Our quinoa crop is one of our experiments that seem to be successful. We had a good crop in spite of very dry weather. I sowed a main crop of Temuco sold by The Real seed Catalog and a few plants from a bag of organic quinoa from a whole food shop. The Temuco cropped well but produced smaller seeds coated with a yellowy substance that requires the cooking water to be changed a few times to wash it off. The whole food shop seeds produces a better quality of crop of larger seeds without the yellow coating. Needless to say I am saving seed from the white ones to sow next year.
To harvest the crop I first rubbed out the seed heads between my hands to remove the seeds then sieved them through two sieve. The first sieve (made from a sky dish reflector) allowed the seed through and the second a finer sieve retained the seed and let through any dust. A slow process!
A useful tip Chris. I have been thinking of trying to grow some Quinoa next year. If I do, it will be with Quinoa bought from the health food shop rather than the seeds from a seed company. I am sure this will be a cheaper way of buying it.
ReplyDeletePete.
I could give you some of the seed I have saved if you like?
ReplyDeleteYeah, okay, thanks. I'll collect some if they are ready maybe at the next meeting in December. Will the bamboo be ready about then to propagate, too?
ReplyDeletePete.