Bolting lettuce when good lettuce goes bad

Bolting, when the plants shift from leafy growth into flower production, is caused by a number of factors including high temperatures, long daylight hours, and less moisture – in essence – summer. ...

Can you still eat lettuce that has bolted?
Can you stop lettuce from bolting?
What happens if I let my lettuce go to seed?
What to do with lettuce that has bolted?
Why is my lettuce so tall?
How often should you water lettuce?
What does Lettuce bolting mean?
Why is my homegrown lettuce bitter?

Can you still eat lettuce that has bolted?

Bolted lettuce can still be harvested and eaten, although the leaves will taste unpalatable and bitter if they are left on the plant too long, so it is best to pick the leaves as soon as possible after bolting and remove the plant entirely once all the edible leaves are removed.

Can you stop lettuce from bolting?

To prevent bolting, planting leafy lettuces in the spring and continually harvesting (cutting them back) during the year will likely prevent bolting and provide lettuce leaves for most of the summer. ... Another option is to plant in the shade so that the lettuce doesn't get full sun all day.

What happens if I let my 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.

What to do with lettuce that has bolted?

Here are five things to do with bolted lettuce.

Donate Bolted Lettuce to an Animal Shelter. ...
Cut Plants Back to the Ground; Let Them Resprout. ...
Let Plants Flower for Beneficial Insects and Pollinators. ...
Collect the Seeds for Next Year's Garden. ...
Use Bolted Lettuce as a Trap Crop.

Why is my lettuce so tall?

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 often should you water lettuce?

Water your lettuce plants every day—and even more often if it is extremely hot and dry. The lettuce leaves are mostly water and will desiccate and wilt in strong sunlight and dry soil. Lettuce roots tend to be shallow, so frequent watering is more important than deep watering.

What does Lettuce bolting mean?

Vegetable gardeners often talk about their plants "bolting," which simply means that the plant sends up a flower stalk and goes to seed. ... Bolting is common in cool-season greens, like arugula, lettuce and spinach.

Why is my homegrown lettuce bitter?

Most gardeners will tell you that bitter lettuce is the result of summer heat; lettuce is known as a cool season vegetable. ... Another answer to why does lettuce turn bitter is nutrition. Lettuce needs to grow fast. Without proper nutrients, growth becomes stunted and bitter tasting lettuce is the result.