K.A. Delahaut, A.C. Newenhouse
Revised:  10/10/2011
Item number:  A3788

Salad greens provide market gardeners a high-value crop that brings a premium price if grown and marketed successfully. Salad mixes have become particularly popular among customers seeking convenience. Salad mix is a collection of leafy greens pre-mixed and sold together. This idea originated in France centuries ago where a mix of immature “baby” greens was called “mesclun.” The greens can be grown as a mixture in the field or combined after harvest.

Because of their highly perishable nature, salad greens are better suited to local production than long distance shipping. Growers should be aware that the inputs necessary to produce a quality crop can be high and include a lot of hand labor. The crops discussed in this publication include four types of lettuce (crisphead, butterhead, romaine, and leaf), spinach, endive, escarole, radicchio, witloof, and Swiss chard (25 pages).