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How to Grow Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) USA | Fast Sowing-to-Harvest Guide

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How to Grow Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) USA | Fast Sowing-to-Harvest Guide guide thumbnail

Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) (Valerianella locusta)

A corn salad rosette of spoon-shaped leaves seen from above — “Valerianella locusta 2019-03-24 7755” by Salicyna is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

6 sources cited · Verified

The short answer

Ready in
14–21 days
Site
soil pH 6–7
Biggest risk
Corn salad downy mildew

In the UK, corn salad (lamb's lettuce) are ready to harvest 14–21 days after planting.

Corn salad (lamb's lettuce) (Valerianella locusta) — annual/biennial.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.

At a Glance

Corn salad flowers with leaves — “(MHNT) Valerianella locusta - inflorescences and Leaf” by Didier Descouens is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“(MHNT) Valerianella locusta - inflorescences and Leaf” by Didier Descouens is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Valerianella locusta Corn Salad (Lamb's Le… Corn salad downy mildew Aphids DISEASES PESTS

Quick Facts

A corn salad rosette of spoon-shaped leaves seen from above — “Valerianella locusta 2019-03-24 7755” by Salicyna is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Valerianella locusta 2019-03-24 7755” by Salicyna is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6 - 7
Time to harvest 14-21 days
Drainage well-drained
Lifecycle annual/biennial
Edible parts leaves

Soil & Growing Conditions

A flowering corn salad plant — “20250410Valerianella locusta5” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“20250410Valerianella locusta5” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Soil pH range

6 7

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

A cluster of tiny pale blue corn salad flowers — “20170411Valerianella locusta3” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“20170411Valerianella locusta3” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Stage BBCH Notes
Sowing and germination 0 Sow about 0.5cm deep, normally late summer or autumn for a winter crop, or from a few weeks before the last spring frost; germinates in 5-14 days depending on soil temperature (RHS, Harvest to Table).
Thinning and rosette growth 1 Thin to about 10cm apart in rows 30cm apart; low rosette of soft, spoon-shaped leaves develops in sun or semi-shade, any well-drained soil (RHS).
Cut-and-come-again harvest 3 Pick outer leaves first once the rosette is established, leaving the centre to keep growing; protect with cloches in very harsh winter weather (RHS, Harvest to Table).
Bolting and flowering 6 If left uncut, tiny bluish or pinkish flowers appear in flat heads on multi-branched stems as the plant runs to seed (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

A pile of harvested corn salad leaves — “Valerianella locusta 2019-03-24 7751” by Salicyna is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Valerianella locusta 2019-03-24 7751” by Salicyna is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: Pull up alternate plants, then pick larger leaves as needed; best picked before flowering. Hardy into winter if not frozen.

Storage

perishable -- refrigerate promptly, e.g. with a slightly moist paper towel in a breathable bag

Diseases

A flowering corn salad plant — “20250410Valerianella locusta5” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“20250410Valerianella locusta5” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Corn salad downy mildew

Peronospora valerianellae

Peer-reviewed APS Plant Disease report: Peronospora valerianellae confirmed causing downy mildew on commercial corn-salad plantings in California; crop loss 1-15%.

Pests

A flowering corn salad plant — “20250410Valerianella locusta5” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“20250410Valerianella locusta5” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Aphididae (various spp.)

Multiple horticultural sources note corn salad is susceptible to aphids as a generalist pest.

References

  1. country=US

  2. country=UK

  3. country=UK

  4. Directly fetched and verified. RHS explicitly does not recommend pesticide use against aphids; recommends tolerance, manual squashing, and encouraging/purchasing natural predators (ladybirds, hoverflies, lacewings, parasitoid wasps, earwigs) as biological control, especially under glass.

  5. country=US

  6. country=International

6 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do corn salad (lamb's lettuce) take to grow?

Typically 14–21 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.

What soil pH do corn salad (lamb's lettuce) need?

A pH of about 6–7. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect corn salad (lamb's lettuce)?

Our data links 1 disease and 1 pest to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team

US vegetable growing guides · Checked against USDA & Cooperative Extension guidance

Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real US growing conditions, and checked against USDA hardiness and frost-date data and Cooperative Extension growing advice before publication.

Vegetable Growing Guides USA

Last verified 2026-08-30

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