Mâche—Corn Salad

Mild tasting with a slightly nutty flavor, mâche makes a pleasant addition to salads. Considered a gourmet green today, this humble plant was harvested centuries ago as a weed growing between rows of grain crops in Europe where it became known as corn salad. Today, some nursery catalogs carry seeds of a few varieties; it is sometimes sold as seedlings for transplanting.

Meeting Mâche

Like many lettuces, mâche is a cool-season crop that tolerates Sonoma County’s winter temperatures.
Also called lamb’s lettuce for its spoon-shaped, lamb’s-tongue-shaped leaves, mâche grows as a small, 3-6 in. rosette with short, delicate stems.
Recognized primarily for its value in salads with a light vinaigrette dressing, mâche may also be added to stir fries and soups.

In the Garden

When purchasing mâche seeds, look for small- or large-size seeds. Small seeds develop into 2-5 in. rosettes considered more flavorful than large-seeded, 4-8 in. varieties. Larger varieties are considered easier to handle and harvest.
Plant in early spring to harvest before weather warms or plant in late summer to harvest in fall and into early winter.
Follow directions on packets when sowing seeds. Plant in sun or part shade in nutrient-rich, well-drained soil in garden beds or in wide containers that accommodate several plants.
Keep soil evenly moist until germination, and then allow it to dry between waterings; mulch with compost or a finely chopped organic material.
Thin after seedlings have 3-4 true leaves, allowing 2-6 in. spacing, depending on expected mature sizes. Ample air circulation is needed to prevent disease.
Expect these small greens to form rosettes in loose bunches that remain close to the ground.
Remove any weeds that appear to prevent competition with shallow mâche roots.
In general, cool-season crops are threatened by fewer insect pests and plant diseases than warm-season crops, but watch for snails and slugs. Hand pick or scatter non-toxic repellant to control. Spray aphids with a strong stream of water to dislodge or see link below.

When to Harvest

When rosettes are filled out, cut close to the ground or slightly beneath the soil to maintain rosette shape, leaving roots undisturbed to replenish organic matter in the soil.
Or pick individual leaves once they reach a desirable size by clipping thin stems with a scissors in a cut-and-come-again approach also used for leaf lettuce.
Store up to 1 week in the refrigerator crisper.
Keep an eye on greens planted in spring as the weather warms. Large-seed varieties are more heat tolerant, but all types bolt, i.e. go to seed, quickly in hot conditions.
Opt to allow bolting for seed formation in lieu of harvesting greens. Mâche self-sows readily.

Additional Information

April 2022