If you’ve faced difficulty growing carrots in compacted or heavy clay soils, try growing Chantenay carrots. This group of carrots have short and stocky roots that grow well where other carrots will not. Farmer Briana Yablonski will share how to plant and care for these delicious roots. Even though I’ve grown over 50 different vegetables and herbs in the past few years, carrots remain one of my favorites. Biting into a sweet and crunchy homegrown carrot can make you wonder if the cellophane-wrapped roots you find in the grocery store are the same plant! And there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of pulling a well-formed carrot from the ground. However, these beloved veggies aren’t always the easiest to grow. If you’ve experienced spotty germination, a carrot bed swallowed by weeds, or misshapen roots, you’re not alone. Over the years, I’ve learned how to grow carrots that are a joy to harvest. Start with strong Chantenay carrot seeds, follow the care tips I’ll outline below, and you’ll soon be harvesting beautiful carrots. What Are Chantenay Carrots? Chantenay carrots are grown for their short and fat roots with blunt ends. Since the roots only grow six inches long, they’re a great option if you’re working with compacted or heavy soils. Characteristics Carrots are biennial plants. That means they spend their first year producing a strong tap root and produce flowers in the second year. Although these plants can survive multiple years, we grow them as annuals in order to enjoy their tasty roots. Chantenays are known for their short and stocky roots and blunt tips. The roots rarely grow over six inches long, but their chunkiness means they still provide a sizable harvest. You can find multiple cultivars of Chantenay under various names, but they all feature roots with the same shape. Native Area and History Humans began cultivating carrots over a thousand years ago from the wild carrot, Daucus carota. Growers in the Middle East and Central Asia selected plants with flavorful and tender roots. However, the Chanetay type didn’t arrive until over 500 years later. Growers in the Chantenay district of France created these unique crops in the 1700s and first used them to help with medical issues. Eventually, the roots grew in popularity and became widespread by the 1960s. While you can grow Chantenays anywhere you would grow other varieties, their stocky roots make them especially well-suited for areas with heavy clay soil. Planting Chantenay carrots grow best when you direct sow the seeds in your garden. Although you can plant them from spring through fall, the roots grow best in cooler temperatures. You can even overwinter fall roots in the field and harvest them throughout the winter. How to Grow Chantenay carrots are moderately difficult to grow. Although the plants don’t require much maintenance, providing the proper type of soil and staying on top of weeds can be challenging. Maintenance Carrots require little maintenance beyond regular irrigation and weeding. Since the small, slow-growing seedlings compete poorly with faster-growing weeds, remove any weeds that appear in the first few weeks.

When the garden lacks greenery, mâche (pronounced “mosh”) is ready to shine! Former organic farmer Logan Hailey explains why this easygoing winter green is a delight in the garden and the kitchen! Contents Upgrade your winter salads with a mild, succulent, slightly nutty green that can withstand frigid temperatures after most greens die off. Mâche (pronounced “mosh”) is sometimes called lamb’s lettuce or corn salad because it was historically a weedy wild plant in winter corn fields of Europe. This versatile green’s uniquely tangy flavor has garnered gourmet status amongst chefs as its popularity has grown in the United States. True to its wild, weedy origins, mâche practically grows itself. If you want an easygoing green to enjoy in late fall or throughout the winter, mâche offers ample flavor and nutrient density with very little maintenance. The plant can withstand down to 5°F with proper mulching and modest protection. Let’s dig into everything you need to know about this delicious cold weather annual! History and Cultivation Scientifically known as Valerianella locusta, mâche is a salad green that grows wild in grain fields, roadsides, and open meadows. The plant is very cold-hardy and has been cultivated since around the 17th century, initially as a kitchen garden green and later for commercial sale and use by chefs. Today, this once-weedy green is a delicacy in the modern foodie world, with uses in gourmet salads to balance out spicier greens like arugula or intense winter roots like beets. What is Mâche? Mâche, or corn salad, is an annual winter leafy green that grows in attractive rosettes with a uniquely mild, refreshing tang and notes of earthy, nutty flavor. It is remarkably cold-hardy and survives long past arugula or spinach in frosty weather. It got its nickname “corn salad” from its appearance as a winter weed in European corn fields. It is also called lamb’s lettuce because it tends to emerge in pastures and fields. The foliage is equally enticing and nutritious for sheep and cattle as it is for humans. A Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) family member, mâche produces pretty white flowers in spring and remains harvestable even after bolting. The succulent, juicy leaves are a refreshing treat when little else green is still growing during winter. They hold for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and reliably re-sow themselves in the garden. Where Does Mâche Originate? Botanically known as Valerianella locusta, mâche is a tender leafy vegetable native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. It is widely cultivated as a cold-weather green in areas with frigid winters. A staple in European kitchen gardens, mâche is popular in German, British, and French cuisine for its faintly nutty, tangy flavor and succulent, refreshing texture. Wild plants naturally grow in disturbed areas like dormant crop fields, pastures, roadside ditches, and meadows. A similar species, Valerianella umbilicata, is native to the midwestern United States. Cultivated varieties are not far removed from their wild ancestors and practically grow themselves. Propagation This unique old-time European green is easy to grow from seed. Although corn salad is an annual vegetable, it readily propagates if you leave the flower stalks in place. There are over 60 varieties of modern mâche greens, which are usually separated into two categories: small-seeded and large-seeded. Small-seeded varieties are more closely related to the wild types and only grow in cold weather. Large-seeded cultivars are more resistant to bolting in warm weather and better suited for southern climates. We’ll dig more into the best seeds in the “Varieties” section below. Whichever you choose, it’s best to prepare to seed this cold-hardy green in fall so it can grow during the coolest months of your growing zone. Seed Mâche is predominantly grown from direct seeding. Thanks to its weedy ancestry, the plant easily germinates outdoors in open garden beds with virtually any type of soil as long as it’s moist. Fall planting is the most common, but you can technically plant when the soil temperature is between 40 and 68°F. At soil temperatures greater than 70°F, mâche seeds will go dormant. If your weather has sufficiently cooled by Labor Day, this sowing is ideal for early fall harvests. In warmer climates, wait until the holidays to get mâche in the ground. The cool thing about this green is its willingness to spring to life while the rest of the garden is going to sleep. Sow the seeds about 1” apart in rows 4-18” apart. Plant seeds ¼” deep and avoid covering too densely with soil. You can also broadcast them for a dense patch of baby greens. Keeping seeds consistently moist is usually not a problem in areas with autumn rains. However, the seeds germinate slowly and require 10-14 days before they emerge. Thinning is optional for baby greens. For larger rosettes and “cut-and-come-again” harvests, thin plants to 3” apart once the cotyledons appear. Succession Planting If you want a continuous supply of winter and early spring greens, succession planting creates staggered plantings so different plants mature at different times. For example, you may want to sow a late summer succession for enjoyment around Halloween, an early fall mâche seeding in October for harvest in late November, and another round of greens in late winter for enjoyment in early spring. Generally, mâche lovers direct seed every 2-3 weeks throughout the coldest months. As long as the ground is workable, you can plant this veggie! It does very well in unheated greenhouses and low tunnels where little else can grow during the frigid months. Planting You are unlikely to find corn salad as a regular nursery transplant. However, you may wish to grow it in cell trays or pots to transplant it into the garden or gift it to your friends. How to Grow The cool thing about growing “weedy” plant species is that they don’t need much human help. Mâche has been doing its own thing for centuries and thrives without fertilizer or irrigation. The most important thing these unique greens ask for is consistent moisture, which is usually easy to achieve in northern winters.

When the rest of the garden is starting to go dormant, jewel-like toad lilies are just starting to shine. Learn how to grow these exotic, yet deceptively easy to care for, fall-blooming perennials with biologist and garden enthusiast Lindsay Miller. The origins of the common name “toad lily” is under much speculation. It is likely a reference to this plant’s spotty petals, which resemble the patterns found on toads. Or perhaps it pertains to the three warty nectaries at the base of the flower (nectaries are special tissues that produce nectar). Toad lilies also appreciate plenty of moisture, much like toads and frogs, so maybe that’s it. In any case, the beauty of this plant far surpasses its rather unglamorous name. Toad lilies are little hidden jewels in the garden. Unassuming clumps of gently arching stems bearing simple green foliage fill the garden from spring through fall. Come autumn, as all the other woodland perennials seem to be closing up shop for the season, ornately speckled, orchid-like flowers burst open. Don’t be fooled by the delicate, exotic blooms of this plant. They’re hardy to USDA zones 4 or 5, depending on the variety, and require little coddling or maintenance. These flowers are relatively new to the North American gardening scene, having only been introduced in the 1990s. Their hardiness, exceptionally beautiful flowers, and ability to grow happily in mostly shade should elevate this plant’s status to “must have.” Read on and learn how to grow and care for this remarkable little plant. Overview What Is It? Toad lilies are a group of herbaceous perennials with exotic, jewel-like flowers that open late in the season. There are 16-20 species of Tricyrtis spp., however, just two are readily available for home gardeners. Even before the flowers appear in the fall, the foliage of this perennial provides lovely cover in the shade garden. Stems are upright or elegantly arching. Narrow leaves that resemble those of a small hosta or Solomon’s seal emerge on alternating sides of the stem. Leaves are usually solid medium green. However, some varieties like ‘Variegata’ or ‘Samurai’ have yellow or cream-colored striping. The star-shaped flowers resemble orchids, with six tepals (the botanical term for when a flower has similar inner petals and outer sepals) that unfurl in late summer or early fall. Most often, the tepals are white with purple or dark burgundy splotches, although there is some variation in the coloring depending on the species or cultivar. Toad lilies continue to flower vigorously until the first hard frost, a time when not much else is in bloom. As a fall-blooming perennial, toad lilies are a valuable source of food for pollinators. Bees and hummingbirds easily access the nectar found deep inside the tubular toad lily flowers. Native Area These exotic flowers are native to Asia, from the Philippines north to China, Taiwan, and Japan, and east towards the Himalayas. They primarily grow along shady streambanks, ravines, and woodland edges, where the tree canopy gives way to thickets and open grass areas. Planting Toad lilies thrive in shady beds and borders, where they receive a bit of protection from direct, all-day sun. The fine details and intricate patterns of the flowers are incredibly unique and best observed up close, so place toad lilies along walkways or towards the front of a border, where they can be easily admired. Toad lilies pair beautifully with other shade-loving perennials like ferns, lungwort, coralbells, astilbe, and Siberian bugloss. Most of these plants bloom in the spring through early summer, leaving a gap later in the season that this fall-flowering species fills beautifully. A backdrop of shade-tolerant evergreens, like rhododendrons or a yew, provides a lovely contrast to the pale blooms of the toad lily. You can grow it in containers, provided the pot has plenty of drainage. Note that toad lilies spread slowly via creeping rhizomes and will need regular repotting if it outgrows its container.