What to do when plants bolt
It's the time of year when your garden plants start bolting. A horticulturists lays out your game plan.
Posted by Erica Glasener
August 23, 2011
Fennel that has flowered and set seed (bolted). Photo by Erica Glasener.
If you grow vegetables, herbs or flowers, at some point you have probably experienced what happens when your plants “bolt.†Bolting is defined as “ when plants grow quickly, stop flowering and set seeds.†This term is commonly applied to crops like Lettuce and Spinach but can happen with your flowers too. Weather can play a factor in bolting. At the end of the spring when temperatures are consistently rising and then are hot in summer, it’s the natural course of events for cool season crops to quit putting energy into producing foliage and realize that they better produce seed if they want to keep the species going.
But as a gardener there are some techniques to try that will keep some of your vegetables and annuals producing over a longer period of time. And, when your plants do finally bolt, there are some things you can do to keep your garden going.
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