What is what to do when lettuce bolts?

When lettuce bolts, it means the plant is prematurely flowering and producing seeds. This usually happens when the weather gets too hot. Here's what you can do:

• Harvest as much as possible: Before the leaves become too bitter, harvest whatever edible lettuce you can. Even bolted lettuce is edible, though the flavor degrades quickly.

• Cut it back: If you want to delay seed production and maybe get a few more edible leaves, you can try cutting the plant back. Remove the central flowering stem. This might encourage the plant to produce a few more side leaves.

• Let it flower and collect seeds: If the leaves are too bitter, let the plant flower. Lettuce flowers are attractive to pollinators. Once the flower heads dry, you can collect the seeds for next year's planting. Understanding the Lettuce%20Lifecycle can help you plan for future plantings.

• Pull it out: If you don't want to collect seeds and the lettuce is too bitter, simply pull the plant out and compost it. Consider planting Heat-Tolerant%20Vegetables in its place.

• Preventative measures for next time: To avoid bolting in the future, plant lettuce in early spring or late summer, when temperatures are cooler. Choose Bolt-Resistant%20Varieties and provide shade during the hottest part of the day. Adequate watering is also essential to prevent stress that can trigger bolting.