I admit this is a misleading headline, straight up. What has happened is that in a fit of enthusiasm I took some quinoa seeds from a packet in the kitchen and put them in my tiny veg plot. Now 2 weeks later the quinoa seeds have germinated and I have to thin them out. They look very healthy and strong.
I am currently researching how you grow quinoa because of this. I do not know how long the plant takes to flower but some south american websites talk about 3 – 6 months. There may also be special growing conditions and feeding regimes but I do not know what to do precisely. My plot already has a number of crops I have never grown before such as aubergines and cucumbers but quinoa would be a great acheivement.
Its a bit of an adventure but should be fun. If you know anything about growing your own quinoa put a comment on this site in the comment box.
I had some quinoa plants sent to me from Whit Mountain Farms, CO. http://www.frontrangeliving.com/cooking/quinoa.htm
We had them for a photo shoot we were doing featuring our quinoa based vodka, Qino One. Like you, I threw them into my veggie garden about two weeks ago, not expecting anything and what-do-you-know. I went out yesterday and saw a whole line of plants coming up. I am thrilled and hope that they amount to something. For some info and photos of the life cycle of bolivian quinoa see Andean Naturals site: http://www.andeannaturals.com/AN/Quinoa_Album1.html For more on Qino One Vodka see our site: http://www.qino1vodka.com
cheers!