10 Best Salad Greens and How to Grow Them
Learning how to grow salad greens adds flavor and nutrition to salads that might otherwise be bland and unfulfilling. Explore more with us!
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If your salads tend to start and end with iceberg lettuce drowned in dressing, you’re missing out on some of the easiest and most flavorful greens you can grow. Standard iceberg is fine, but it’s one of the least nutritious and least interesting options in the lettuce family. And it’s not even the easiest to grow.
Expanding your salad garden past lettuce is simpler than most people expect. Some of the greens below (bok choy, arugula, spinach) can stand on their own as a base. Others (radicchio, mustards, shiso, chicory) work best mixed in with milder leaves to balance out their stronger flavors. Either way, they’ll make your salads worth eating without the dressing doing all the heavy lifting.
Arugula (Eruca vesicaria ssp. sativa)
Also known as rocket or roquette, arugula has a slightly bitter, peppery bite that makes it a natural partner for milder greens. It’s rarely used as the sole base for a salad, but a handful mixed in adds a lot of life to an otherwise flat bowl of lettuce.
Sow seeds in early spring or fall, and thin seedlings to about six inches apart with ten inches between rows. Don’t toss the thinnings, as they make excellent baby greens for salads. Mature leaves are ready to harvest in about six weeks.
Arugula bolts fast in hot, dry weather, so timing your planting around cooler months makes a big difference.
Bok Choy (Brassica rapa)
This compact relative of cabbage (also called bak choi or pak choi) features long, thick stems and dark green leaves. Baby bok choy plants are a staple in salads and slaws, and they’re surprisingly easy to grow as long as you keep conditions cool.
Grow bok choy the same way you would cabbage. Sow seeds in early spring or fall, spacing plants about ten inches apart with 12 inches between rows. If you’re in a warmer region, look for ‘Canton Bok,’ which handles heat better than most varieties. You can harvest the entire head when plants are small, or pull outer leaves from larger plants as needed.
Endive (Cichorium endivia)
Endives have light green, frilly leaves (often called frisée in culinary circles), while the broader-leaved varieties go by escarole. Both bring a bitter edge that can balance out a salad in a way that milder greens can’t. They’re extremely popular in European cooking for exactly this reason. A little bitterness goes a long way in an otherwise bland dish.
Start seeds indoors for an early summer harvest, or sow in summer for a fall crop. Thin plants to about 12 inches apart. If the bitterness is too strong for your taste, blanching the plants (covering the inner leaves to block light) will mellow the flavor and give the leaves a pale, buttery color.
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
A close relative of endive and escarole, chicory (sometimes called witloof chicory or Belgian endive) is a great addition to winter salad gardens when forced indoors. It grows in a similar way to its relatives, so if you’ve grown endives, you already know the basics.
Plant seeds at a depth of about an eighth of an inch and give them full sun. Thin seedlings to about six inches apart. Both the leaves and flowers work well in salads, and the root makes a popular coffee alternative that’s worth trying at least once.
Kale (Brassica oleracea)
Kale’s rise as a salad and juicing green over the past decade is well-earned. It’s one of the most nutrient-dense greens you can grow, and it comes in a wide range of colors and textures, from deep purple to bright green, curly to flat.
Plant in early spring or late summer, and thin to about two feet apart. For salads, you’ll want to harvest the younger, more tender leaves. Older leaves are better suited for cooking or juicing. Continual harvesting keeps the plant productive and gives you the best texture for eating raw.
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
Few greens are as versatile as spinach. Harvest it young for a tender baby spinach salad, or let the leaves mature for a heartier green. Either way, it’s packed with vitamins and minerals, making it one of the best nutritional additions to any salad.
Plant in early spring or late summer, and thin seedlings to about six inches apart. You can start harvesting in about 35 to 45 days, which makes spinach one of the faster greens to get from seed to table.
Mizuna (Brassica juncea var. japonica)
If you want a green that produces fast, mizuna is hard to beat. It matures in just over a month and has serrated leaves with a mild, cabbage-like flavor. It’s not the kind of green that takes over a salad. It works best as a supporting player, adding a subtle kick alongside milder leaves.
Grow it the same way you would spinach. Mizuna is forgiving and fast, which makes it a great option if you’re looking for a quick addition to your spring or fall garden.
Mustard Greens (Brassica juncea)
Mustard greens come in all sorts of varieties, from red to green, loose-leaf to heading. Loose-leaf types tend to mature in about 45 days, while heading types take closer to 60 to 75 days. All of them perform well in heat and can handle a light frost, which gives you a wide planting window.
As far as flavor goes, oriental cultivars tend to be milder, while southern mustards bring a hot, peppery bite. Plant seeds directly into the soil in early spring or fall, barely covering them with soil. Space plants about six inches apart, thinning to ten inches as they grow, with 12 inches between rows.
Radicchio (Cichoria intybus)
With its white base flowing into deep purple leaves, radicchio is one of the most visually striking greens you can add to a salad. The flavor is bold and slightly bitter, the kind that brings a bland salad to life and pairs well with rich dressings and strong cheeses.
Start seeds indoors like you would endives and escarole, then transplant seedlings about six inches apart. Plants are ready to harvest when the heads feel compact and are around four inches across. Radicchio is becoming a staple in home salad gardens for good reason.
Shiso (Perilla frutescens)
Shiso is an Asian green that warm-weather growers tend to love. The flavor is intense and pungent, so a little goes a long way. A sprinkling of leaves adds a lot of character to a mixed salad without overwhelming it.
Start seeds indoors or in a cold frame about eight to 12 weeks before the last frost, planting no deeper than a quarter inch. Transplant seedlings about a foot apart. They’re ready to harvest after about two months of growth, and if you cut them back, they’ll keep producing for several more months.
Salad Green Growing Guidelines
Most of these greens share similar growing preferences. They want soil that’s rich in organic matter, stays consistently moist, and drains well. They also tend to do best in cooler weather. Heat encourages bolting or pushes the flavor toward something too strong for most palates.
One trick worth trying: cover your rows or beds with a floating row cover and leave it in place for the entire growing period. It seems counterintuitive, but the cover helps greens stay tender and retain a vibrant color. Remove it when you need to weed or check for slugs.
When young plants have four true leaves, thin to about six inches apart. Aim for about an inch of water per week, and try to water in the morning so leaves are dry by evening. If you’re not using a cover, mulch around plants to keep the soil moist and suppress weeds. For a boost in growth, side-dress with compost tea once or twice during the growing season.
More Salad Enhancing Greens
If you want to push your salads even further, there are plenty of herbs and edible flowers that add both flavor and visual interest. Basil, parsley, chives, garlic chives, sorrel, watercress, pepper cress, cilantro, scallions, mint, and thyme all work well mixed into greens. Nasturtium flowers are especially worth trying. They add a peppery flavor and make any salad look like it belongs on a restaurant plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do salad greens need full sun?
In cooler springs, full sun is best. However, in areas with warmer weather, at least 3 to 4 hours of sun is best. Some shade in the afternoon will benefit your leaf lettuce.
How long does it take to grow salad greens?
Depending on what you’re growing, expect greens in 30 to 70 days.
How do you grow green salad at home?
Again, it depends on what you’re growing. Overall, a large enough growing area, rich soil, and consistent sun and moisture with some fertilizing will do the trick.
Do greens grow back after cutting?
If you harvest the greens from the outside, leaving 1/3 of the inner leaves, or if you plant a cut-and-come-again variety, yes, they will grow back.
Can you grow salad leaves all year round?
If you have a climate-controlled area to grow your greens, yes, you can have salad greens growing all the time. Outdoors, it may not be possible all year long.
