How to Grow Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) USA

By the SoilCommander Editorial Team, under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder · · How we check our facts

On this page
  1. Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) (Valerianella locusta)
  2. At a Glance
  3. Quick Facts
  4. Soil & Growing Conditions
  5. Growth Stages
  6. Harvest & Storage
  7. Diseases
  8. Pests
  9. Plan your Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) planting
  10. Growing Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) in another region
  11. Sources
  12. Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

The short answer

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

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

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.

7 sources cited · Verified

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.
“(MHNT) Valerianella locusta - inflorescences and Leaf” by Didier Descouens is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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.
“Valerianella locusta 2019-03-24 7755” by Salicyna is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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.
“20250410Valerianella locusta5” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0.

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.
“20170411Valerianella locusta3” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0.
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.
“Valerianella locusta 2019-03-24 7751” by Salicyna is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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.
“20250410Valerianella locusta5” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0.
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.
“20250410Valerianella locusta5” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0.

Aphididae (various spp.)

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

Plan your Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) planting

When to sow and plant Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) depends on your own frost dates. Check the USA vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Corn Salad (Lamb's Lettuce) in another region

Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Sources

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 7 sources behind this guide (American Phytopathological Society (Plant Disease), Harvest to Table, Royal Horticultural Society and others) is in the references of our UK guide to corn salad (lamb's lettuce); they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

What soil pH does 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.

Get the USA Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Written for US growing conditions

SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against USDA hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with Cooperative Extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

Vegetable Growing Guides USA

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Last verified 2026-08-30

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