Seed can be purchased from mail order sources or you can mix your own. Mesclun is harvested when individual leaves are bite-sized and immature lettuce is usually the main ingredient. Cultivars in a particular seed mix are chosen for their color, texture, flavor, leaf size, and shape. Beet and chard thinnings may be included. Herbs, such as fennel, sorrel, tarragon, basil and mints are sometimes included in very small quantities.
Some companies blend their mesclun mixtures for different flavors, such as tangy or mild.
Generally the ingredients need cool growing temperatures and should be planted in early spring or for a fall garden. Chicory terminology can be confusing because the same plant is used in three different ways and cultivars have specific uses. It has naturalized over much of the U.S., including Nebraska. The roots can be dug and roasted and substituted for or mixed with coffee. The parsnip- like roots are dug in the fall, roasted and ground.