Herb Specifications
- Season: Annual
- USDA Zones: 5 - 10
- Height: 12 inches
- Bloom Season: Early spring to early fall
- Bloom Color: White
- Environment: Full sun to partial shade
- Soil Type: Fairly rich, light, loamy soil
Planting Directions
- Temperature: 55 - 65F
- Average Germ Time: 7 - 14 days
- Light Required: No
- Depth: 1/4 - 1/2 inch
- Sowing Rate: 35 to 50 seeds per foot in rows 12 inches apart
- Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
- Plant Spacing: 3 - 6 inches in rows 12 inches apart
Corn Salad (Valerianella Locusta) - Corn Salad was often found growing in grain fields of Europe and was rather weedy. It now has improved cultivars and is grown throughout Europe and North America for an early spring nutritious herb. Corn Salad grows from a basal rosette of rounded, spoon-shaped leaves. The succulent leaves that can be 6 inches long have a nutty, sweet flavor that is excellent in tossed green salads. Corn Salad is a nutritious addition to grow in the herb garden with leaves that provide vitamins and minerals, especially iron.
Corn Salad herb plants are easy to grow and require little care. It is a cool season annual, and it bolts once temperatures are above 80F. Corn Salad plants can tolerate frost and they can winter over especially if given some mulch for protection.
For warmer climates, it is recommended to start the Corn Salad herb seed directly outdoors in early fall. The plants will put on some growth throughout the fall, but when the spring comes it will be bountiful and will be an early source for fresh greens. For cold climates, start the Corn Salad seed outdoors as soon as the soil can be worked in late winter or early spring. Plant the herb seed in soil that is rich in organic matter.
