[Brown]

Any good recommendations? Looking for varieties that are fast growing and will do well in zone 8 for spring and summer.

[mind_harvest]

hey! this isn't to specific i know,but any good seed catalog should tell you what varieties do ok in the warm. check out fedco,territorial,baker creek seeds,seed savers exchange,high mowing seeds,turtle tree seed,and johnny's ;just to name some of my favorites. lots of lettuce out there that will take some heat, and a lot of other greens are coming down the pike for warm weather use.

peace-k

[Jandy]

Do you get the magazine "Growing For Market"? It's a great magazine for small to mid-growers of produce. This month's issue has an article on "greens" that you might find useful. We are in West Central Ohio where the summer's are getting pretty hot anymore! We grow lettuce all through the summer. Every week we start new seed in flats, grow them up for 3 weeks and transplant them into raised bed under shade cloth. We used 20' 1-1/2 inch PVC Pipe over 3 beds. One purlin down the top middle and 8' 3/4" metal conduit for angle bracing. This works really well for us. Sometimes one of the plantings will get ahead of us and bolt, but we plan extra plantings for mid-summer and we have lettuce for Market most every week. I really suggest you look into the "Growing for Market" article.

[johnblack]

With the weather finally warming, the delicate salad greens of spring may bolt (as going to seed is called). You may find yourself without any tender greens for the dinner table, The leaves can be used as greens and the stalks can be cooked like asparagus.