Bolting Lettuce

Bolting Lettuce

I think bolting lettuce looks funny.  This is a romaine (or cos) variety, and you can see the flower stalk alone is about twice the size of the head of lettuce itself.  I’m growing this on my roof this year to save seeds.

While I’ve grown lettuce off and on for several years, last year was the first I tried to save seeds from it.  I failed, and the reason was I didn’t expect the plants to get so large and I used a container that was too small.  When you see this nice head of lettuce that you can hold in your hands, you don’t expect the flower stalk to get nearly as tall as you are!

The speed in which the flower stalk appeared was also a bit surprising.  This one took about 2 days to develop, whereas the rest of the head of lettuce was months in the coming.

I’m also letting some lettuce go to seed in the garden, but this one I’m growing on my roof so I can watch it more carefully and also because the seeds have dandelion like parachutes, and I want to be prepared to get them in time in case this is an issue.

Lettuce in the home garden has been getting a lot more attention lately.  My friend Lieven has been breeding lettuce for the last few years, and the Seed Savers Exchange is also offering an ever increasing variety.  Its really pretty easy to grow, and if you are prepared for the size not difficult to save seeds from either.

15 Replies to “Bolting Lettuce”

  1. I’ve never saved my own lettuce seeds, but I may just try it this year. I have a few plants that are already trying to bolt!

  2. I agree with you that bolting lettuce looks funny 🙂 I watch now also similar events in my garden.
    I am sorry, I forgot to ask about the payment for sending me the alpine strawberries seeds 🙁

  3. Bolting lettuce does have a different look. You’re right about the size — I’ve let a lot of our lettuce go to see this year and seed stalks really fill out the garden. I will have to see what happens when the seeds are actually ready.

  4. I think the reason it seems to grow so fast is that all it’s doing is elongating the stem. The leaves are already formed (they were in the head)

  5. Bolting lettuces differ as much as their heads or leaves do. This one looks like Sherwood: a crunchy cos.Tie something like a cane to it for that a little support, in case of wind or rain.

    Saving your own lettuce seed is fun, crossing lettuces is addictive!

  6. I have romaine lettuce that is tall tall…. skinny and scant leaves near the bottom. Could it being going to seed? flower? bolt? whatever the word is?

  7. Hi Alan,

    Yes, it sounds like your lettuce is going to seed. The lettuce itself probably isn’t nice to eat any more, but you might be able to save seeds from it for regrowing.

    To save seeds just wait until the plant develops little balls of fluff, resembling dandelion seeds. Then collect them. They sould pull of the plant without much force, otherwise wait a few more days.

    It’s possible the variety you have is an F1 hybrid, in which case the regrown plants won’t be the same as the parent plant. With lettuce this isn’t as important as with many other edible plants because lettuce is lettuce, and probably no matter what you will get something edible, even if it isn’t true romaine lettuce.

    There are two reasons your plant might bolt. The first is it has matured normally, meaning you probably planted it a few months ago. The other reason it may bolt is it is under stress, perhaps not enough water, too much fertilizer, hot weather or some other reason. If it has bolted because it’s under stress, the seeds are less likely to be of good quality.

  8. Hi Ruth,

    Bolted lettuce isn’t poisonous or harmful in any way, but probably won’t taste very good. Mostly it’ll probably taste bitter.

    Sometimes if you catch it just as it’s starting to bolt it may be okay, but otherwise you probably won’t want to eat it.

  9. Will the earlier lettuce (close to the soil) also taste bad once the lettuce plant has bolted? Or is it only the lettuce near the top that will taste bad? Unfortunately, I have not yet been eating my lettuce. I was waiting til we had more of it!

  10. Hi Dave,

    Normally, as soon as the plant has bolted, no part is nice to eat anymore. It’s not poisonous, so go ahead and try it if you want.

    The nice thing about lettuce is it grows quickly, so there’s still time for another sowing this year…

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