About this Heat Tolerant Greens Collection

This collection was assembled with one goal in mind: fresh greens from your garden, even when summer temperatures soar. Each variety was chosen because it performs well in warm conditions — either by tolerating heat outright, growing fast enough to harvest before bolting, or offering a unique flavor and texture that is worth the extra attention. Here is what is inside:

Kale - Lacinato (4 g): Also known as Dinosaur Kale or Tuscan Kale, Lacinato is one of the more heat-tolerant kales available. Its dark, puckered, strap-like leaves hold up better than curly types in summer heat and have a slightly sweeter, more tender flavor than most kales. Harvest young leaves regularly to keep the plant producing through the season.

Kale - Red Russian (2 g): Red Russian is widely regarded as the most tender and mild-flavored kale variety, making it a favorite for fresh salads as well as cooking. It handles warm weather reasonably well and recovers quickly after cutting. Its frilly, oak-shaped leaves with purple-red stems add visual interest to any garden bed.

Spinach - New Zealand (4 g): This is not true spinach — it is Tetragonia tetragonioides, a warm-season green that thrives in hot weather when real spinach would bolt within days. New Zealand Spinach spreads low and wide, producing an abundance of tender, succulent leaf tips. It is heat-tolerant, somewhat drought-tolerant, and productive all summer. Harvest the young shoot tips regularly to encourage continued branching and production.

Lettuce - Arianna (500 mg): Arianna is a reliable summer performer in the lettuce world — a type chosen specifically for slow-bolting behavior and heat tolerance. Light, tender leaves are ideal for fresh salads, and regular harvesting extends the productive season well into the warm months. Arianna is a great choice for cut-and-come-again growing in beds, raised beds, or containers with afternoon shade.

Amaranth - Red Garnet (4 g): Red Garnet Amaranth is a true summer green. This heat-loving annual thrives in high temperatures where other greens fail, producing striking deep-red and fuchsia foliage that is as ornamental as it is edible. Young leaves are mild and slightly nutty, perfect raw in salads or lightly sauteed like spinach. It is also one of the most nutritious greens in this collection, rich in iron, vitamins A and C, and calcium.

Mustard - Florida Broadleaf (1 g): Florida Broadleaf Mustard is a vigorous, fast-growing green bred for warm-season performance. Large, broad, deep-green leaves have the bold, peppery bite that mustard is known for, and they grow quickly enough for early harvests before summer heat intensifies. Use young leaves fresh for a spicy kick in salads, or cook older leaves as a classic Southern-style braising green.

Lettuce, Batavian - Michelle (1 g): Batavian lettuces are among the most heat-tolerant in the lettuce family, and Michelle is an excellent example of the type. Crisp, thick leaves with good texture hold up well in warm temperatures and resist bolting longer than most lettuces. Michelle produces full, attractive heads with a satisfying crunch and mild flavor — a great centerpiece for summer salads.

Spinach, Malabar - Green Vines Supreme (3 g): Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) is one of the stars of any summer greens garden. This vigorous climbing vine positively loves heat and humidity, producing thick, glossy, dark-green leaves with a mild, slightly tangy flavor. It is not true spinach, but the leaves cook and taste similar — excellent in stir-fries, soups, and sautees. Give it a trellis, and it will reward you with continuous harvests all season long.

Growing this Heat Tolerant Greens Collection

Because this collection includes a range of plant types and families, growing instructions will vary by variety. That said, a few principles apply across the board. All of these greens prefer well-drained, fertile soil with consistent moisture. Most perform best in full sun, though the lettuces — Arianna and Michelle — will benefit from afternoon shade once temperatures consistently exceed 85 F. Direct sow most varieties after your last frost date when soil temperatures have warmed, or start the lettuces indoors a few weeks earlier for a head start. New Zealand Spinach and Malabar Spinach seeds benefit from soaking overnight before planting to improve germination. Amaranth and Mustard are fast growers and can be succession-sown every few weeks for a continuous harvest. The kales and lettuces do well with a cut-and-come-again approach — harvest outer leaves and the plant will keep producing from the center.

Watering consistently is especially important for the lettuces during warm spells. A layer of mulch around all your plants will help retain soil moisture, regulate soil temperature, and reduce stress on your greens during heat waves. For the climbing Malabar Spinach, install a trellis, fence section, or sturdy stakes at planting time — the vines grow quickly and are much easier to train early than to redirect once they are established.

Tips From Our Gardeners

The biggest mistake I see gardeners make with summer greens is planting them in the same full-sun spot they use for tomatoes. Lettuces and even some of the tougher greens in this collection will last weeks longer if they get a little afternoon shade — try planting them on the east side of a taller crop like your tomatoes or pole beans. The shade those tall plants cast in the afternoon can make a real difference in keeping bolting at bay.

- Jerry Sawyer, True Leaf Market Writer

Our Stoney Acres Heat Tolerant Greens Collection — Package Contents:

• Kale - Lacinato — 4 g Packet
• Kale - Red Russian — 2 g Packet
• Spinach - New Zealand — 4 g Packet
• Lettuce - Arianna — 500 mg Packet
• Amaranth - Red Garnet — 4 g Packet
• Mustard - Florida Broadleaf — 1 g Packet
• Lettuce, Batavian - Michelle — 1 g Packet
• Spinach, Malabar - Green Vines Supreme — 3 g Packet

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