One surefire way to start a healthy debate amongst gardeners is to bring up the botanical vs. common names debate. My husband and I came up against this issue once again a few weeks ago when we were placing an order for our fall and winter garden. We always plant mache, but we were out of seed and wanted to add it to our order. To our surprise, there was no "mache" listed on the site. We tried "corn salad," which is another name for what we call mache. Eventually we came across what we wanted.... listed as "vit."
It's also known as "lamb's lettuce," "field salad," and, possibly my favorite, "Rapunzel."
This is when knowing the botanical name comes in handy. All of the above common names refer to the salad green botanically known as Valerianella locusta.
Whether you call it mache, vit, or field salad, this is one of the best greens to grow if you want to garden throughout the winter, even in northern zones. It will thrive under a low tunnel, and even after a touch of frost, will bounce back and survive another day.
Do you grow mache? What other greens do you grow for cold-season gardening?
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