Corn salad / Mâche seeds
This frost-tolerant and mildew-resistant French gourmet heirloom is a surprising treat if you have never tried it before. French corn salad goes by a lot of names, but more than likely on fancy-schmancy menus or packaged products, it has appeared as Vit or mâche. This hardy green is extremely frost tolerant. If you sow the seeds in winter, these will be one of the first things you see sprout up. You can even grow these throughout the winter as they can withstand temperatures as low as 5º (F)!
Corn salad is a great green for salads or as a substitute for spinach. They're beautiful in that they grow and sprout up as rosettes, with the leaves being long and flat and spoon-shaped on the end. They resemble tiny flat baby bok choy in a way. If you don't harvest all of these, they will bolt and reseed and you will have more the next year with 0 effort. We planted ours 3 years ago and it comes back each year.
The leaves are slightly succulent, and the flavor is earthy, it's not your typical lettuce or spinach-type flavor, it's unique. It's used in a lot of French cuisines and is popular in European countries. Corn salad can be grown in the shade and does well in raised beds, containers, and even planter or window boxes. They are also not picky on soil and are very low maintenance.
Seed count: 200
Botanic name:
Valerianella locusta
Plant spacing:
Plant in rows that are 12 inches apart then thin down to allow individual rosettes to mature.
Color:
Light to dark green
Sowing depth:
1/4 inch deep
Sun requirements:
Full sun
Utilization:
This stuff is delicious! Eat raw salads, mixed into stuffings, sauteed with other veggies, or blended into smoothies.
Frost hardy:
Yes
Maturity days:
45 - 50 days
Life cycle:
Annual
Can I start indoors:
Yes
Container friendly:
Yes
Other names:
Mâche, lamb's lettuce
Vine Habit:
