Verte de Cambrai is a so-called round type corn salad with little round thick leaved rosettes. The tender leaves have a slightly nutty flavour. Use this corn salad raw in salads, stews and soups. Or cook it and use it like spinach. Verte de Cambrai has a good tolerance to cold weather, but be careful with hard frost. Not suited for sowing in warmer climates or summer sowing because this variety bolts easy.
Outdoor sowing: beginning of August - September
Outdoor sowing under glass: September - October
Sowing depth: ½ cm
Germination: 14 - 21 days
Germination temp.: 10 - 16 °C
Plant distance: 7 - 10 cm
Sowing distance inbetween rows: 10 - 15 cm
Plant position: sunny
Days till harvest: 60 - 90
Corn salad has to be sown outdoors, because the tender rootsystem doesn't respond well to transplanting. Sow outdoors from the beginning of August. Sow in rows approx. 10 - 15 cm apart, to make it easier to remove weeds. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil (light germinator). Sow in rows about 10 - 15 cm apart, this to make weeding easier. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. Corn salad isn't very demanding on soil types, it can be sown in all types of soil. And it doesn't require much fertilizing. Thin the seedlings to 7 - 10 cm apart, when they're large enough to handle, to make sure that the rosettes can be formed.
Don't water to much to prevent rotting of the leaves and give the plants free draining soil. Keep moist, especially during dry spells. Protect against snails and slugs. Corn salad has a good resistance against cold weather (-5 °C). But needs some coverage with a plastic tunnel when there's a severe frost. Leave the ends of this plastic tunnel open to prevent rotting and moulding of the plants. Protect Your plants against snails, slugs and other pests. Sow a small amount of seeds every 3 weeks to provide for a continious harvest. Harvest when the plants are approx. 8 - 10 cm in size.
Sow outdoors from September till October under the protection of glass or a polytunnel. This lenghtens Your growing season and prevent Your tender plants from dying due to frosts.
