Quinoa in bright sunshine

Quinoa plants need a lot of sun, at least six hours of full daily sun exposure. If you want to boost your harvest and improve the quality of the seeds, try giving your quinoa plants eight hours of sun per day. You’ll need to plant according to the sun’s daily patterns if you’ve planted in open land or in raised beds. With containers or pots, you’ll need to move your plants around to optimize the sun exposure. Keep in mind that quinoa loves sun, but not too much heat. If you can find a location that offers your quinoa some shade during the hottest part of the day, that’s ideal.

Quinoa plants require a lot of sun because they transform sunlight into the energy they need to vibrantly grow, bloom, and bear delicious seeds.

Morning sunlight is high-intensity light without the overbearing heat, so this light is best for your quinoa plants if you live in a southern region with an extra-hot climate.

In cooler regions of the north, afternoon sunlight works fine, even though the light intensity is less than morning light. Avoid the noon sunlight completely if you live in a temperate or hot climate zone—you might need to build shade coverings to protect your plants during the hot noon hours.

And it’s perfectly fine to expose your quinoa to morning sunlight, afternoon sunlight, or a combination of both—as long as the plants get enough sunlight, without getting too much.

How do you ensure that your quinoa gets the right amount of sunlight? Do you have tips for getting your quinoa planted in the right spot for proper amounts of sun and shade? Please tell us how you handle sunlight for your quinoa.