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Corn Salad
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:14 pm
by melliff
Anyone have any tips for growing Corn Salad AKA Lamb's Lettuce. I tried growing some last year in the open ground but it is so low growing that it was easily attacked by pests and the plants never look very healthy. This year I tried it in big pots but it's not much better. It seems to be a staple in restaurant salads so I wonder how it is grown commercially?
Martin.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:41 pm
by Colin_M
I tried for several years, sowing in the Spring and getting useless results.
I then realised that for the variety I had, and Autumn sowing worked best (as it does for things like Mizuna). Last year it grew so well that it self-seeded and has taken over one border.
Which have you been trying? Finally, I believe there may be more than one variety, which may have some bearing on the best approach.
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:59 pm
by mandylew
what variety is yours please Colin, as i would like to try some it is the only salad green my fussy daughter will eat, i think due to the name partly 'lambs' lettuce and the cute rosette shaped florets.
Mandy
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:52 pm
by Colin_M
mandylew wrote:what variety is yours please Colin, as i would like to try some
Not sure the variety. Would you like me to send you some seeds anyway?
mandylew wrote: it is the only salad green my fussy daughter will eat, i think due to the name partly 'lambs' lettuce
She obviously isn't a vegan then!!!!
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:08 pm
by mandylew
yes please have pm'd you
mandy
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:50 pm
by Primrose
I've grown it several times but find it always seems to do best when I sow it in pots around August. It will then grow through the winter months in a sheltered location but I can never grow enough of it to ensure a regular supply.
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:25 pm
by Colin_M
Primrose wrote:I can never grow enough of it to ensure a regular supply.
It's definitely an unpredictable plant.
However we got a patch going a year or so ago and it now self-seeds without any help. This leads to a big crop in the Spring, but I find that it will switch to flowering at the slightest hint of the soil drying out. Believe it or not, that was a problem here this spring.
As A result, I find it hard to get as big lush bunches of leaves as I find in the shops (usually French grown). However it still does well for us and I prefer it and Mizuna to standard lettuce leaves.