Bolting Lettuce ...Hmm.

So we're first time gardeners and after being away for a week the garden looks SOOO different.

And apparently our lettuce didn't love us as much as we loved it...

I thought the lettuce "grew like crazy" when really apparently it "bolted."

Like ran away...see. It's easy to get confused. (Actually in the picture it sort of looks like we have two long rows of lettuce, but don't be fooled, those "long" things are actually TALL things.)

I found these websites when I was trying to figure out how we were supposed to harvest our Romaine Lettuce.  Turns out we waited too late... apparently they don't do well above 85 degrees.. we live in Texas.

Why Lettuce Bolts and What You Can do About It

Good Lettuce Gone Bad: Bolting and Flowering

And like the articles say, the lettuce is now very very bitter! I tried it and had to instantly spit it out of my mouth onto the counter...eww. Apparently growing romaine lettuce is not like buying lettuce in the store. See in the store you have a head of lettuce that was cut off all at once. But in your back yard, you just pluce off about 2/3 of the leaves when they look ready and then the leaves (AKA lettuce) keep growing back.  Then once it gets too hot, or the plant get's stressed out (lol), or if it just has bad lettuce genes then it will bolt --> tall growing --> flowers on the top --> all the leaves taste nasty nasty...

Better luck next time. And on to the tomatoes and corn :) :) :) ...and the spinach, and the onions, and the blueberries, apples, bell peppers, colored bell peppers, pineapple, and broccoli. That's all.