Buck'shorn Plantain (Plantago coronopus):  this spontaneous plant is used for cooking and herbal medicine, too. It is very easy to cultivate since it doesn’t have any specific requirements for water and soil, it only needs water during really dry periods. It has  good resistance to cold weather and it can be sown in both, spring and autumn for spring and winter consumption. To harvest, the leaves should be cut a few cm from the soil so the plant grows new leaves, just like lettuce, it is actually also known as English Plantain and Minutina Lettuce. To collect the seeds, wait until the spring after sowing, they will follow the small flowers.

It is a bit bitter but refreshing too, it smells similar to freshly-cut grass. It is generally eaten raw, it also has ornamental or aromatical uses. The leaves are rich in vitamins A-C-K as well as tannins, pectin, mucilage and its seeds are good for essential oils

*=       * = Very low: no need for irrigation

** =Low: also suitable for hot and arid areas, irrigate only in case of prolonged drough.

*** = Reduced: this variety is amongst the leas demanding of its species, hence it is highly suitable for areas with sporadic rainfall, to be irrigated only in case of prolonged droughts

****= Tolerant to water stress: it needs moderate irrigation, suitable for gardens with low water consumption.

We are currently creating a guide for this kind of cultivation, unfortunately, until the guide is published, this is only an overall indication that we can provide without causing confusion about the process. Dry farming, in fact, requires cultivation techniques suitable for the specific  pedoclimate and substrate. All of the varieties included in this category have been acclimatized in Italy.