of the nessisary microorganisms and an ample supply of sugar on which the fungi & bacteria can thrive.

It seems the big difference being in how when your compost, fertilizers and nutrient sources break down a good percentage of it just leaches away from the roots. However with an abundance of Char on hand for it to be absorbed by like an activated carbon filter, the nutrient saturated char re-releases them over time as it breaks down.

 

I really like the quinoa I buy at the health food store. I just mix it with rice and cook them both together. Also it makes an excellent grain for tabbouleh salad (you just have to cool it before adding the other ingredients). So, quinoa is absolutely in my gardening plans for pretty early this coming spring. Dilligaf, you said the heads fell over maybe 'cause the plants were in rows(?) so maybe it would be better to just plant in a square patch?

 

i would say dense planting would be the way to go with it. i think your going to find the yield to be not worth the space used though. not to mention the labor involved in the preparation,but dont let us discourage you,find out for yourself..

BTW,this is dilli's old man..

 

Yeah, I usually DO have to find out for myself, right ... on the other hand, what 'xactly is the problem with yield? I grew amaranth the past couple of years, and find the WINNOWING part to be really hard to do, without blowing away half your seed. Are you maybe speaking of something like that?