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Corn Salad

Valerianella locusta

INTRODUCTION

Corn salad, mâche or Lamb's lettuce is a useful addition to any salad and has the advantage of being reasonably winter hardy and so can provide a source of salad leaves into the winter.

It resembles lettuce and provides a nutty-tasting and highly nutritious leaf. It is low-calorie and contains good levels of beta-carotene, vitamin C and folic acid.

Soil Preparation

The growing site should be in a sunny position with organic material added well in advance of sowing seed.

The ground should be light, fertile, free-draining but moisture-retentive and stone-free. Heavy clay soils are not ideal.

Some shade is acceptable in the height of summer as corn salad does not appreciate high temperatures.

As an alternative, corn salad can be produced very successfully in containers filled with compost.

Sowing & Planting

Sowing can begin in March or April but summer sowing is best avoided as corn salad does not tolerate extreme heat.

Sowing can begin again in August and continue until September or October for autumn and winter crops.

When sowing outdoors, sow at a depth of 1cm (0.5 inches) with 10-15cm (4-6 inches) between rows.

Sow little and often.

Thin plants out as necessary.

Growing & General Cultivation

Keep well-watered during hot weather, corn salad will not appreciate drought conditions. Mulch the crop to help retain moisture.

Ensure the crop is kept weed-free and take care when hoeing not to damage the developing roots.

If the ground has been previously well-manured, further feeding should not be necessary.

Protect with fleece or cloches during the winter to keep plants productive.

Pests & Diseases

Slugs and Snails can be a problem for young plants - for remedies - see the product directory.

Diseases such as Downy mildew which shows as yellow patches on foliage and affected leaves should be removed. To prevent, ensure good air circulation and low humidity.