Mâche
Valerianella locusta
Also known as: Lamb's lettuce, Corn salad, Field salad, Feldsalat, Doucette
Quick facts
- Category
- leafy greens
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Days to harvest
- 50 to 80 days
- Harvest type
- single harvest then replant
- Spacing
- 12 cm between plants
Environment
- Temperature
- 2–18°C
- pH
- 6 to 7
- EC (hydroponic)
- 1 to 1.6 mS/cm
- Daily light
- 10 to 15 mol/m²/day
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 3 to 8 (winter low around -40°C or warmer)
- Frost tolerance
- very hardy (survives deep cold)
- Season
- cool (spring and fall crops)
Viable growing environments:
- outdoor year-round (in zone)
- outdoor in growing season (annual)
- unheated greenhouse / hoop house
- heated greenhouse
- indoor (heated home)
- indoor hydroponics under grow lights
USDA zone bounds reflect outdoor year-round survival. Anywhere outside the bounded zone range, this crop still grows as an annual in the warm months (outdoor_seasonal), under cover (greenhouse), or indoors under lights.
Growing systems
Mâche works in:
- deep water culture (rafts)
- NFT channels
- media bed (ebb and flow)
- wicking bed
- soil bed
Growing media
The substrate the roots sit in. Choice depends on the system (clay pebbles don't fit NFT channels; rockwool isn't used in media beds) and the crop (mâche works in the media listed below).
| Medium | pH effect | Water retention | Bacterial surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwool (Mineral wool) | alkaline until pre-soaked | very high | low |
| Expanded clay pebbles (LECA) | neutral / inert | low | high |
| Coco coir (Coconut coir) | slightly acidic | high | moderate |
| Net pot, no medium (Bare-root) | - | - | - |
| Soil-based mix (Potting soil) | varies by source | high | high |
Bacterial surface area matters for aquaponics: clay pebbles, lava rock, and pumice double as biofilter substrate. Low-surface media (rockwool, perlite, pea gravel) work in hydroponics but need a separate biofilter in aquaponics.
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights at each growth stage; the nutrient mix calculator scales them to absolute grams or ml. EC targets shift through the plant's life: seedlings need a much lighter solution than fruiting adults.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC target (mS/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seedling | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.6 |
| vegetative | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1.3 |
Aquaponics suitability
Compatible with typical aquaponics nutrient profiles. Fish waste provides enough nitrogen for healthy growth; supplemental potassium, calcium, and iron may still be needed depending on fish stocking density.
Care notes
An ideal cool-season hydroponic salad green for winter production. EC 0.8-1.5 mS/cm (very light feeder). pH 6.0-7.0. Temperature: 5–18°C (thrives in cold that kills lettuce; grows at temperatures as low as 2–3°C, though slowly). Low to moderate light (DLI 8-14 mol/m2/day; one of the least light-demanding salad crops). NFT, DWC, raft, or vertical systems. From seed to harvest: 6-8 weeks (slower than lettuce but the cold tolerance extends the growing season into months when lettuce won't grow). Harvest entire rosettes at the base. The small size means high density planting: 5–8 cm between plants. Succession plant every 3 weeks. Mache doesn't bolt in cold the way other greens do; it flowers only when temperatures warm in spring and days lengthen. For commercial hydroponic growers, mache commands premium prices ($15-25/kg) as a specialty winter salad green, and the cold tolerance means minimal heating costs. For aquaponics systems that run through winter, mache fills the production gap when warm-season crops are dormant.
Verified against: rhs-uk. Last reviewed 2026-05-15.