Chenopodium album
vegetableLamb's quarter (Chenopodium album), also called wild spinach or fat-hen, is a fast-growing annual and one of the most nutritious leafy greens in the world - a close cousin of both spinach and quinoa. Its soft, diamond-shaped, gray-green leaves, often dusted with a mealy white bloom on the undersides and growing tips, cook down like a richer, milder spinach, and the abundant tiny seeds can be cooked like its relative quinoa. Usually pulled as a weed, it is well worth growing or simply letting stand: it thrives in any decent soil through the heat of summer, when spinach has long since bolted.
Sun
full sun
Water
Every 6 days
Harvest
~50 days
Difficulty
easy
Lifecycle
annual
One season, then done
Spacing
8-12 in. apart
Planting Depth
Surface to barely covered
Soil pH
6.0-7.5
Soil Type
Rich, well-draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3 – 11
Grown as an annual — this range is its winter hardiness, but you can grow it for a single season in any zone.
When to Fertilize
Spring; compost
Fertilizer
Compost; moderate needs
Lamb's quarter practically grows itself in rich, well-drained soil in full sun. Surface-sow or barely cover seed after the last frost and thin to about 8 to 12 in. apart for full leafy plants, or grow it densely and cut as a baby green. Keep moist for the most tender, lush leaves. Unlike spinach it loves summer heat and keeps producing greens when other crops bolt. It self-sows prolifically from its huge seed set, so cut plants before they seed if you do not want it everywhere; pinch the growing tips to keep tender new leaves coming.
Direct sow
Apr 22
Projected first harvest
Jun 11
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
As a spinach relative it gets the same leaf miners - remove mined leaves and use row cover on a tended crop
Hose off colonies from the tips; predators follow outdoors
Pepper the leaves with small holes - cover young plants and keep them growing fast
Pick the tender top few inches and young leaves through the summer, harvesting often to keep new growth coming; young leaves and shoots are the best part, as older lower leaves toughen. Cook the leaves like spinach for soups, sautes, and fillings. For seed, let plants mature and dry, then rub out and winnow the tiny seeds to cook like quinoa.
Lamb's quarter is nutritionally outstanding - higher in protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C than cultivated spinach - eaten as a cooked green much like spinach, mild and rich. The tiny seeds are a quinoa-like grain that can be cooked or ground. As with spinach it contains oxalates, so it is enjoyed cooked and as part of a varied diet. It thrives in summer heat when spinach cannot.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.