Vegetable · Leafy green
Mâche (Corn Salad)
Valerianella locustaA tiny, mild rosette green — also called corn salad or lamb’s lettuce — famous for shrugging off hard frost and even a light snow cover. It grows so slowly in the cold that a single fall sowing can supply salads for months. The one rule: sow it toward autumn, not high summer — warm soil simply refuses to germinate the seed.
Sow depth
¼ in
Spacing
3 in · rows 6 in
Sun
Full sun or part shade
Germination
10–14 days
Time to harvest
45–60 days
Difficulty
Easy
When to sow mâche (corn salad)
- Sow from about 4 weeks before your last expected frost until around your last expected frost.
- Sow from about 8 weeks before the first expected autumn frost until about 4 weeks before the first expected autumn frost.
Direct sow in late summer or fall — this is its natural season.Sow thinly; seed germinates slowly and poorly once soil is still warm.A light straw mulch protects rosettes through the hardest frosts.
Water sparingly — mâche grows slowly and rarely dries out in cool weather.Weed by hand; the low rosettes are easily smothered by faster growers.Uncover mulched plants on mild winter days to let light reach the leaves.
Cut whole rosettes at the base once leaves reach 2–3 in.Harvest right through winter wherever the ground doesn’t freeze solid.Let a few plants flower in spring to self-seed for next year’s crop.
Companion plants
Mâche’s shallow roots and tiny footprint let it tuck in around slower-growing spring crops without competing for space.
Watch out for
Slugs — Shelter in dense, damp rosettes over winter. Keep beds clear of debris and check covers regularly.Aphids — Occasionally cluster during mild, humid stretches. Rinse off with water or pick off by hand.