However, when temperatures rise, lettuceplants begin flowering or bolting. The main stem grows tall with lots of space between the leaves. Then, the leaves turn bitter and lose their juiciness. When plantsbolt, it means they flower and go to seed. Lettuce that flowers become inedible. Learn what causes bolting and how to help prevent it. This is why lettuces “bolt” – the plants begin to grow upwards, producing less leaves and eventually blooming. Tall lettuceplants going to seed. Or plant them later on in your fall garden as the days begin to shorten. How to Prevent Your Lettuce From Bolting. Lettucebolting study planting successions. INTRODUCTION: Bolting (flower initiation) in lettuce is a common problem for producers in areas where summer temperatures rise above 85°F... This is the dreaded phenomenon of "lettucebolting" - a natural response in lettuceplants when they’re exposed to environmental triggers like high temperatures and long day lengths. Boltinglettuceplants become bitter and sharp in taste as they shoot towards the sky. Other crops that are sensitive to bolting include Chinese cabbage and mustard greens. If a lettuceplantbolts, it’s still edible but the flavor turns bitter. If your lettuceplants flower, it’s not possible to revive them and they’ll have to be replaced. It bolts. Lettuceplants are annuals, meaning they have a one-year life cycle. In that one year they flower and make seed. So your boltinglettuce is a normal thing. Most boltinglettuceplants should be composted, but perhaps you want to grow a crop of lettuce seeds for saving? This is a fast, doable project... in depth advice on how to avoid plantsbolting or going to seed in your vegetable garden.Lettuce that has bolted. BoltingLettuces. Lettuce is one of the most frequent-to-bolt vegetables. How to Prevent Bolting. What to Do If Your PlantsBolt. Bolt-Resistant Cultivars. Lettuce is supposed to go to seed. That’s how it reproduces. What Does BoltingLettuce Look Like? When a lettuceplantbolts, it sends up a tall central stalk and begins to form yellow flowers (each of which will produce seeds). Plant fall lettuce beginning about 4 to 8 weeks before the first frost. If you use a cold frame or row cover, gardeners in many areas of the country can grow lettuce through the winter.
