Are Expensive Lettuce Seeds Worth It? I’m Growing Them Side by Side to Find Out

I grow a lot of lettuce, both in containers and hydroponically, and I’m curious about something.

Salanova is touted as a premium lettuce, but its seeds can cost considerably more than many other varieties. I want to find out whether Salanova and other premium lettuce seeds actually outperform less expensive lettuces from reputable seed companies.

So I’m growing them side by side.

For this trial, I’ve chosen lettuces from Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Baker Creek, ranging from premium commercial varieties to more traditional and heirloom lettuces. I’ll grow them under the same conditions and follow them from germination through harvest.

From Johnny’s, I’m starting with Sunagri, Xandra, Gordini, and Higgs. Xandra and Higgs are Salanova varieties, while Sunagri and Gordini are other premium lettuces.

From Baker Creek, I’m growing Lunix, De Russie, Devil’s Ear, Parris Island Cos, Flashy Butter Gem, and Lava Lamp Romaine.

As for how I chose the varieties, there was no elaborate scientific formula. Some were simply so pretty I couldn’t resist them, while others caught my attention because of their disease resistance or other growing characteristics. And because I work with medicinal herbs and am, admittedly, a bit of a plant nerd, it’s almost impossible for me to look at a deeply red or purple lettuce without thinking about anthocyanins and their antioxidant activity. Sometimes pretty really does come with benefits. Parris Island made the cut partly because of its reputation for being especially nutrient-dense. So my selection process was equal parts grower, herbalist, and person easily distracted by an unusually beautiful lettuce.

They’re a pretty varied group, which is intentional. I’m interested in more than which lettuce grows fastest. As the trial progresses, I’ll be looking at germination, growth, performance in containers and hydroponics, harvest, and eventually flavor and overall quality.

For now, they’ve been planted.

Next week, we’ll see what they have to say for themselves.