How to Grow Corn Salad (Mache) Herb Plants
Annual, Valerianella Locusta
Corn Salad is a hardy, quick growing, gourmet salad green. It has a mild,
nutty flavor with a growing habit similar to buttercrunch lettuce. It is
also called Mache.
Mache has oval, or spoon shaped outer leaves, and a rosette, loosehead center.
Native to Europe where it grows wild, Corn Salad is a very hardy, cool weather
crop. It can be over-wintered in many areas.
While it is classified as an herb, Corn Salad is best known as a gourmet
vegetable green in salads. It is also good steamed or in stir-fry recipes.
Did You Know? In Europe, sheep graze on Corn Salad, where it is often called
Lamb’s Lettuce.
Plant Propagation:
Corn Salad is grown from seeds. For a spring crop, sow seeds as soon as the
ground can be worked. For a Fall crop, sow seeds as the weather begins to
cool in your area.
Make your planting in rows, or broadcast sow in blocks.
To over-winter, even in cold areas, sow seeds in late September to October.
Plants are hardy to 5 degrees, or lower.
For a continuous crop, make smaller plantings every two to three weeks.
Seeds sprout best when the soil temperature is 50-70 degrees.
Space Mache seedlings or thin plants to 4 inches apart, to allow rosette
to fully form.
Days to Germination: 7-14 days
How to Grow Corn Salad Plants:
Corn Salad plants are an easy to grow, cool weather crop. Planting should
be made for spring and fall crops.
They grow best in full sun, but tolerate partial shade.
Plants grow in almost any soils. For best results, the soil should be high
in nitrogen. Add plenty of compost and/or manure prior to planting. Fertilize
every 2-3 weeks, or as needed.
Keep plants well watered.
Plants are very productive. Harvest large, outer leaves as needed. Allow
center rosettes to fully form, prior to harvesting.
Plants are free of insects and disease.
Tip: Harvest plants while young. The plants lose their nutty flavor
as they age.
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