The terminus “ bolt ” is a confusing one for Modern gardeners . Most have hear the term “ work to seed , ” but few have heard “ bolting . ” Simply put , bolt is when plants begin to go to ejaculate – they start putting all their vigour into grow reproductive organs ( cum , flowers , etc ) .
When it comes to bolting , lettuce is one of the most unmanageable plants for the vegetable nurseryman to deal with . Whatever the type , leaf or head , lettuce tends to bolt very quickly , putting out long seed stalks . Once it starts , you literally have only a couple of day to deal with it before the moolah harvest is ruined . The good news is that there are various planting techniques to help prevent bolting .
Causes for Lettuce Bolting
First , understand that every flora ’s ultimate goal , no matter what it is , is to reproduce . This is what drive plants to grow in the first place . Our job as vegetable growers is to harness this tendency without letting it go all the direction .
The primary trigger that adjust off bolt in most leafy William Green is heat . These plant prefer cooler temperatures during their primary growth period . So when a comparatively meek or stale spell is all of a sudden met with a prolonged ( more than a handful of day in a run-in ) affectionate or hot magical spell , expect these plants to bolt .
Most cool time of year crops ( common beet , spinach plant , radishes , turnips , etc . ) are the same , in fact . So if one is survive to bolt , they all will . This can sham a large clump of your garden .
CC flickr photo by aperte
Tips for Growing Lettuce
To prevent bolt , planting leafy lettuces in the outflow and continually harvesting ( slue them back ) during the year will likely keep bolting and ply lettuce leaves for most of the summertime . For headland clams , such as iceberg , take planting them as a pin crop so they mature as the weather is cooling . Another option is to plant in the tone so that the lettuce does n’t get full sunshine all day . This can prevent bolting as the flora will not have the vim , but it will also stunt rich emergence . Some gardeners even leave to apprehend up their industrial plant and replant them ( often in the same spot ) ; the shock will stop run out instantly .
start out your lucre indoors well before the rime lifts and growing them in buckets or suitable containers until quick for transplant ( belike after you ’ve already begun to enjoy humble cuts from the plants ) is another choice . The blow of the transplant plus the earliness of their planting think that the lettuce will be well through its lifecycle by the time the high temperature of summertime really sets in .
The best matter to do when growing cabbage is to be mindful of the needs of each particular smorgasbord and to implant varieties recommend for your realm . Growing the good eccentric of lettuce in the right room fail a long ways towards keep them from bolting and lead bitter . lachrymation daily , even just for myopic periods , can make boodle more forgiving , assist with bolting . Once the seed shoots look , you may trim them back , but be prepared to do this day by day in fiat to keep them back .
More Resources on Bolted Lettuce:
Iowa State University – LettuceUniversity of Illinois – Lettuce
