In the Garden Articles

Mesclun: Grow Your Own Designer Greens

by Joan S. Bolton

Mesclun (mess-kluh) n. 1. A mix of salad greens. 2. A designer salad concocted by French chefs. 3. A clever excuse for pricey restaurants to charge $8-12 for a few interesting pieces of lettuce. (Note: when pronouncing, end on an appropriately French, nasal "uh.")

Despite their high-end reputation, designer salad greens are among the easiest, prettiest and most impressive edibles to grow in the winter garden. Often called mesclun, the term originated in Provence, where the word "mescla" means to mix, or mixture. Today the idea of serving a salad of tangy, mixed greens has spread to restaurants and kitchen tables everywhere.

It's a snap to sow your own mesclun. The ingredients thrive in cooler temperatures. They sprout quickly, grow fast and take up little space. Their many colors and textures brighten your garden at a time when other plants are fading. And whether you tend transplants from local garden centers or sow seeds, growing your own mesclun will cost a fraction of the price of buying designer greens at grocery stores or farmers markets.

Traditional mesclun consists of snips of young arugula, chervil, endive and lettuce in just the right proportions. But that hasn't stopped the rest of us from tossing all sorts of other baby greens into the mix, including chicory, cress, dandelion, escarole, fennel, frisee, green onion stalks, mache, mizuna, mustard greens, purslane, sorrel, spinach and Swiss chard.

The resulting wintertime salad is a beautiful melange of color, texture, and crisp and tangy flavors.

What to Plant?

You'll have two options when growing mesclun: individual greens to pick and choose on your own; or pre-selected varieties that someone else has decided taste just right together.

If you're new to mesclun, the pre-made mixes are a great place to start. You can figure out whether arugula will be a favorite flavor or bitter pill; whether frilly endive is worth the effort, even if it gets stuck in your teeth, or if mustard greens impart just the right zing to the other ingredients.

The mixes are also handy if you grow your greens from seed. Otherwise, it's a little late to find that you don't care for a particular variety when 25 to 50 of the tiny guys are taking up space in your garden. Look for packets labeled mesclun, Nicoise, or blends described as tangy or mild salad greens.

But once you do settle on your favorite greens, individual seed packets are a good way to go. They're far more economical than buying plants. And you have greater flexibility in planting times. Sow in waves every two to four weeks, and you'll have leafy greens from now through next spring.

In the Garden

All leafy winter crops need at least four to six hours of direct sunlight a day.

It doesn't matter whether you grow your greens in the ground, in raised beds or in containers. Instead, their most important requirement -- other than enough sunlight -- is that the soil be light, loamy and exceptionally fertile. So if your summer garden is too shady in the winter, or if you want to avoid traipsing through the mud to harvest over winter, then grow your greens in pots in a sunnier, more convenient location.

When preparing the soil, keep in mind that your designer greens bear shallow roots. You don't have to loosen or amend the soil as deeply as you might for summer crops.

Dig down about 6 inches, break up any dirt clods and work in lots of compost. If your soil is exceptionally sandy, thick or composed of solid clay, then switch to raised beds or containers. That way you can create a brand-new environment, rather than trying to rework a setting that may be hopeless. In the end, the soil should feel fluffy, smell fresh and have excellent drainage.

Space seedlings as close as 6 to 8 inches apart. Keep the soil damp, but not soggy. A thin layer of fine-textured compost or lawn topper will help hold the moisture and cut down on watering.

From seed, wet the soil first, then sow in shallow furrows or in a block. Sprinkle a fine layer of soil or topper over the seeds, then water gently again. It's okay to sow the seeds as close as 2 to 4 inches apart. You won't have to worry about thinning later on, because you'll begin harvesting when the plants are still quite small.

Keep the soil uniformly moist for the rest of the growing season. Leafy greens appreciate constant water: enough that the surface does not dry out, but not so much that the plants are always sitting in puddles.

Harvest

Early and often is the best advice.

From store-bought plants, you can begin gathering leaves once the plants reach about 2 inches tall, which should be within several weeks. I usually discard the first few sets of outer leaves, which tend to be a little tough.

If the particular green will let you, pull off the leaves cleanly from the stem. Don't just yank. The whole plant might come out. Instead, hold the center in one hand and tug gently with the other.

Or use scissors -- not heavier pruners -- to harvest the more fragile varieties. Make your cuts against the main stem. Don't hack off portions of leaves; they're not going to grow back. If you're careful about nipping only around the edges, the plant will continue to grow for several more weeks.

Eventually, despite your best efforts to prolong a green's life, it will bolt, sending up a flowering stalk that will mark the end of its life. By then, the leaves are likely to be turning bitter. Once you get a feel for when that particular variety might bolt, plan to harvest the entire plant a week or two before the event seems likely.

That will free up space for new plants, enabling you to keep the cycle going. And planting frequently means you won't feel badly about snipping the most tender, youngest greens of whatever you planted earlier.

Some folks recommend harvesting greens in the morning, to avoid any wilting that may occur later in the day. But given our cool, mild winters, I've never found a difference between harvesting early or gathering right before dinner.

Regardless of your timing, rinse your greens in cool water, then drain them on paper towels. A salad spinner is fine, provided you eat the greens right away. Otherwise, the spinning bruises the leaves and they'll wilt.

You can also preserve the greens for a few days. Wrap them between damp paper towels and seal them in a plastic bag before refrigerating. Dunk the leaves in cool water for 10 to 15 minutes to crisp them up before serving.

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Mesclun on the Table

If the possibilities seem a bit overwhelming, start simple. Mix your milder greens in a bowl, then add tangier leaves to taste. Next, advance to salad dressing. Most folks tend to go light, with simple vinaigrettes or balsamic vinegars, to enable the delicate flavors of the greens to come through.

Once you're feeling accomplished, add toasted nuts, crumbly cheese, dried cranberries, thinly sliced apples or pears, or small segments of tangerines.

Or scatter in delicate, edible winter flowers, such as petite pansies, dandelion heads or the separated threads of orange or yellow calendulas.

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Seeds of Wisdom

Whether you grow your greens from seedlings or seed, cover the bed or container with netting to prevent birds from pecking apart your crop. In the ground, also use an organic product such as Sluggo to control snails and slugs.