Disease Control

The different crops that make up salad mix and microgreens may or may not be susceptible to the same group of diseases. For additional disease control information, refer to the section of this guide relating to the specific plant family.

Since salad mix is harvested prior to maturity, diseases that affect mature crops often do not pose problems. However, high planting densities may increase likelihood of other problems. For example, fungal diseases that usually don't infect young plants (e.g., downy mildew and Rhizoctonia in lettuce) often become a problem in salad mix production because of the high humidity and planting densities. The primary disease issue in microgreens production is damping-off, caused by Pythium. Proper sanitation of greenhouse supplies and tools used is imperative for Pythium control.

Chemical control options are limited because of the very short pre-harvest interval and the diversity of plant families that may be included in the mix. When treating salad mix, make sure that chemicals are labeled for all of the crop species in the mix.