The Top Leafy Greens You’ll Want To Grow Right Now
Looking for the best leafy green varieties to grow? Which selections in lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, kale, and more) are a good fit for your farm? Scan the photo gallery for fresh choices from leading seed breeders and distributors.
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Arroyo (Enza Zaden, Stokes Seeds Inc.)
Tall upright romaine, best suited for spring harvest in warmer Southern areas and summer production in cooler areas. Tight internodes and v-shape make this best for romaine hearts. Matures in 65 days.
Disease package: HR: BI(1-8), Fol(4), TBSV; IR: Rs
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Bergam's Green (Enza Zaden, Rupp Seeds)
‘Bergram’s Green’ is a non-heading, dark green-leaf variety. Grown throughout the U.S. and Canada.
https://www.ruppseeds.com/vegetables/products/lettuce/leaf/bergams-green
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Bluerock (Vilmorin Mikado | Gowan Seed Company)
A great, versatile, full-season romaine for carton, processing, and heart use with medium-dark-green color and low core. ‘Bluerock’ is adapted for all Eastern growing conditions to harvest from spring to fall. An upright growth and shape enables easy, efficient cut, trim, and packing. Matures in 65 days.
Disease package: HR: Bl(7-9), Nr, TBSV; T: TB
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Cash Crop (Takii & Company, Ltd. | Gowan Seed Company)
A vigorous, upright plant habit with long petioles ideal for bunching. It has a deep-green leaf color and flat leaf surface. ‘Cash Crop’ has excellent re-growth rates with high leaf count. It can be stripped as early as 50 days (from transplant) and allowed to regrow. Fine vein extension presentation and easy to harvest with good internode separation. This collard hybrid is best suited for summer-fall, mid-spring harvest and is widely adapted. Approximately 75 days to maturity from transplant, but can extend to over 100 days.
Disease package: HR: Bolting
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Copious (BASF)
‘Copious’ is a V-shaped romaine with fast maturity, good weight, and nice internal color. Size in range for fresh market, processing, and hearts. Harvest for Salinas in autumn. Region: Costal Pacific.
Disease package: Bl(29,30,32-37)EU, Nr(0), Fol(1,4); IR: LNSV; T: INSV
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Darkibor (Bejo Seeds | Stokes Seeds Inc.)
‘Darkibor’ is a full curl kale. It’s used by growers who chop or bag it, because the ribs are less prominent. Matures in 55 days.
Disease package: T: Foc, Bolting
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Heart of Gold (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
‘Heart of Gold’ is a gold vein Swiss chard, with brilliant color and clean contrast, in an upright, vigorous plant. It is widely adaptable. Matures in 55 days.
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/swiss-chard/heart-of-gold-organic-swiss-chard-seed-4614G.html
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Lizard RZ (Rijk Zwaan)
Disease package: HR: Pe(1-15,17)
‘Lizard RZ’ is a smooth leaf spinach. It has uniform growing with upright habit that makes high yields and great field holding. Strong against bolting, with durable speed that can go from late spring through early autumn cultivation. Matures in 25 to 45 days, depending on time of year. Widely adapted throughout all regions of the U.S.
https://www.rijkzwaanusa.com/find-your-variety/spinach/lizard-rz
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Momentous (BASF)
‘Momentous’ is a medium-dark-green Romaine for early spring. It has a nice base and head shape. Medium speed filling and very nice internal color variation. It’s used for processing or hearts. Region: Salinas.
Disease package: BI(29-37)EU, Nr(0), LNSV; IR: Fol; T: INSV, TB, Medium bolting.
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Osaka Purple (Terra Organics)
‘Osaka Purple’ originated in Japan. The average height is 12 to 14 inches. The mustard leaves are green, tinged with a purple-red color. Matures in 40 to 80 days.
https://www.seedsbydesign.com/seed/Mustard-Osaka-Purple-Terra-Organics
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Powerball (Seminis Vegetable Seeds)
‘Powerball’ is an iceberg lettuce with a strong disease package. It has a reliable, crisp head type but maintains uniformity to harvest (while retaining its appealing deep-green color). It features medium smooth ribs, large frame, with good cover and short cores. Regions: plant September 28 through October 15 for optimal performance in the Desert Southwest. Average uniformity of maturities, sizes, and heading habit.
Disease package: HR: Bl(16-35)EU, Bl(5-9)US; IR: LMV(1), Fol(1), T: Bolting in extreme heat
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Riptide (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
‘Riptide’ is a baby leaf Romaine with crunchy ribs, fancy serration, and super sweet flavor. It is widely adaptable. Matures in 30 days.
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Seaside (Sakata Seed America, Rupp Seeds)
‘Seaside’ is a very uniform baby leaf spinach variety with a moderate growth rate and an upright plant habit. The smooth, thick, very dark-green, spade-shaped leaf makes it a perfect choice for baby leaf growers. Downy mildew resistance for growers who require a premium disease package. It’s widely adapted throughout the U.S.
Disease package: BI
https://www.ruppseeds.com/vegetables/products/greens/seaside
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Shirane Sky RZ (Rijk Zwaan)
‘Shirane Sky RZ’ is a Batavia lettuce. Best all-around lettuce variety with very brilliant red leaf. Good color spectrum from green-to-red, an upright growing red leaf. It is widely adaptable with regions: Eastern seaboard, Northern Mexico, Northern Senora, Southwest U.S., and Coastal West. Matures in 65 to 90 days, depending on region.
Disease package: Bl(29-34,36,39,40)EU, Nr(0)
https://www.rijkzwaanusa.com/find-your-variety/lettuce/shirane-sky-rz
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Tatsoi Black Knight (Seeds by Design)
‘Tatsoi Black Knight’ is a mustard green with spoon-shaped leaves. A thick and compact plant, and high in vitamin content. A fresh market variety and grows throughout the U.S. Matures in 45 to 55 days.
https://www.seedsbydesign.com/seed/Mustard-Tatsoi-Black-Knight
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Tatsoi Scarlet (Seeds by Design)
Tatsoi Scarlet’ is a mustard green that has a deep-red color, a come-and-cut-again salad green. Perfect for the fresh market. It is widely adapted throughout the U.S. Matures in 30 days.
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Tendita (SEEDWAY, LLC)
This mini-romaine is a crunchy type with sweet, very firm leaves, all the same size. ‘Tendita RZ’ can be sold as a tiny head or separated into even-sized leaves. Matures in 45 days.
Disease package: HR: Bl(16-20,22-25,29,30,33-37)EU, Fol(1), Nr(0)
https://www.seedway.com/product/tendita-rz-lettuce-untreated-seed-with-organic-prime-pellet/
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Tokyo Bekana (Terra Organics)
‘Tokyo Bekana’ is a mustard green with bright, light-green leaves. It’s curly and ruffled and does well for baby leaves. Ideal for the fresh market and is widely adapted throughout the U.S. Matures in 45 days.
https://www.seedsbydesign.com/seed/Mustard-Tokyo-Bekana-Terra-Organics
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Verve (SEEDWAY, LLC)
‘Verve’ looks like a collard green but is tender and sweet. The traditional “spring greens” from England. ‘Verve’ is an improved hybrid and can be grown nearly year-round with exceptional holding both in the field and in storage. It’s grown like a point-head cabbage and can be sold sleeved like romaine lettuce. Matures in 60 days.
https://www.seedway.com/product/verve-spring-greens-not-treated/
View all
Arroyo (Enza Zaden, Stokes Seeds Inc.)
Bergam's Green (Enza Zaden, Rupp Seeds)
Bluerock (Vilmorin Mikado | Gowan Seed Company)
Cash Crop (Takii & Company, Ltd. | Gowan Seed Company)
Copious (BASF)
Darkibor (Bejo Seeds | Stokes Seeds Inc.)
Heart of Gold (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
Lizard RZ (Rijk Zwaan)
Momentous (BASF)
Osaka Purple (Terra Organics)
Powerball (Seminis Vegetable Seeds)
Riptide (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
Seaside (Sakata Seed America, Rupp Seeds)
Shirane Sky RZ (Rijk Zwaan)
Tatsoi Black Knight (Seeds by Design)
Tatsoi Scarlet (Seeds by Design)
Tendita (SEEDWAY, LLC)
Tokyo Bekana (Terra Organics)
Verve (SEEDWAY, LLC)
Disease Abbreviation Key:
Bl Downy mildew, caused by water mold, Bremia lactucae
CLS Cercospora leaf spot, caused by fungus, Cercospora beticola
DM Downy mildew, caused by water mold, Bremia lactucae
F Fusarium wilt
Fol Fusarium wilt Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae
HR High resistance
IR Intermediate resistance
LMV Lettuce mosaic
LNSV Lettuce necrotic stunt virus
Nr Lettuce Leaf Aphid Nasonovia ribisnigri
Pfs Downy mildew
T Tolerant
TBSV Tomato bushy stunt virus
TpB Tipburn Physiological Disorder
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Carol Miller is the editor of American Vegetable Grower, a Meister Media Worldwide publication. See all author stories here.