• Valeriana locusta lamb's lettuce leafy vegetable with tender green rosette leaves growing in a home vegetable garden.
  • Valeriana locusta lamb's lettuce leafy vegetable with tender green rosette leaves growing in a home vegetable garden.
  • Valeriana locusta lamb's lettuce leafy vegetable with tender green rosette leaves growing in a home vegetable garden.
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Eden Valley Seeds

Valeriana Locusta Leaf Vegetable Seeds for Fresh Garden Greens

Valeriana Locusta Leaf Vegetable Seeds for Fresh Garden Greens

$18.89 USD
$18.89 USD
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Key Features

  • Leafy Vegetable: Valeriana locusta is commonly known as lamb's lettuce or corn salad.

  • Leaf Color: Produces tender green leaves with a mild, delicate flavor.

  • Plant Characteristics: A low-growing, cool-season annual leafy vegetable.

  • Garden Uses: Suitable for vegetable beds, raised beds, and suitable containers.

  • Culinary Appeal: Young leaves are commonly enjoyed fresh in salads and mixed greens.

Growing Benefits

  • Enjoy fresh leafy greens picked straight from your home garden.

  • Add mild-flavored leaves to salads, sandwiches, and seasonal meals.

  • Grow a compact vegetable suited to smaller garden spaces.

  • Extend your leafy green harvest into cooler growing weather.

  • Harvest young leaves gradually while allowing plants to continue growing.

Seed Specifications

  • Common Name: Lamb's Lettuce, Corn Salad, Mâche

  • Botanical Name: Valerianella locusta

  • Plant Type: Cool-season annual leafy vegetable

  • Colors: Green leaves; small, pale greenish-white flowers may appear at maturity.

  • Height: Generally low-growing, often around four to twelve inches, depending on conditions.

  • Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade, especially in warmer weather.

  • Soil: Fertile, moisture-retentive, well-draining soil enriched with organic matter.

  • Water: Regular, even moisture; avoid letting the soil dry out completely.

  • Germination Time: Often around seven to fourteen days under suitable cool conditions; actual timing varies.

  • Sowing Depth: Approximately one-quarter inch deep.

  • Spacing: Thin seedlings to about four inches apart, with rows around twelve inches apart.

  • Growing Zones: Generally suited to cool-temperate climates; local conditions determine seasonal success.

  • Flowering/Maturity: Leaves can be harvested while young; flowering often begins as temperatures rise.

  • Uses: Fresh salads, sandwich fillings, mixed greens, and lightly cooked leafy dishes.

Growing Tips

  • Sow during cool weather to encourage tender, flavorful leaves.

  • Keep the soil evenly moist for steady leaf development.

  • Provide partial shade when growing conditions become warmer.

  • Harvest outer leaves or young rosettes before flowering for tender greens.

Seed Storage

Keep seeds in a sealed, clearly labeled container in a cool, dry, dark place. Protect them from humidity and direct sunlight. Avoid storing seeds near heat sources to help maintain their viability.

Unique Facts About the Seeds

  • A leafy green with several names: Lamb's lettuce is also called mâche, corn salad, and field salad.

  • Not related to corn: Its name comes from its association with European grain fields, not a botanical relationship with corn.

  • A cool-season crop: It is traditionally grown for fresh salads during cooler months when many other greens grow less comfortably.

  • Naturally compact growth: Its leaves form low rosettes, making it suitable for small vegetable beds and container.

Growing Instructions

Planting Season

Sow during the cooler part of the growing season. In temperate climates, late summer, autumn, and early spring are common planting periods. In warmer regions, choose the coolest suitable season and protect seedlings from excessive heat.

Sowing the Seeds

Prepare a fine, weed-free seedbed and moisten the soil before sowing. Sow seeds directly into the garden or containers, spacing them evenly to reduce overcrowding.

Sowing Depth and Spacing

Cover seeds with approximately one-quarter inch of fine soil. Once seedlings emerge, thin them to around four inches apart, leaving sufficient room for healthy leaf development.

Sunlight and Soil

Choose a location with full sun during cool weather or partial shade in warmer conditions. Use fertile, well-draining soil that retains enough moisture for consistent growth.

Watering

Water gently after sowing and maintain even soil moisture throughout germination and growth. Avoid waterlogging, which can damage roots and encourage plant problems.

Germination

Seeds commonly germinate within about seven to fourteen days under favorable conditions. Cooler temperatures and suitable moisture support healthy establishment, although germination speed varies.

Transplanting

Direct sowing is generally convenient because lamb's lettuce develops best with minimal root disturbance. If starting seeds in trays, transplant young seedlings carefully while the roots are still small.

Fertilizing

Prepare the bed with mature compost before planting. Use a balanced vegetable fertilizer sparingly if the soil needs additional nutrients, following the product label.

Ongoing Care

Remove weeds, maintain consistent moisture, and thin crowded seedlings to improve airflow. Watch for slugs and snails, especially during damp weather. Harvest leaves regularly before plants begin producing flowering stems.

Harvesting and Maturity

Harvest tender leaves or entire young rosettes when they reach a suitable eating size. Succession sowing at intervals can extend the harvest season. Warm weather may encourage flowering, after which leaf quality can decline.