What To Do With Bolted Lettuce: 7 Creative Ways To Use It

It’s a familiar sight for gardeners – you head out to harvest some crisp lettuce leaves only to find the plant has bolted. The once tasty leaves are now bitter, and a tall flower stalk juts up from the center At this point, most gardeners rip out bolting lettuce plants in frustration. But don’t discard that bolted lettuce just yet! With some creativity, there are plenty of ways to use up lettuce past its prime In this article, we’ll explore seven clever ideas to make the most of bolted lettuce plants.

What is Bolting and Why Does it Happen?

Before diving into salvaging strategies, let’s quickly review what causes lettuce to bolt in the first place. Bolting refers to when a lettuce plant shifts from vegetative growth to reproductive growth. This causes the plant to rapidly elongate, send up a flower stalk, bloom, and set seed. Bolting is triggered by increasing daylight, temperatures, and dry conditions. It most commonly occurs as weather warms in spring or summer. Once bolted, the plant’s energy goes toward reproduction, and the leaves become tough and bitter.

While frustrating allowing a few lettuce plants to bolt each year provides some benefits

• Attracts pollinators with its blooms
• Seeds can be collected for future planting
• Trap crop for pests like slugs that favor lettuce

7 Clever Ways to Use Bolted Lettuce

Now onto the fun part – here are 7 creative ways to utilize lettuce that has bolted:

1. Harvest Individual Leaves

Bolting progresses gradually, so taste test leaves first Harvest and enjoy any that are still sweet As bitterness increases, use only younger interior leaves. Soak harvested leaves in water to reduce bitterness.

2. Feed It to Animals

Chickens, rabbits, goats, and guinea pigs will happily munch on bitter lettuce. It’s a free treat! Monitor to avoid overfeeding.

3. Cut Back and Allow Regrowth

Chop bolted lettuces back to 2 inches above soil. Many varieties will resprout for a smaller second harvest. This works best for leaf lettuces.

4. Allow to Flower for Beneficial Insects

Lettuce flowers attract parasitic wasps, syrphid flies, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects that prey on garden pests.

5. Save Seeds for Next Season

Let a few lettuces fully bolt and set seed. Then collect seeds from the largest, healthiest plants to grow improved lettuce next year.

6. Use as a Trap Crop

Slugs, snails, and pillbugs gravitate toward flowering lettuce. Keep these pests occupied by retaining bolted plants near susceptible crops.

7. Add to Compost

Chopped up bolted lettuce makes an excellent nitrogen source for compost. Mix with carbon-rich materials like dried leaves or straw.

Timing Lettuce Planting to Prevent Bolting

While salvaging bolted lettuces is useful, prevention is ideal. Follow these tips to avoid premature bolting:

• Select bolt-resistant varieties suitable for your climate. Heat/sun tolerant types last longer.

• Time planting carefully. Grow lettuce in cool weather of early spring and fall. Avoid mid-summer.

• Start seeds early indoors for transplants ready to plant out once cooler temperatures arrive.

• Use shade covers and companion planting to protect from heat and sun.

• Ensure consistent moisture. Drought stress can trigger early bolting.

• Sow new seeds every 2-3 weeks for a steady supply before summer.

• In warm climates, grow lettuce as a cool season annual. Treat as a cold weather crop.

Rejuvenating Tired Lettuce Beds

If lettuce bolts early before you get much of a harvest, don’t leave the bed empty. Replenish the soil and replant for a second crop. Here are some tips:

• Pull spent plants and add to compost pile. This opens up the bed for new plants.

• Work 1-2 inches of compost into top layer to replenish nutrients. Lettuce is a heavy feeder.

• Consider sowing heat tolerant greens like chard, kale or arugula to carry the bed through summer.

• Plant another round of lettuce seedlings or seeds if weather has cooled again. Be sure to use bolt resistant types.

• Protect fall crops with shade cloth and wind barriers to extend the harvest as long as possible.

Enjoying Garden-Fresh Lettuce Before It Bolts

When given the right conditions, lettuce can provide a long harvest. Succession sowing is key to enjoying homegrown lettuce all season. Start crops every 2-3 weeks from early spring through late fall. Shelter plants from heat and sun. Water consistently. With multiple plantings, you can harvest over an extended window and won’t be as disappointed if one sowing bolts early. If lettuce does bolt, put it to good use! Implement the creative ideas in this article to maximize productivity from your lettuce patch.