Bolting is a perfectly natural process that occurs when the weather gets a bit too warm for our leafy greens. Lettuce is especially quick to go to seed in the right (or rather, wrong) conditions.
Why is my lettuce growing upwards?
Most lettuce varieties are cool season crops. When the hot weather comes, they send up tall stalks that will flower and set seed. You’ll notice that the leaves begin to taste bitter around the same time the stalks elongate. This is called bolting.
How do you keep lettuce from growing tall?
Whenever possible, choose varieties of lettuce that are slow to bolt. Keep your plants as cool as you can—some shade helps keep lettuce healthy and slows down bolting. Trimming off the flowering stalk as soon as it appears helps to slow the process down. And when you harvest your lettuce, do it properly.
Why is my lettuce growing tall and not wide?
Romaine lettuce, like other lettuce types, likes cool weather. If you’re seeing that your lettuce is suddenly getting tall and starting to flower, you’re probably well into the warm days of summer. Bolting isn’t just a phenomenon that occurs with lettuce.
How do I stop my lettuce from bolting?
Give your lettuce a break from full sun. Grow pots of lettuce on a porch or patio that gets some shade, plant it in the garden under taller plants, like corn, or use a shade cloth over your lettuce bed. Regular watering can also help delay bolting.
Can you reverse bolting?
Occasionally, if you catch a plant in the very early stages of bolting, you can temporarily reverse the process of bolting by snipping off the flowers and flower buds. In some plants, like basil, the plant will resume producing leaves and will stop bolting.
Is lettuce still good when tall?
Sorry to break this to you, but once you see a flower bud forming on your lettuce, it’s probably time to let it go. If it’s already grown really tall, then it’s definitely too bitter to use it for anything. Some gardeners snip the entire plant to the ground in hopes that it will grow back when the weather cools off.
Is bolted lettuce safe to eat?
When plants flower, it’s generally considered a good thing; however, in vegetables grown for their leaves, such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, and other cole crops, bolting causes the flavor to turn bitter and the leaves to get smaller and tougher, making them inedible.
Can bolted lettuce Be Saved?
This is my favorite thing to do with the bolted lettuce in my garden. Instead of pulling the plants out by the roots, simply cut the tops off and leave the roots intact. The stump will resprout when temperatures cool later in the season and go on to produce a second crop of lettuce in the late summer or fall.
What does Overwatered lettuce look like?
Another indicator of overwatering your lettuce plant is browning leaves. If the leaves are brown and wilting, and the soil is wet, you’re likely overwatering. Brown leaves can also be a sign of underwatering, so before you add more water be sure to check the soil.
What happens if you plant lettuce too close?
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) takes up little space and can be edible within a week of planting. However, overcrowding lettuce or planting it in areas with little light can lower your crop yield. There are a few tips to know to grow lettuce in the garden or indoors so as not to waste your time, effort and money.
Will bolted lettuce regrow?
A: Bolted lettuce, when cut down to its base will regrow under the right conditions. If summer is too hot, the entire plant may die, but in cooler temperatures, it may resprout and continue to produce.
Does lettuce grow back after cutting?
Lettuce regrows once its leaves have been cut or picked off the main stem. As long as the root is intact in the ground and there are at least 1-2 inches of stem and leaves at the base, lettuce will shoot new growth in as little as a week. The cut-and-come-again harvesting method is the most popular.
Can I cook bolted lettuce?
Fortunately, both wilted and bolted lettuce are great to cook with, and will work alongside, or replace, leafy greens in any dish that calls for them. Bolted lettuce can sometimes be a little bitter, but, like chicory, it’s also wonderful barbecued, pan roasted or in a cheesy gratin.
What does bolting behavior mean?
Bolting, also known as “elopement”, is when the child inappropriately leaves the immediate area and without having permission to do so. Bolting can occur within a home (such as running off to another room in the house) or in the community (such as running down the street or away from the parent when in a store).
How do you tell if a plant has bolted?
You know bolting is occurring when: You see a tough stalk, studded with just a few leaves, suddenly shoot up out of the plant’s foliage. You see this stalk start to form buds, which first become flowers, then seeds. You see that the growth rate of the rest of the plant has clearly slowed down.
What does it mean when greens bolt?
One of the biggest nuisances in the summer vegetable garden is bolting – when crops put on a vertical growth spurt to flower and set seed before the vegetables are ready for harvest. The result is inedible, bitter-tasting leaves or poor-quality produce with little that can be salvaged.
How Big Should I let lettuce grow?
Harvesting Lettuce
You can harvest cut-and-come-again lettuce types as soon as the outer leaves reach about 6 inches long. Trim off these outer leaves, leaving the inner leaves to continue to mature.
How do you know when lettuce are ready to harvest?
You’ll know when to harvest lettuce leaves when they grow to about 3 to 6 inches long, depending on the variety. Keep harvesting the leaves until the lettuce plant “bolts.” This means that plant has turned its energy to producing flowers and seeds and leaves usually become bitter-tasting with tough stems.
Should I let lettuce go to seed?
When lettuce goes to seed, it will drop to the ground and spring up when your stalks are dying back. If you let your spring greens go to seed, your fall garden will come to life right on time. Since lettuces are light feeders, I’ll allow them to re-seed in the same spot once.
How do you harvest lettuce without killing the plant?
To harvest head lettuce without killing the plant, use a sterilized gardening knife or shears. Cut the plant at the base of its stem, and make sure you cut the leaf a minimum of one inch above the soil, without damaging the roots. Keep watering the stem, and in another 50-60 days, you should have another lettuce.
Justin Shelton is a professional cook. He’s been in the industry for over 10 years, and he loves nothing more than creating delicious dishes for others to enjoy. Justin has worked in some of the best kitchens in the country, and he’s always looking for new challenges and ways to improve his craft. When he’s not cooking, Justin enjoys spending time with his wife and son. He loves exploring new restaurants and trying out different cuisines.