Dear Gardeners,
I saved some seed from Jurgen's generous Mache planting from last winter, and am going to plant it now, for winter harvest. Very delish! Hope they sprout!
So input welcome. I looked up the plant (called mache, corn-salad, lamb's lettuce, and all number of other things in various languages, as it has been grown for winter salads since Roman times!) to find out whether I had to treat the spring seed to sprout in fall, and can't find that information exactly; but my seed has been in a watertight container in the fridge, so I'm hoping the two months of cold in there will help fake out a season of rest for the little seeds.
Let me know if you have ideas on sprouting the fall crop of mache.
I read this morning that it can be an edible "cover-crop" for a fallow bed.
Hmmm....wonder if this is true?
Meanwhile, here are some interesting articles I've gleaned this morning. (below).
Best, Jen
It could be time to plant your Mache
Corn salads — also known as mâches — are unusual salad crops because they are very cold hardy and grow best during the fall and winter. Two features of golden corn salad elevate it above the common mâche now sold in many supermarkets: its intensely nutty flavor and its ornamental possibilities for edible landscaping. The nutty flavor suggests a hint of toasted peanuts or even tahini; some people detect a trace of walnuts or hazelnuts.
If individual plants are placed about 6 inches apart, rather than planting them by broadcasting the seed, you will get nice, large and bushy salad greens of the most succulent texture.
The leaves of golden corn salad are much longer and larger than the common mâche leaves, so when the two are side by side, there is no mistaking one for the other. Because of the greens’ nutty flavor, I recommend using cold-pressed peanut oil or a sesame oil, or even pricey hazelnut oil in any dressing you prepare.
Growing it is fairly simple (especially in Pacific Northwest). The most common method of cultivation is to broadcast the seed on a plot of well-prepared ground in mid-August or early September.
By October, young plants should be well established and able to survive the rigours of winter, which they do very well in temperatures above 5 degrees F. The salad then can be harvested all winter long. Late the following spring, the plants bolt and run to seed, which should be collected because it's difficult to purchase outside of Europe. (please take note and comment if you've found a North American source.)
Collecting your own seed:
After the plants are mature and begin dropping their tiny white seeds, just pull them up and stuff them upside-down into brown paper bags.ate and label the bags and set them aside in a cool, dry place for a month or so — until the plants are brittle. Then shake the seeds loose into the bottom of the bag and put them away in envelopes in a tightly closed jar.
Date your seeds carefully — if you store them in a cool, dark closet, they should remain viable for up to three years. In early spring or fall, you can plant the seeds the same time you would plant spinach; make additional sowings every two to three weeks. Since it is more heat tolerant than common corn salad, the golden corn salad does not bolt as quickly either. Thus it can be planted later in the spring for a harvest of greens well into early summer.
Above from: Mother Earth News on Mache
More articles with photos: Collecting seeds
More Mache information.
