How to prevent premature flowering

Interesting facts about growth

Lettuce is one of the annual plants that complete its growing season within one season. First, depending on the variety, a loose to dense rosette of leaves forms, which forms the head of lettuce. Lactuca sativa and its forms belong to the long-day plants. The flower formation is stimulated as soon as the day length rises above the twelve hour mark. This is the case from June to August. The central sprout stretches and branches from a height of 50 centimeters to a loose inflorescence.

That's why lettuce shoots prematurely

If flowers develop prematurely, stress factors have adversely affected their growth. If the planting distance in the bed is too short, the lettuce plants compete for light, so that they shoot up early. If the soil is too dry, a stressful situation also arises. The plants try to produce seeds as quickly as possible before they die off due to the lack of water. The same applies to excessively high temperatures. More rarely, insect infestation on the roots can lead to shooting.

What you can do

Note the given sowing dates, which vary depending on the variety. Pay attention to the Planting lettuce on the distanceso that the plants have enough space for undisturbed growth. Put vegetable salads on a loose and deep bottom that isn't too heavy. Substrates rich in humus and low in nitrogen are ideal.

Choose the right varieties

It is more difficult to grow successfully during the summer months when the day length is over twelve hours. There are now a number of so-called day-neutral varieties that are not based on the number of hours of light. They do not have a shooting tendency and are designed for summer culture.

Lap-proof Lettuce varieties:

• 'Ovation': can be sown from February to August
• 'Lucinde': sowing takes place from mid-March to the end of August
• 'Pirate': seeds are allowed in the bed from April to June
• 'Brown defiant head': Direct sowing between April and June

Harvest lettuce

Usually the lettuce plants are cut off completely as soon as a strong and juicy head has formed. If you harvest individual leaves from the outside in and leave the heart intact, the plant will steadily grow back. Harvesting is possible until flowers have formed. As soon as inflorescences appear, the plants store bitter substances in the leaf mass. The salad is still edible. Before preparation, remove the bitter stems and check how tough the leaf tissue is.