Sweet Crisp
Salanova Green Sweet Crisp Lettuce is an open-pollinated green lettuce that delivers exceptional sweetness and crunch in a compact form, ready to harvest in just 50 days from transplants. Bred for tenderness and flavor, this variety grows best in cool weather (60, 65°F) and tolerates light frosts, making it reliable for spring and fall gardens. Its succulent leaves and crisp texture make it a standout choice for fresh salads, while its compact growth habit fits seamlessly into small spaces.
10-12 inches apart
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Annual
Moderate
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Sweet flavor paired with genuinely crunchy, succulent leaves sets this lettuce apart from everyday garden varieties. The compact growth habit means you can tuck it into tight spaces or containers, while the 50-day timeline from transplants gives you harvestable heads before midsummer heat arrives. Its frost tolerance extends your growing season on both ends of the year, and open-pollinated genetics mean you can save seed from your best plants.
Fresh salads are where this lettuce truly shines, with its crisp, succulent leaves providing satisfying texture and natural sweetness without dressing. The compact head structure makes it convenient for individual servings or small household portions, while the tender leaves work well in mixed greens or as a standalone salad green.
Start seeds indoors 4, 6 weeks before your intended transplant date. Maintain soil temperature at 60, 70°F for reliable germination. Sow pelleted seed shallowly and keep soil consistently moist. Pelleted seed has a shorter shelf life than bare seed, so use it within one year of purchase.
Transplant seedlings outdoors once they have 2, 3 true leaves and soil can be worked. Space transplants 8, 10 inches apart in rows. Salanova Green Sweet Crisp is frost-tolerant, so you can transplant as soon as soil is workable in spring; this variety handles light frosts well and thrives in cool conditions.
Harvest when heads reach full size and feel firm to gentle pressure, typically 50 days after transplanting. Cut the entire head at soil level using a sharp knife, or harvest individual outer leaves as needed for a longer harvest window. Early morning harvesting yields the crispest leaves. For best flavor and texture, harvest before heat stress causes bolting.
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