When you hear the word mesclun, you first think greens! This delicate mix of leafy vegetables has long been used as the base to most cold salads and garnishes thanks to its flavour and versatility. Varieties have been bred and selected for growing in spring, summer and winter to generate a year-long supply.
A French word, mesclun is the gastronomic term for a blend of young leaves of lettuce, rocket, Swiss chard and other microgreens that have similar growing habits under the right conditions.
Mesclun is a fast-growing vegetable, from seed to harvest in less than three months, and harvests can be prolonged by picking the external leaves while the plants mature and, in many cases, develop upward prolonged stems. Eventually all the mesclun vegetables will develop a flower and bolt to seeds if left to their own devices. Mesclun is a mild/cold climate vegetable and, depending on the varieties, must be protected from frost and hot weather. I have experienced that 15°C is the perfect temperature for germination and growth; any variation close to this temperature will create a good enough climate for quick-growing, healthy plants. Temperatures well outside this mark will cause rot, bitterness and bolting.
Mesclun plants love a humid soil and are susceptible to water stress if they experience a dry spell. A well-manured soil containing hay or grass clippings will improve drainage while retaining moisture. Waterlogging will rot the roots and the lower leaves and should be avoided. Mesclun can be expensive and most of the pre-bagged mesclun found in the produce department is grown indoors with different hydroponic systems; there is nothing wrong with that, although vegetables grown outdoors and in season are always the best!
With one packet of seeds costing less than a head of lettuce but containing hundreds of seeds that can be used over several seasons, growing your own mesclun will provide instant savings on your grocery bill and at the same time nourish the family with an ongoing supply of fresh and healthy salads straight from your patch.
Commercially grown mesclun often offers few of the many traditional varieties of leaves and while still presenting as a colourful blend of leaves, the flavour can be poor due to the lack of aromatic plants like mustard greens.
Mesclun seeds are small and tricky to handle; sowing in situ is not recommended, instead use plastic trays filled with seedling mix soil. You can purchase seedlings from the garden centre.
Mesclun crops can reach maturity quickly and at the same time so successive sowing is a good practice. Continuous picking of external leaves is recommended.
Snails will decimate your greens if left unchecked. Make a ring around each plant with a thick layer of sand to create a natural barrier. Snails and slugs don’t like abrasive surfaces.
Mesclun is great for growing on balconies or windowsills. Wind protection, lots of light & protection from direct sunlight create good growing conditions.
Cos lettuce is a variety that grows upwards with green and white leaves resembling chicory. Its crunchy texture and clean fresh flavour make it one of the most sought-after salads in many gourmet dishes.
The baby spinach variety is more tolerant to droughts, but lack of water will affect the flavour. If you have spinach plants growing into pots or raised gardens, make a morning routine to check the moisture level in the soil.
It can be grown as ground cover instead of planting in drills. Scattering seeds over a surface and covering the seeds with 5mm of fine topsoil will guarantee some form of crowded planting. Young plants should appear in weeks.
Recipe using Mesclun
Tuna Nicoise uses baby cos lettuce
Prawn Curry with Spinach and Almond Rice uses baby spinach
Fried Arancini with Creamy Garlic Sauce and Endive Salad uses a small head of endive
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