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YUM, Theresa I love this stuff too. It has that great delicate buttery flavor as you said. I never have enough for salads, just a nibble here and there. It is a plant that seems to do just what it wants, and never what I expect. I had it growing in my paths – looking green when nothing else survived, and I transplanted it without any problem to a bed. I would love to have this as a cover plant – that is a great idea. I’ll be trying this come Sept. A whole salad of Mache would be such a treat.
Good morning, Theresa…
Thanks for that. Funny that you should mention mache… it was one of the only interesting selections of greens in the market the other day. I tried salad greens once in window boxes and it and I failed miserably. I am trying again in one of those 4′ diameter x 12″ bags, on my deck. If I manage it and get accustomed to clipping salad greens daily, I have a spot that could become their home in the garden. My question… do you need to rotate these sorts of crops as well?
Thanks,
Virignia
I LIVE IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO. LAST YEAR I GREW ROMAINE LETTUCE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WE REALLY ENJOYED IT. IN THE FALL SOME WERE STILL GROWING SO I PUT A TUNNEL COVER OVER THEM. TO MY AMAZEMENT THEY WERE STILL GROWING IN NOV. IN DEC. I LEFT THE LAST COUPLE JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. WHILE I DIDN’T CROP THEM I TRIED A LEAF NOW AND THEN AND FOUND THEM STILL CRISP AND FLAVOURFUL. WE WERE AWAY FOR CHRISTMAS AND LOST THEM OVER THAT TIME. WE HAD A NUMBER OF DAYS JUST ABOVE “0” F AND LOTS OF FROST DURING THAT TIME. JUST AMAZING! I KNOW IT’S MUCH COLDER THAN USUAL EVERYWHERE BUT I STARTED SOME LETTUCE INDOORS YESTERDAY DESPITE THE 1′ OF SNOW + ALMOST 1″ OF ICE + ANOTHER FOOT OF SNOW ON TOP OF THE ICE I SEE LOOKING OUT AT MY GARDEN. BUT WHO KNOWS?
Using mache as a cover crop sounds so interesting! How much seed do you think it would take to cover a bed 3ft x 10ft or so to make a cover crop of it? Also, I would assume it has a shallow roots so would it be true that other crops could be easily transplanted into it while it’s working as a mulch? Lastly, about what time of year does it go to seed?
Sandra, thanks for the confirmation about the buttery flavor! Bill has the gourmet taste buds, and he says there is a slight hint of nuttiness. I, like you, think it is definitely buttery!
So glad you too are going to try to cover a bet with it. Wouldn’t it be grand to feed everyday, all winter long on mache!
Hi Virginia,
I’ll be interested in knowing how you do with the 4′ x 12″ bags. Are they all plastic; or are they the breathable kind?
Regarding rotation: Nature’s principle behind rotation is diversity. It makes it easier to accomplish rotation when you understand why you are doing it.
I think we all have to make a conscious effort to apply diversity to anything we do in the garden; otherwise, it seems to slip by us.
Think diversity within a family of crops (different varieties of lettuce, tomatoes, cover crops, etc.). Think diversity when planting — the more crops you have growing in a spot the more soil life will like it. The more they like it, the more they’ll help you out with your plants and overall garden.
If you have the entire bed filled with a crop like beans (which takes up the entire bed) just plant a good cover crop after them to give you some diversity. Or – if you have time plant lettuce and radishes after the beans.
Hope that helps Virginia. I plan another post on diversity as soon as I can get to it.
Ray, starting lettuce in spite of the snow and ice still on the ground is a SMART move. We can’t always go by the way things “look”, but rather what we know is coming sooner or later. You’ll be prepared AND you’ll have lettuce.
I’ve found that it will hold well in a flat is the need arises.
Congrats on growing romaine. There are so many delicious varieties of romaine and most all of them have great taste!
Farming Bear, I don’t know how much seed a 3 x 10 foot bed would take. (My mouth is watering as I picture that bed filled with mache.)
I’m going to do a search for seed by the pound or at least by the 1/4 pound.
Bottom line on that is I think you’ll need at least that kind of quantity to cover the space. I’ll know first hand once I do it myself, but by then, you will too. 🙂
Thanks friends for the great comments which really added to the post!
Theresa
Hi Theresa, thank… I do understand crop rotation actually, and I move our various crops around each year. i just know that simpler is better for me, and if I am going to attempt greens in the garden year ’round, it would be simpler if they didn’t need to move around like the tomatoes and cucumbers and such. The bag that I am using is breathable fabric, and I’ve watched the folks at Fifth Season (where I purchased it) for just about every crop. It may be that deck planting will be the way to go for my greens… I have 1100 sf of deck, which is a little excessive, but maybe not so much if I make it productive as well as pretty 🙂 . P.S. I am enjoying your book very much.
Hi Theresa,
The mache I can find is Valerianella locusta and the picture shows a rounded almost crinkle leaf. I wonder what kind yours is. Do you remember where you got your seed? I would love to grow some. It would be wonderful to have access to fresh greens. Thank you for the inspiration.
Toni
Virginia, the bag sounds like a winner! Can hardly wait to learn of your great success with it!
As you know, many market growers who grow various greens for market, take up one crop and replace it with another in the same family or sometimes identical. They add lots of compost to refresh things before planting the next crop.
Still, in the garden, I personally favor as much diversity as possible for the ultimate in soil health. If you decide to eventually plant greens in one place the garden, you could go for different varieties of greens and just make sure lots of new organic material (or organic matter) is added to the soil.
I know you will be successful whatever you decide Virginia. Please keep me updated.
Glad you’re enjoying the book. Thanks for letting me know.
Toni, I think that Valerianella locusta is the Latin name for mache and I think it covers all varieties.
It’s been so long since I planted the original seed, but it seems to me the packet said “mache” and some said “large leaf mache.”
My mache with smallest leaf has more crinkled look to it.
I had gotten it from various sources. Pinetree and Fedco I think.
Theresa
PS. For planted this year I order a packet from Pintree that is labeled Macholong Mache. The information next to it says: This North Holland type is from a prominent Dutch grower so it is definitely the real deal. Compared to the mache in the French section (W141) this one is much larger and more vigorous, also a bit later, ideal for munching with sort of an unusual, memorable flavor.
This is probably one of the varieties I already have.
I just looked up seed in quantity. First thing I came to was Johnny’s. They identify it by the Latin name and call it VIT. The picture looks identical to one of the varieties I have. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6040-vit.aspx
Thought this would be helpful and of interest to all. Just got an email from Jack in New Jersey. He sent me a picture of what looks exactly like my mache — except it appears to be a bit further along — like it’s going to stalk. Other than that, it looks just like mine.
He didn’t plant it, but has 15 to 20 clumps in the garden. He thinks the seed may have been mixed with turnips that he planted. That definitely could be, because they probably go to seed at the same time, so they could have been in the field with the turnips being grown for seed.
Bottom line – be on the look out. You may have them too.
I’ve post Jack’s picture above, at the end of the post so you can see.
Theresa
Theresa, if you get a chance in your busy life, would you look on Territorial Seeds website and in the search box type “vit” so I can be assured that is the same thing you all are growing.
Thank you,
Toni
That’s it Toni – at least one variety. http://www.territorialseed.com/category/s?keyword=vit
Theresa
You’ve written two articles in which you mentioned mache or corn salad. In many parts of Europe it is the chief winter ingredient for making a salad, and France is a major exporter to all of northern Europe. Many gardeners also use it as a cover crop because it can be sown fairly late in the Fall. I always let several plants go to seed in various sections of my garden. Interestingly, it is mentioned in one of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. The Swiss call it Nüssli (nut) and other regions (mouse ears). In France you can purchase some 20 varieties, including two organic kinds of seed. The Dutch have developed a broad leaf variety to be harvested in the late fall up to Christmas. “Mache” is the French name, by the way.
Thanks Millard.
I knew that it was native to Europe and in places grows wild there. I was very pleased to learn from your posting that it is used as a cover crop.
Thanks for taking time to put this up.
Do you by chance happen to know which of the Grimm’s fairy tales it was mentioned in and by what name? Just curious.
Thanks Millard.
Theresa