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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.
- Can you eat lettuce after it bolts?
- What causes lettuce to bolt?
- What to do with lettuce when it bolts?
- Why is my lettuce so tall?
- How long does it take for lettuce to bolt?
- Will lettuce grow back after cutting?
- How often should you water lettuce?
- What do you plant after Lettuce bolts?
- What does it mean when a vegetable bolts?
Can you eat lettuce after it bolts?
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.
What causes lettuce to bolt?
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. Lettuce does offer a few clues when it's about to bolt.
What to do with lettuce when it bolts?
As lettuce plants bolt or begin to grow bitter, soak plants or leaves in cool water overnight to draw out white sap that is produced in leaves and stems as plants prepare to set seeds and which causes bitter flavor.
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 long does it take for lettuce to bolt?
Plants grown on short days bolted about 135 days after planting, compared with about 90 days for plants on long days, and neither short-day nor long-day plants had premature bolting.
Will lettuce grow back after cutting?
Head lettuce will die back, but most leaf-lettuce plants renew efforts to produce leaves, if regularly watered after trimming. Results will often be smaller than the original plant, but you may be able to harvest a second, good-tasting crop within as little as two weeks.
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 do you plant after Lettuce bolts?
For most gardeners, the best vegetables to plant after lettuce are bush beans, which germinate fast in warm soil and produce heavily in late summer. Other good veggies to plant after lettuce include carrots, cucumbers, squash or a second sowing of basil to carry you through the summer.
What does it mean when a vegetable bolts?
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.
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