Salinas 88

Family: Asteraceae Leafy Green

Crisp as morning frost, Salinas 88 forms a dense, cool-toned head with a satisfying crunch and a clean, gently sweet flavor.

Its tightly layered leaves hold their snap beautifully, making it a standout for fresh, crisp salads and elegant garnishes where texture is everything. Grow it for reliable, market-ready heads that stay crisp and inviting from garden to table.

Light: Part SunMaturity: 65 DaysHabit: Rosette

Planting schedules and alerts are optimized for Columbus (Zone 6b).

Crop Dates

Milestone	Date
Start Indoors	Mar 28th
Last Frost	Apr 25th
Transplant / Sow Outdoors	Apr 18th
Harvest Begins	Jun 22nd
Harvest Ends	Oct 16th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	65
Sun Requirements	Part Sun
Growth Habit	Rosette
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	40
Min Night Temp (°F)	32
Harden Off (days)	6

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Salinas 88 is the kind of lettuce that doesn’t collapse—its tightly layered leaves keep a high crunch even when dressed, so it’s made for cold, immediate eating. Use a bright, lemony vinaigrette and let the water-and-snap do the work; it’ll cut through salty and creamy partners without going limp.

Best Uses

ice-cold salad assemblies where leaves need to stay crunchy
crisphead wedges with a light vinaigrette that clings to the inner ribs
garnish duty—thin shredding for crunch on sandwiches or grain bowls
quick toss salads that get served immediately, not held

Flavor Profile

clean, gently sweet flavor dense crispness with tight, layered crunch cool, watery snap with mild bitterness at the edges

Kitchen Pairings

lemon vinaigrette crisp bacon or prosciutto blue cheese radicchio (for sharper bite) fennel pollen or toasted sesame grilled chicken

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the most common pest or disease problem for Lactuca sativa (lettuce) and how do I treat it?

For lettuce, one of the most frequent issues is downy mildew (often showing as pale yellow patches on the upper leaves with gray-violet growth underneath). Improve airflow by thinning to proper spacing and keep leaves as dry as possible when watering; if you see early spread, remove affected leaves and avoid overhead watering. In home gardens, use a labeled fungicide for downy mildew on lettuce as soon as symptoms appear, following the label exactly.

How often should I water Lactuca sativa during its main growth phase?

During the main growth (roughly weeks 3–to-harvest), keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy—aim for light, consistent moisture rather than letting it dry out and then flooding it. Water when the top 1 inch of soil feels dry; for most beds this is about 1–2 times per week, but you may need more during warm, windy weather. Avoid soaking the crown and base of leaves to reduce mildew risk.

How can I tell when my Lactuca sativa ‘Salinas 88’ is ready to harvest?

Start checking around 60–65 days after sowing: harvest when heads/rosettes have reached full size for the plant’s type and the outer leaves feel firm rather than limp. For crispness, pick in the morning and stop harvesting once the plant shows signs of bolting (elongating stem and rapidly tightening leaves). If you cut early, you’ll get smaller leaves; if you wait too long, it becomes more bitter and less crisp.