Growing Lambsquarters aka Wild Spinach - an edible weed

John from www.growingyourgreens.com shares with you his wild-cultivated edible weed.. Lambsquarters aka Wild Spinach. After watching this video you will be better able to identify this popular wild food. You will also learn where you can easily find the seeds for a close relative of this plant.

[@michellegrovak]

Last year I had trouble growing my spinach, but at the same time Lamb's quarters were growing all around my garden and the edge of the yard. I abandoned the spinach and harvested the lamb's quarters all summer long! I steamed it like spinach. Very tasty.

[@christianwalker7895]

A weed is just a plant u don't want growing where it's growing...idk how u dropped off my KZbin but so glad u came back

[@thebandplayedon..6145]

I learned this plant was edible last spring, tried it and really enjoyed munching on this plant everytime I walked by them in the yard. I felt a little energy boots, like immediately body was yelling at me, 'Heeeey! Thanks, we've been missing this in our diet! ' :)

[@JamesSmith-pt8dy]

Hey .. Mr John, and everyone else Moniee-Mon, is listening thanks for the info vedios keep doing what'cha do best God bless ya!.

[@goldierocks.]

Love lamb's quarters! Thanks for the Quinoa tip, I had no idea. I found a tiny LQ in my yard just this week and it's getting a place in my garden along with some quinoa, too. Awesome video!

[@ElizabethRodriguezEly]

I GET THIS PLANT IN A POT THAT I HAD IN MY BACK YARD A YEAR AGO, AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT'S IT CALL IT UNTIL NOW...I DECIDED TO KEEP IT JUST TO SEE THEM GROW...NOW ITS LIKE 2 FEET LONG, AND I'M SO PROUD OF IT... THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH US! :)

[@huasonshine4120]

My Lambs Quarters are not wild weeds :) they are a valuable crop !! Thank you John for another great Video, I appreciate you dude ! I have a brown thumb so Lambs quarter is a perfect crop, you dont need to do anything too it.. It is happiest if you leave it alone :) mine are 7 feet tall !! Just a side note These stems branches would be great for basket weaving (winter project ) :) and chickens love these things

[@UraniumMan]

Also known as "pigweed" around here. (Washington State U.S.A.). I had a bunch of it come up on one side of my garden, and luckily I identified it, and let it grow. I ended up getting a big jar of seeds from it, and cooked up some of the greens. I also grew quinoa for the first time, and they do seem very similar!

[@walterkersting9922]

Could you send me a few?

[@FlashToso]

Tr6 growing indoors in winter!

[@Jefferdaughter]

Also - most videos and plant identification guides focus on mature plants, so it was great to have that clear image of the lambsquarters seedling.

[@Growmap]

They look pretty much the same even when they're only 1-2" tall. Look for them where horses, ducks, chickens or livestock have been kept.

[@Nubster12]

Stuff grows like crazy in my yard...I dug a bunch up and moved it to a raised bed and it is doing great.

[@herbalcat]

Thanks for you info! I've got this everywhere on our property! Yay! More greens for my morning green smoothie!

[@HHacker1959]

John, GREAT Video! I never realized there were so many things to eat in the wild....I'm learning more every day and I'm looking forward to watching your other clips.

[@LoveLightSalsa]

I have the magenta variety all over the yard where we cleared the land to put in a garden. Wow, found out theses were wild foraged by my husband when he was a child in Mexico. Apparently popular there.

[@patricedeavila4771]

Holy jamoly, this is 11 years old, and you look younger in 2021 than in this video!! You're a living testiment to what you preach and eat!

[@tiferet777]

The coating on the seeds may be the same thing that coats quinoa seeds, which are saponins. You can probably just treat these seeds the same as any unwashed quinoa seeds, which taste bitter if this is not done. I would only bother with this if i had an abundance of these chenopodium, which can be harvested like quinoa. They are both in the amaranth family though their genus is chenopodium. Spinach is also in the amaranth family, but its genus is spinacia, thus spinacia oleracea. i haven't tried the seed of lambsquarters, but the greens are delicious!

[@ChristopherJones16]

Can the greens be eaten raw is what I'd like to know because I would throw away lettuce on all my sandwiches and just use LQ as its substitute

[@outofworkbum]

just weeded a bunch of this yesterday and fed them to my rabbits. I have loads of them and did'nt know they were edible so I will definately try them tomorrow. thanks

[@joselavoy8591]

I'm starting to see this everywhere I go...and in Michigan I love it!...haven't tried it but I feel like I can find it no problem! ty again!

[@brianwilliams8540]

Thanks for video! we are planting a Magenta Lamb's Quarter starter right now! Got it at The Natural Gardener Organic Nursery in Austin TX.

[@ChristopherJones16]

you still growing them? How are you using them? Im looking for more ideas.

[@nickkaz98]

awesome video, thanks, just learned what lambsquarters are. tried a leaf, liked it.lol so im not gonna pull this weed, instead im waiting for it to go to seed, then i will collect them. ill plant them in buckets next year. in place of spinach i now grow. bugs like spinach, seems lambsquarters arent as bothered by them.thanks again

[@MsBestsunshine]

Awesome I have some growing in my tomato plants and in my Aloe verde plants !I was wondering if it was edible? Wow now I know I can eat them in smoothies salad, cook them like spinach even put in my other recipes! Wonderful awesome tip that the Seeds arennot tasty ! I was wondering about them and will now Pinch seeds off with my fingers so I can promote larger leaf 🍃 growth ! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and posting this informative video! A fan

[@walterkersting9922]

It’s been about 20 years since my mom made me wild spinach and yesterday I found some in my yard and boil it up for dinner, and it was a treat.

[@mayawenger1794]

Have you tried rinsing the lambs quarters seeds before cooking or sprouting them? That is what takes the off-flavor away from the Quinoa. Put the seeds in a sieve and rub them around under running water for a minute or so, then go on with your preparation.

[@kwickline47]

I just used lambsquarters today for my green smoothie. I am going to saute some this evening with onions and mushrooms as I am not a raw foodist. I do love those who have the dedication and tenacity to be a raw foodie though.

[@violettracey]

Thanks! And the health food store tip is great!

[@Themurphyshow7]

I love lambsquarter! Most people I tell about it are scared to try it because it's a weed, LoL. I've heard people say it's bitter but I don't find it to be so

[@MarlenevT]

Lambs quarter grows prolifically all over the yard. I tried some this year. It was okay but I still prefer spinach. I am considering drying it and turning it into a green powder. to ad to meals and smoothies... It is very nutritional.

[@BrianVandrian]

Thanks for telling me it was an annual. I was curious about that. These things grow everywhere here. Kind of funny all I have to do is remove the grass and I have lambsquarters and chickweed all over the place.

[@chipwright6193]

Interesting, good information, I have some random plants growing on my property and love the taste of them. I was thinking of growing more of them for food. I guess I'll have to find some plants and watch for them to go to seed.

[@Andreath3d]

I just had some magenta goosefoot and cooked it, it's better like you said as a salad. Thank you great video! ☺️

[@MrBurtley]

Thanks for the quinoa tip didn't know about that one. I'm in Canada so as a green I"m probably okay but I don't think our growing season would be long enough for it to go to seed.

[@RonnieMinh]

Hey John, great video. The tree collard you gave us is doing great, even in the intense heat that we are experiencing.

[@UraniumMan]

I'm in SW Washington State, and I have already harvested Lambsquarter seed that came up on its own. I also have quinoa doing nicely and going to seed. You should give it a try! Even if you can't get seed from it, the greens are quite good. For both plants. ( Similar taste. )

[@t.richocereus3577]

I have these EVERYWHERE in my yard. They're extremely abundant, extremely hard to kill, and grow like crazy. I don't mind them at all. They taste great and they restore nutrients to poor soil, kinda like Comfrey. I do believe the seeds are poisonous, so you probably shouldn't eat them lol. Overall, a great plant for fast food.

[@lieblee3063]

Wow thanks that was sooo helpful I sure appreciate it!!!! Love your video

[@jayanthivittal2428]

Interesting. Never knew we could grow it.

[@tonyacook7614]

Thanks for sharing in your wealth of knowledge 🤗

[@TheresaLawrence-wx4mq]

I just dried a quart of lambsquarters for part of a green powder mix for juice or smoothies, yay .

[@Jefferdaughter]

gyg - the seeds are edible, but must be soaked overnight and then rinsed to remove the soapy coating. For those who want to raise lambsquarters, throughout pretty much all of its natural range, if your soil is right, they will appear in any partly sunny area - if they are allowed to. Neat tip about the quinoa (sp?).

[@ChristopherJones16]

Do you know if the seeds can be used for Microgreens?

[@Food4Health1Spirit]

@PhotoNika I've read that cacao and chocolate contain oxalic acid as well. That may be one of the reasons why I didn't feel well after eating it every day after every meal for a while.

[@n3utr0dina]

@PhotoNika I agree, if you eat it everyday it would be wise to rotate your greens such as for an example lambsquarter 1st day, kale 2nd, spinach 3rd ... you get the idea. :)

[@outofworkbum]

@peaceandveggies I was told when I was younger that if a deer or rabbit will eat something it would be safe for humans....but then I realized that they can also eat poison ivy, so I guess that was bad info...haha. now I go by the rule: if Green Deane tells me it's ok I'll eat it but until then I hold off. Green Deane has a youtube page called eattheweeds, do a search for him he's great.

[@drifterted]

Purslane is delicious like eating a green apple!!!

[@PatriciaStratton-zz8hl]

Nice infomation

[@dancelessonsorlando7231]

John, you are a genius! Thank you so much for the tip about growing keenwah! Awesome!

[@charlesroberts6490]

It’s quine

[@charlesroberts6490]

Quinoa is the correct spelling for keenwah

[@ej9404]

Very good video and information. Thank you so much.

[@2008Raw2008]

@2008Raw2008 the white powdery stuff is calcium, and good for you!

[@riverrat2993]

i can up a bunch at the end of the year.just can like for greens. works great.

[@ej9404]

Great video . I subscribed to your channel. Good information and I am eating those edible weeds. They taste great. Thank you

[@mickeys1010]

I think lambs quarters is also a bandaid on the earth, hence disturbed soil. I saw a film about goats for hire, where people hire herds of goats to environment balance for crops and erosion, the woman is very educated. Nettles too are a form of bandage for wounds or disturbed soil, the weeds die and eventually reestablish the natural earth

[@eveny119]

Really interesting, I was wondering about grains(quinoa )as well as other items in our local health food store. And what else would grow? sweet potatoes, raw peanuts, all the different legumes? - cheaper than buying seeds.*** You should do a whole show about what will grow (or sprout) from the store. If you did already , could someone tell me where to find it. Thx

[@gotmama2]

I looked all around my neighborhood, and I couldn't find any (there is a wild plant related to poinsettias here that looks very similar and is poisonous though). Finally today I found some on the edge of the woods at a park that I frequent with my daughter. There weren't many, and they were only about six inches high, so I just pulled one plant, wrapped the roots in wet napkins and brought it home. It's in a pot under my grow light until I decide where I want to put it. Hope it survives!

[@karenowens8287]

Try to find one going to seed. The tiny black seeds can be spread in soil where you want them to grow. And they will come up next spring.

[@gladmama]

Good stuff, I had to buy these seeds on eBay.

[@walterkersting9922]

It would be nice to obtain some seeds. But I doubt it’s a sort of thing that could catch on commercially because it’s a sort of thing that you pick and you’re cook immediately and it’s only good for a certain period time to harvest.

[@mootube1234]

Great video. Thanks a bunch.

[@Goldmine810]

I'm later than ever but it would be you with this video awesome didn't you used to sell juicers as well

[@samuelmason8598]

great vid, great info, presented very well - thumbs up :D

[@rozannaeastland1247]

Hey John....are the seeds kinda like quinoa....with quinoa you have to rinse the seeds before eating because they have a bitter coating on them....I heard the quinoa that you buy in the store are prewashed....

[@gphx]

Lamb's quarters is more delicious, more nutritious, and easier than anything people plant in its place after they unknowingly rip it out. I gathered seed because it's so much easier to grow things that naturally want to be there.

[@munchkindoodles]

Last year was so hot in north Texas that my lambs quarters were the only thing that grew well.

[@unionse7en]

Lambs quarters: Are the seeds that form early, already viable. So if chopped and dropped the the "green" seeds would still germinate.... OR do the seeds have to reach a certain stage on the plant before they are viable to germinate? ( I have too many of these plants in some areas of my land)

[@walterkersting9922]

Put ‘‘em in a pot with a little water and salt, cooked for like three minutes throw a few onion flakes in there and a little milk.

[@crosspecans]

great info. im looking for greens to grow and sell at the farmers mkt here in dallas. thanks

[@4007fairview]

Thank you John ~ I've learned so much from you and your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. Debbie *Ü* p.s. I'd like to send you a picture of our garden - is there a way to do that?

[@theconsciousmovement9669]

finally, a short video

[@contrawise]

If you have ever passed a "calcium oxalate" kidney stone, this is not something to be eaten in large quantity. Like spinach and rhubarb, the leaves and stems are loaded with oxalate. But unlike spinach and rhubarb, lambs quarters will not be on your "prohibited foods" list. Too bad - because they are all yummy.

[@ChristopherJones16]

you mean will be on your prohibited foods list

[@RisenFromDarkness_1880]

Best in moderation as with all things.

[@marklovesmilomassage]

I love your channel!!!!

[@Humblegarden]

@n3utr0dina no that would be the same as eating lambs quarter every day or spinach every day or kale every day (each has high oxalic acid) do not eat an oxalic acid containing green every day, give your kidneys and liver a break and eat lettuces or break from greens and fill up on squash etc. Drink abundant water too, flush flush flush for kidney health

[@JamesMcCutcheon]

Really a weed is only something that people decide they don't want in their gardens or mainly expensive Yards sodded etc. anything but the grass is a weed even if it was a cultivar like a tomato or carrots.. etc.

[@Humblegarden]

@PhotoNika Dont forget that lambs quarter, being in the spinach family, has oxalic acid so eat it raw in moderation. If you have compromised kidneys do not eat this raw, period. If you cook it then the oxalic acid is destroyed mostly.

[@FlashToso]

You didn't mention harvesting lambsquarter, amaranth, purslane etcr, leaves en masse to dry & add its nutrients to soups, drinks or use seeds for microgreens, sprouts, baby greens to grow indoors in winter or to save on groceries bill!

[@joyces2222]

Still a weed, but cultivated by farmers in other countries. Think Mexico cultivates them for market. They do taste good.

[@2008Raw2008]

actually, the farmers here in So. Oregon are selling these, thanks to Victoria Boutenko and her green smoothie aficionados. Also, dandelion greens, haven't seen purslane at the market, but I don't like that.

[@BrightLightSite]

I got some organic magentaspreen seeds from Bountiful Gardens. Gonna plant those puppies soon. :o)

[@growingyourgreens]

I wish I was that much of an expert to know. One day. I know the common ones in my area. Get a wild edible weed book or go on a weed walk in your area

[@alp9578]

Have you ever seen a translucent white spot disease(or insects larvae?) on the wild plants? The spot has some black on the inside too.... I thought it was bird poop at first LOL but sadly it is traversing over the whole garden, only the lambs quarter.

[@josephdupont]

How do you grow quinoa at Sprouts

[@loveus1231]

help, I ordered and planted lambquarters seeds and can't seem to get them to grow any taller than 3 inches before they wimp out an die. I've tried them in direct sun and in spotted shade, plenty of water and less water. It doesn't seem to matter what I do. What is up with lambsquarters??

[@ignore_the_hype8709]

Hey john, have you ever grown Orach which is in the same family?

[@s1r3n1971]

Aren't lambsquarter high in oxalates?

[@agent8082]

I think you can get seeds from Mountain Rose

[@ramonalisa]

so how long does it take for quinoa to grow to be a 5 foot plant?

[@11bayrat]

Hey I'm growing this for the 1st time and the tops of the plant s are pink is this going to be better?

[@Humblegarden]

@Food4Health1Spirit perhaps - its boring I know but there is only one way, the middle way, moderation in all things! We are omnivores so we have evolved to work best when exposed to a wide variety of nutritional resources.

[@Healinlight]

I bought seeds and having trouble growing them in a tray..what am I doing wrong..the instructions said put in a row and throwing a thin coat of soil on them and water them. I did but only getting small little stems with two small green leafs and not growing further. any help would be appreciated. The purslane seeds also having trouble with them. thanks so much loved your video keep it up..I truly feel the future with the gmos etc we need to have this info. love and light elizabeth

[@Raxog234]

It's a shame you're having trouble starting from seed, but without knowing more about your situation, it's gonna be hard to help. Get small plants from a nursery or a seed/plant exchange site like Dave's Garden. I planted some purslane several years ago and cannot eradicate it from my property! consider yourself lucky...

[@Jefferdaughter]

+Mason Deane - Too much purslane is just not possible at our house. It's one of the family's fav vegetables. Purslane is a great living mulch aka ground cover, and does not out compete the plants we grow.

[@SatansShockTroop]

try getting pine needles and put a coating of them just under or over the seeds. let me know how it works. They grow pretty good wild under my evergreen. I think they might like partial shade. they also seem to love growing in the pine needles.

[@gyrate4]

I prefer it to spinach! It's just so mild!

[@kimjones2056]

Where was the information on growing it

[@Lifesuccessbyaccident]

It tastes very much like spinach. It is actually a spinach plant that was originally introduced by immigrants to the US in the 1800's.

[@ChristopherJones16]

Do you eat it raw? Like can I substitute this for lettuce on an italian hoagie/sub/hero ?

[@doloinc]

I can't find the seeds and not sure if this grows / is sold in Hawaii. Know where I might be able to find it online, John?

[@shirleymeade5202]

If you get a truck load of manure pile some up by your garden and you will have lambs quarters

[@redsky7238]

Do you have to worry about oxalates in this plant like regular spinach?

[@elHippieSupremo]

+Red Sky Oxalates have a bitter flavor. If it tastes too bitter: don't eat it.

[@Rachna888]

HOW DOES IT TASTE

[@someguy2135]

AKA Pigweed, according to Euell Gibbons.

[@charlesroberts6490]

Looks like a Christmas tree air freshener

[@sethzky77]

I called the poison control center and asked them about lambsquarter, they said it was poisonous.

[@gotmama2]

They probably say that for anything they are not familiar with, to be on the safe side... in this case, they are very much mistaken.

[@mysciencenow]

i used to grow that i didnt know what it was

[@Humblegarden]

we feed these to our chickens = delicious eggs!

[@riverrat2993]

use the roots like hand soap

[@ChristopherJones16]

can you elaborate on that a little?

[@Gator-fromOZ]

Your Camera person needs to allow the camera to FOCUS when you zoom in so we can see a clear picture… HE / SHE is zooming in and moving around but not giving the camera to focus😊…

[@MrHollywoodCoe]

Do you grow weed ?

[@bre823]

If you are referring to Cannabis sativa then no. John doesn't smoke or eat pot, but has expressed his want for it to legal before. I have watched many of his videos, and he supports people who do, because of its amazing properties, but it's not his thing.

[@MrHollywoodCoe]

bre rose thats cool thanks