Quinoa · Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
When to plant quinoa in Cairo
Main outdoor window
1 Oct - 15 Nov
A climate estimate. Check your soil, forecast and cultivar.
Timed from temperature
October to April
No frost on record in Cairo, so the months this crop fits in our temperature model set the timing. This does not confirm local suitability.
Ready to pick
19 Jan - 18 Feb
If you plant at the start of the window.
Temperature-based estimate. Cairo has no dependable frost season.
These dates do not account for rain, humidity or waterlogging. Check the local growing season,
especially in monsoon climates, before treating this window as a planting recommendation.
Rainfall check: the wettest month is November (about 17 mm), and the driest is
August (about 0 mm).
Compare all months and check the limitations before choosing the season.
Step by step in Cairo
Download these planting dates (.ics)
Import into Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook. Dates use the selected risk level and are planning estimates, not frost alerts.
Each window is a planning range. Check the forecast, soil and cultivar before planting; a later date is not automatically safer in hot or wet conditions.
Sow direct
1 Oct - 15 Nov
The opening weeks of the stretch when the average temperature suits this crop, which here runs from October to April. There is no frost to work around, so heat is what sets the timing.
Harvest
19 Jan - 18 Feb
Quinoa through the year
Against the monthly temperature record in Cairo
Seasonal context
Rainfall and the growing season in Cairo
November has the highest average precipitation (17 mm); August has the lowest (0 mm). Compare this pattern with the planting windows and your water supply.
During wetter months, check that beds and containers drain after heavy rain. During drier months, plan how you will keep seeds and new transplants watered. Monthly averages can hide long dry spells and intense storms; they do not show soil moisture, humidity or this week's weather.
Frost-free does not mean every month is suitable. In tropical and monsoon climates, rainfall, heat, drainage and the cultivar can set the practical growing season. Match the temperature window to these conditions and check advice from a local grower before buying planting material.
Source: NASA POWER, corrected MERRA-2 precipitation, 2001–2020. Values are approximate monthly totals, including the water equivalent of snow, from the nearest 0.5° × 0.625° grid cell. This reference period differs from the temperature record. Rainfall provides context and does not change the calculated planting dates. Method and limitations.
Monthly growing conditions in Cairo
Compare the planting window with the local temperature pattern. These are historical monthly averages, not this year's forecast or measured soil temperatures. Average frost days do not tell you whether a particular night will freeze.
| Month | Average low | Average high | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C (44.5°F)44.5°F (7°C) | 19.1°C (66.4°F)66.4°F (19.1°C) | 0.0 |
| February | 7.6°C (45.8°F)45.8°F (7.6°C) | 20.9°C (69.6°F)69.6°F (20.9°C) | 0.0 |
| March | 9.7°C (49.4°F)49.4°F (9.7°C) | 24.9°C (76.8°F)76.8°F (24.9°C) | 0.0 |
| April | 12.9°C (55.3°F)55.3°F (12.9°C) | 29.6°C (85.3°F)85.3°F (29.6°C) | 0.0 |
| May | 16.9°C (62.5°F)62.5°F (16.9°C) | 34.2°C (93.6°F)93.6°F (34.2°C) | 0.0 |
| June | 19.8°C (67.6°F)67.6°F (19.8°C) | 37.5°C (99.4°F)99.4°F (37.5°C) | 0.0 |
| July | 21.5°C (70.8°F)70.8°F (21.5°C) | 38.8°C (101.8°F)101.8°F (38.8°C) | 0.0 |
| August | 22°C (71.5°F)71.5°F (22°C) | 38.5°C (101.2°F)101.2°F (38.5°C) | 0.0 |
| September | 20.3°C (68.5°F)68.5°F (20.3°C) | 35.9°C (96.7°F)96.7°F (35.9°C) | 0.0 |
| October | 17.4°C (63.4°F)63.4°F (17.4°C) | 31.2°C (88.1°F)88.1°F (31.2°C) | 0.0 |
| November | 13.3°C (55.9°F)55.9°F (13.3°C) | 25.8°C (78.5°F)78.5°F (25.8°C) | 0.0 |
| December | 9.2°C (48.5°F)48.5°F (9.2°C) | 20.9°C (69.6°F)69.6°F (20.9°C) | 0.0 |
For quinoa, also check drainage, sunlight and cultivar requirements. See the rainfall context above; humidity, irrigation and local pest pressure are not calculated.
Local growing check
Before choosing quinoa for Cairo
- Quinoa varieties differ in day-length response and maturity. Check a cultivar with local grain-production results; warm enough for growth does not prove that seed will mature within the available season.
- November is the wettest month in the rainfall grid, averaging about 17 mm. Check how your own bed drains and plan watering around actual soil moisture; monthly rain totals are not an irrigation schedule.
The temperature and rainfall tables on this page show the underlying climate estimates. How these suitability checks work · Record what happens in your garden.
Before you plant quinoa
Use the calendar to plan ahead, then check the conditions in your own garden.
- Measure the soil at sowing depth. Aim for at least 7°C (44.6°F); the calendar estimates soil warmth from air temperatures and cannot measure your bed.
- In a frost-free climate, check seasonal rainfall, humidity and heat before planting. A month with suitable average temperatures can still be too wet, dry or hot for this crop.
- Use the maturity range on your seed packet when choosing a variety. Cold, short days and transplant stress can make harvest later than the calendar estimate.
Choose quinoa for your day length and harvest conditions
Use sun and drained soil, and label rows clearly: young quinoa can resemble common goosefoot weeds. Maintain establishment moisture and allow enough room for the mature seed heads without crowding neighbouring crops.
Collect heads when seed is mature and beginning to release, then dry and clean the grain. Follow appropriate rinsing and preparation to remove bitter surface saponins. Compare cleaned edible yield with the bulk of harvested heads.
What to record this season
Did the selected variety flower and mature at your latitude, and how much cleaned grain resulted? Add the cultivar, sowing date and conditions to your growing record so you can compare next season.
Further reading: Plants For A Future: Chenopodium quinoa . General crop guidance; local dates on this site are calculated separately. Source checked 19 September 2026 by Safe to Plant; this is not an expert review.
Plants For A Future compiles botanical and cultivation references. This is general species guidance, not a local field trial or evidence that every cultivar will crop in your climate.
How the dates are calculated and their limits · Keep a growing record · Report a local discrepancy
Why these dates
Frost-relative timing needs a dependable seasonal frost date. Cairo has no such date in this record, so this page compares monthly temperatures with the crop's model range instead. Local wet and dry seasons, day length and cultivar requirements still need a separate check.
The model uses a growing-temperature band for quinoa between 7°C (44.6°F)44.6°F (7°C) and 25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C) — and in Cairo that is October to April, 7 months of the year, taken from this location's own monthly averages. The planting window begins near the start of this period. The catalog estimate is 110 to 140 days from planting to maturity under suitable conditions.
Also in Cairo
Other grains to time
Growing quinoa in Cairo
Can I grow quinoa in Cairo?
The calendar estimates a planting window, not a guarantee of success. Quinoa varieties differ in day-length response and maturity. Check a cultivar with local grain-production results; warm enough for growth does not prove that seed will mature within the available season.
When should I plant quinoa in Cairo?
The temperature-based window is 1 Oct - 15 Nov. Cairo has no dependable frost season: October to April have monthly averages inside the model range for quinoa. Check seasonal rainfall, heat and cultivar requirements before planting.
When might quinoa be ready to harvest in Cairo?
The estimated period is 19 Jan - 18 Feb, based on 110 to 140 days from the modeled planting date. Cultivar, planting material and growing conditions can change this interval; check the plant as well as the calendar.
How much frost will quinoa tolerate?
Check the named variety and local forecast before exposing young growth. The catalog cold-damage figure is a reference, not a guarantee: plant age, acclimatisation, wind and the duration of a freeze affect damage.