Lamb's lettuce

Valerianella locusta

This small salad stands the cold and gives mild leaves in autumn, winter and early spring, when little else is fresh. It grows slowly and stays low, so keep the bed weeded. The seed won't come up in warm soil. That's why most sowing is done in late summer and early autumn.

Looking after it

Water: Lamb's lettuce needs normal watering. Water it regularly in dry weather, because uneven moisture makes the leaves tough. Outdoors in winter it rarely needs watering. Feeding: It needs very little feeding. Any reasonable soil will do without extra feed, especially after a summer crop that was well fed.

Harvest and keeping

Cut whole plants at the base. Or pick a few outer leaves from each plant and new ones grow from the centre. Keep picking through winter in mild spells. Under a cloche or fleece it keeps growing for longer. The leaves keep 5 to 7 days in the fridge. Wash them just before you use them.

What can go wrong

Slugs and snails. They eat the low plants, mostly in damp weather. Pick them off at dusk. Keep the bed free of weeds, because that's where they hide.
Aphids. Small green or black insects sit on the young leaves, which curl and weaken. Rub them off or wash them away with a strong jet of water.
Seeds not coming up. Nothing comes up, because above about 21 °C the seed just rests and waits. Sow again when the weather cools. Keep the soil moist until the seedlings appear.

Growing facts: RHS, UC ANR and seed-company sowing guides. Lamb's lettuce care: RHS and Utah State University extension. pH and keeping: Utah State University extension.