Why do lettuce bolt

After the Lettuce seeds have been dried, the gardener can now plant them. Lettuce plants are stored till summer because they can germinate well. Lettuce seeds mainly germinate the soil temperature of around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The seeds cannot sprout at a high of above 80 degrees F. The ideal temperature to grow lettuce is in cool weather. Few varieties are more heat-tolerant and are open-pollinated. The seeds need to be soaked for about 16 hours before planting in a well-lit area to upsurge germination.

Soaking lettuce seeds in the dark in warm conditions decreases their sprouting rate. Soaking the seed for lesser hours will have no positive impact on germination. The seedling may take around four to five weeks before they are ready for transplant.

The gardener should reduce irrigation of the plant to be transplanted like a week before to harden them. Lettuce from the seeds can be planted directly into the main field or left to grow in a nursery bed and transplanted after. Once the plants are transplanted, they can take about 45 to days to mature. The variety, the ecological conditions, and the purpose of the lettuce determine the stage of harvest maturity. Lettuce grown for consumption is not left to grow for long because the leaves will be bitter.

Some lettuce is left to bolt and produce seeds that can be used in the next season. Lettuce has edible leaves that are primarily used as salad. But you can also use it to make sandwiches and wraps. There are four commonly known types of lettuce, looseleaf, butterhead, iceberg, and romaine.

Some varieties are eaten fresh, while others can be cooked or grilled. Lettuce is a low temperature crop that grows in cold weather. Lettuce nears maturity when temperatures are high, that is, in summer times.

Most lettuce varieties take 45 to 55 days to mature although other types like romaine and crisphead take more days to mature. Lettuce is used in so many dishes. It is common in any store you go to and for the most part it cheaper than your other veggies. The cycle that the lettuce undergoes from the seeding to going to seed.

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. For heading varieties, use clean, sterilized shears to cut the top two thirds of the plant off.

When harvesting other types of lettuce, take the outer, lower leaves first and work your way up the plant. Always leave at least a third of the plant behind so it has some foliage to continue its growth. For more information on delaying the bolting process, refer to our article Preventing Bolted Lettuce.

Your email address will not be published. The plants have not died instead they have long stems and flowers. I do not like to throw away any plant that is alive yet I do not know what to do with them?

Once the plants reach that stage and switch to seed production mode there is really no way to turn back or fix the problems. All you can do at that point is to chalk it up as experience. Next time around adjust the timing of your seed sowing or provide adequate space, water, nutrients, and conditions for the lettuce to grow properly.

As distressing as it may be to remove a plant that is still growing, there is no shame or harm in adding the bolted plants to the compost pile where they will serve to nourish future crops.

Here are your options for dealing with those lettuce plants that have developed a stalk, flowered, and gone to seed in the garden:. Produce a crop of lettuce seed — not recommended, as future generations from the seed may show an inherited tendency bolt and run to seed too quickly.

My choice would be to remove the bolted romaine lettuce plants from the garden, add them to the compost pile, and to try planting again for fall, or better yet early next spring. I hope to share the incredible lessons learned and make things a lot easier for you out in the organic vegetable garden. Subscribe to blog updates, notifications of in-person training programs, online courses, coaching opportunities, heirloom seed availability, plant sales, and other special events.

Comments: April 24,