Why does lettuce bolt? Causes and control methods

Cabbage is one of the most common vegetables in our daily lives. It prefers a cool climate and is a cold-tolerant vegetable, grown all over the country. But quite a few growers have encountered early bolting when growing cabbage, leading to low yields. What is going on here? Let's take a look together.

1. Improper variety selection

There are many cabbage varieties, and different varieties differ in their degree of winter hardiness, so their bolting rates also differ. Generally, varieties with weaker winter hardiness bolt easily, whereas varieties with strong winter hardiness have a low bolting rate.

Control method: Based on the above, it is recommended to choose cabbage varieties with strong winter hardiness when planting, to reduce the early bolting rate.

2. Sowing too early

The sowing time of cabbage also affects its bolting to a certain extent. If sown too early, the seedlings remain in a low-temperature environment for a long time, and they will bolt very easily around spring.

Control method: Strictly control the sowing time. Cabbage is a plant that senses low temperature to bolt. In a low-temperature environment for a long time, it bolts very easily. However, some growers sow blindly in order to increase yield, which backfires instead. If sown too early, the overwintering plants are large and tend to bolt; if sown too late, the overwintering plants are small and the bolting rate is low, but the plants are thin and weak, prone to cold damage during overwintering, and the harvest is also later. Generally, according to local climate conditions, the most suitable sowing time is between late October and early November.

3. Improper temperature

Cabbage bolting is greatly related to the temperature during seedling management. If the seedbed temperature is relatively high when raising seedlings, even if the sowing time is late, the seedlings will grow extremely fast, causing the seedlings to have already grown to a size that can sense low temperature when they are planted out early, and bolting will occur.

Control method: Temperature control must be done well. If sowing is normal and a warm winter occurs, with vigorous seedling growth, fertilizer and water can be controlled at this time to limit the growth rate of the seedlings, so as to prevent the seedlings from growing too large during overwintering.

4. Improper planting out

If the seedlings are too large when planted out, the bolting rate will be higher during overwintering at low temperatures. At the same time, the timing is also extremely important. If planted out too early, the seedlings are exposed to low temperature for a longer time, causing bolting. If planted out too late, the low-temperature requirement of the seedlings cannot be met, and bolting will also occur.

Control method: When planting out, be sure to control the size of the seedlings and the planting time, and plant out at the right time according to climate changes. After planting out, reasonably regulate fertilizer and water according to plant size, so that the plants overwinter safely but do not bolt.

The above is an introduction to the causes of lettuce bolting and control methods. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.