Why is my romaine lettuce lettuce leggy ?
Romaine lettuce , like many leafy greens , can become leggy when it starts to bolt . Bolting is a raw process that takes place when the plant transitions from vegetal growth to reproductive growth . It is triggered by factors such as increase temperature , longer days , and eld of the plant .
When a cos lettuce plant becomes leggy , it think that it has started to elongate its stem in preparation for flowering and seed product . The supple stalk that you see where the leaves are attached is a readable denotation that the flora is diverting its energy towards reproducing rather than producing more tasty leaves .
This is a crucial point in the lifecycle of the plant life , as all its resourcefulness are now focused on going to full prime and bring forth semen . The leave may become acerbic or less flavorous as the industrial plant guide its energy towards reproductive efforts . Once the bolt process begin , the plant will no longer produce new leaves for harvest .
There are several reasons why romaine lettuce may become leggy and bolt :
1 . Temperature : Romaine lettuce prefer nerveless temperatures , ideally between 55 ° F and 65 ° F ( 13 ° ampere-second and 18 ° atomic number 6 ) . When exposed to higher temperatures , the plant may perceive it as a signal to get down inflorescence and bolt .
2 . Day Length : Romaine lettuce is a foresighted - day flora , meaning it postulate a certain numeral of hours of daylight to remain in the vegetal point . As the twenty-four hour period lengthen , the works may construe this as a clue to initiate florescence .
3 . Age of the plant : lucre plants have a limited lifetime , and as they get on , they are more likely to bolt . new plants are mostly less prone to bolting compared to old ones .
To prevent or minimize leggy romaine lettuce :
1 . Timing : establish your romaine boodle early in the season when temperatures are still coolheaded . This will give the plant life a chance to establish and grow before the onset of spicy conditions .
2 . serial Planting : rather of sowing all your romaine lettuce seed at once , consider serial plantings every few week . This will assure a uninterrupted supply of young , tender leave and reduce the chances of all plants bolt simultaneously .
3 . Shade : If you live in an area with hot summertime , providing some wraith to your romaine cabbage can help reduce bolting . you’re able to employ tint fabric , row covers , or even plant taller crops nearby to render some rilievo from direct sunshine .
4 . Harvesting : Keep a close eye on your cos lettuce wampum plants and harvest the leaves promptly when they are ready . even harvesting not only encourages unexampled growth but also helps prevent the plant from divert free energy towards flowering .
Romaine lettuce becomes long-legged when it starts to go off as part of its raw generative unconscious process . Factors such as temperature , solar day length , and the age of the plant can influence the likelihood of bolt . By understanding these ingredient and implementing preventative measures , you may enjoy a bountiful harvest of tasty romaine lettuce lolly leaves before they beetle off and become less desirable for ingestion .
Caroline Bates
