Tony O’Neill , expert nurseryman and best - selling author of the famous “ Simplify Vegetable Gardening , ” “ Composting Masterclass , ” and “ Your First Vegetable Garden , ” immix lifelong warmth and expert knowledge to simplify horticulture . His commission ? Helping you train a thriving garden . More on Tony O’Neill

{ “ statusCode”:401,”message”:”License key missing ” }

All lettuces will grow tall if left to go into their seeding phase . When lettuces go to seed , know as the bolting level , stalks extend upwards and turn flowers , each producing a individual source . Romaine and celery lettuces grow to about 20 inches ( 50 cm ) marvellous without gobble .

“An assortment of fresh and vibrant lettuce leaves in different shades of green, red, and purple. The crisp leaves are arranged in a pile, with curly and smooth textures creating a beautiful contrast. The light shines on the leaves, highlighting their natural beauty and inviting freshness."

Table of Contents

The Four Main Lettuce Varieties

Lettuce plants have a biennial life cycle , using the first year to found themselves and the second to make semen . They have petite flower and ego - pollinate to raise a unmarried semen per flower . Botanically , there are four bread case in theLactuca sativagenus :

Several loanblend survive , and scientist are constantly seeking agency to produce good lettuce quicker that can stand winter frigidity or summertime high temperature without bolt .

Bolting Lettuce

Our language is fickle;Poetryis rife with references to early efflorescence : “ Thou xanthous trumpeter of laggard Spring , ” yet when the same flush , with the same purpose , interrupts our harvest , a color is suddenly a bolt .

one-year cool - time of year plants such as boodle and spinach will bolt when the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. lengthen in the summer . run off in lettuce make the leafage to turn biting , as do hotter temperatures and longer day .

Hot weather , as well as dry territory , causes efflorescence to bloom more quickly . A change in climate ( spicy conditions for cool - season harvest or cold snap for quick - time of year crops ) during a plant ’s typical vegetational full stop causes bolting in several two-year plants . Several of the Brassica and Asteraceae crop are susceptible to bolt .

“Image of fresh and vibrant green romaine lettuces with crisp leaves arranged in a neat row."

Romaine Lettuce Bolting

Some biyearly plants ( focus on producing foliage and roots in their first year and blossoming to release seeds the following year ) may beetle off in reaction to difference from their general originate wont — a cold-blooded period during the first growing time of year .

Most biyearly plants , such as simoleons , carrot , onions , and lead cabbage , must reach a specific degree of ontogeny before they can blossom . However , turnips are cold - sensitive from the instant they germinate .

Bolting can not be stopped once it has begun , so replace afflict plant with heat - tolerant summer crop or expect until later in the summertime to replant for a declination harvest .

“Close-up of a large, fresh Romaine lettuce head, with bright green leaves forming a tight, compact heart shape at the center of the image. The lettuce is shown on a white background, with water droplets visible on some of the leaves, adding to the overall freshness and crispness of the image."

Several agent trigger bolting , i.e. , bolting in the first year of emergence . foresightful days , extend exposure temperatures above 85 ° F/29 ° one C , and dry spells will get down the abscond operation .

Bolted lettuce taste bitter , so much so that it ’s almost inedible . I do not suggest doing a preference test . remove the flowering stalk does n’t puzzle out the problem . Once the wampum industrial plant has generated a flowering stem , you may not save the craw even if the conditions cools .

The acrid taste readiness in once the industrial plant ’s chemical composition changes to grow blossom . It ’s just a phenomenon unique to biyearly plants .

“Close-up photo of a single Romaine lettuce plant with vibrant green leaves growing from a white stem. The leaves have a slightly ruffled texture and are arranged in a rosette shape, with the inner leaves forming a tight cluster. In the background, other lettuce plants are partially visible, creating a verdant, organic backdrop."

Can We Stop Bolting?

As mentioned in the beginning , lettuce bolts when temperatures are too , the territory is too dry , or the days are too prospicient . But how do you stop lettuce from bolt ? It ’s a job commercial-grade lettuce growers have spent chunks of resources on — both time and money .

Reproduction is a progress - in compulsion , a very strong one at that . Likely , we will never foreclose bolting . The salutary gardener can hope for is to delay bolt long enough to allow a harvest of lettuce crops unsullied by rancor .

There are several means to slow bolt , principally negating the peril to forestall gobble before growers harvest their lettuce . These risks are :

A person wearing a red shirt and gardening boots is using a knife to carefully harvest fresh lettuce from a garden bed filled with green plants. The person is bent over and appears to be focused on the task at hand, with the sun shining down on their back.

Why is My Romaine Lettuce Growing Tall?

Romaine lettuce is highly nutritious but , for some reason , seems to be less popular with abode gardeners . It resemble Chinese loot , forming upright head with wavy , attractive leaf .

Romaine cabbage is a cool - season craw grown in full sun or fond shade . Romaine lettuce prefer well - drained grease with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 and involve temperate lacrimation .

Romaine loot can be start from seed or transplant as seedlings . Romaine loot takes approximately 50 to 70 day to mature and is typically harvest when the leaves are full - sized and have a crisp texture .

How to Stop My Romaine Lettuce Growing Tall

Unlike other loot , this variety uprise to about 20 column inch ( half a meter ) tall , standardized to the less popular stalk pelf ( celtuce ) . There is no way to stop Romaine lettuce from growing grandiloquent other than buying a mini version like the slight gemstone or the Fenburg scratch .

The mini cos lettuce lettuce variety is a novelty version of the Romaine lettuce and has a dwarf habit . If you find this Romaine lettuce growing tall , you could safely assume it is gobble . If your Romaine lettuce has a flower stalk grow from the center , it is beyond saving , and the craw can be rogued ( unless you want to produce seeded player ) .

A flow stalk produce one seed per blossom , lasting a twelvemonth . Harvesting pelf seed is easy , but you may consider passion - treating harvest seeds to subdue pathogen risks . It is not recommended that beginner gardeners rise lettuce from harvested seeds .

Growing Romaine Lettuce

Romaine lettuce is a nourishing coolheaded - conditions vegetable , provide a low - calorie , gloomy - sugar beginning of vitamins and minerals . A cup of chopped romaine simoleons contains

Typically plant after the last frost date in early springtime , this moolah plant is more resistant of warm atmospheric condition . Still , debar too much sunshine and hot atmospheric condition for cool - time of year crops is near .

scratch plant are happy if you keep the soil moist , limiting exposure to the midday Dominicus , and too much sun can cause gratuity tan and initiation bolting . Except for water system and light necessity , growing lettuce is easy .

Fresh Lettuce Seeds

Lettuce growing is often frustrated by poor ejaculate germination , more so than other plants . Getting fresh seeds annually is vital as lettuce seed can not be stash away for the next season .

Harvesting Lettuce Leaves

Romaine loot , growing tall , take about 60 to 80 days to make grow full . Unlike leafage moolah , the whole flora is harvested once it has mature tall , and it ’s essential to gather Romaine before it grows taller ( bolts ) .

If your Romaine lettuces are grow improbable than 20 inches/50 cm , they are likely bolting . Plants grow tedious if they are stressed .

FAQs on Secrets to Growing Tall and Healthy Lettuce

How do you make lettuce grow better?To help lettuce grow considerably , establish it in well - draining grunge with uniform moisture and muckle of sunlight . Avoid overwatering and overcrowding . Fertilize with a nitrogen - rich fertilizer every two weeks and mulch around the plants to retain moisture . harvest home clams regularly to encourage new emergence .

What is the good fertiliser for lettuce?A balanced fertilizer with a high N mental object , such as a 3:1:2 or 4:1:2 proportion , is best for lettuce . Organic pick like compost or manure can also serve . fend off over - fertilizing .

How do you speed up lettuce growth?To speed up lettuce ontogeny , ensure they welcome at least 6 60 minutes of sunlight day by day , provide coherent wet through even lacrimation , and fertilize with a nitrogen - plentiful plant food . Planting boodle in raised beds or containers with well - run out soil can also further degraded increment . in conclusion , choose tight - grow wampum varieties and plant them in the right season can help hotfoot development .

In Summary

Biennials , like the boodle , have a two - twelvemonth acquire wheel — one for developing infrastructure and one for germ production . If plants face adversity , they rush the mental process and start semen production in year one .

Romaine gelt farm taller than other lettuce plants , and though they well handle the summer months and warm solar day , they still prefer cooler weather . The scratch works likes cool conditions and should be institute in winter if you survive in a warm climate .