Bolted Lettuce and Spinach

Q: My lettuce and spinach plants have been great all spring but have suddenly produced tall stems from the center of the plants and the leaves have become bitter. What’s going on?

A: This is called bolting. Your plants are ready to flower and set seed. Once this starts you can’t stop it. Bolting can be caused by drought, but more commonly from heat as we approach the warmer days of summer. Time to pull them out and replant the space with a warm season crop like beans, squash, cucumbers, carrots or herbs.

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Read our Q & As with Keith Funk answering common Colorado gardening questions here. You can also hear him on the Garden Wise Radio Show