Why has everything bolted?

[fredtbad]

This has been our first season growing anything at all and apart from a very successful crop of peas, as well as some onions, everything else has 'bolted'.
One of our allotment neighbours told us this but didn't say why or what this means. Could we have done something to prevent it, or is it something we did?
Broccoli, sprouts, lettuce, rocket have all been ruined. We live near Newcastle in case that makes things clear.

Thanks for any advice, we'd dearly love to avoid this next year.

[balliol]

Im no expert but I would say you probably wernt fast enough with the harvesting. I think but im not sure that when its bolted it means its gone to seed if this is right then all is not lost because you could perhaps gather the seeds for next years crop, dont ask me how to do it though!

[IanP]

I think bolting is generally caused by the temperature being wrong for the plants, so they race to produce seed instead of growing lots of nice edible leaves. My understanding is that it varies from plant to plant, so for some plants it happens if the temperature is too high (lettuce and other salad crops) while for others it happens if it's too low (oriental cabbage and things like that). I'm no expert so that could be wrong.

Actually it'd be quite handy to have a guide to which plants bolt and why they do it. Wonder if any of the other members know of one?

Cheers,
Ian.

[Protea]

Yes, bolting is 'running to seed' or in other words producing seed when you would otherwise have harvested the crop.

It depends on the veg - some bolt in response to reduced light levels, some due to temperature (think radishes/lettuce/spinach all bolting in the height of summer). A lot of my lettuces bolted this year in the very hot summer.

You may need to sow/plant your crops as a different time of year to avoid sensitive temperatures/daylengths, and keep on top of the harvesting! Lack of water can also induce bolting as the plant tries desperately to reproduce before it dies.

You may find that onions run to seed - using heat treated sets usually helps reduce this, otherwise just snap off the flower heads as they appear and use the bulb quickly, they won't store.

Better luck next year.

[Snadger]

This has been our first season growing anything at all and apart from a very successful crop of peas, as well as some onions, everything else has 'bolted'.
One of our allotment neighbours told us this but didn't say why or what this means. Could we have done something to prevent it, or is it something we did?
Broccoli, sprouts, lettuce, rocket have all been ruined. We live near Newcastle in case that makes things clear.

Thanks for any advice, we'd dearly love to avoid this next year.

Hello fredbad and can I asume you are a fellow geordie like myself, not one of the Under-Lyme mob?
Lettuce and rocket are notorious bolters and it is usually because of a check in growth, ie sown too early in cold soil or even stress through drought etc.
I would have thought for broccoli to bolt it would have to go through a usable state, so maybe it wasn't picked regularily? Sprouts bolting is a strange one?, but once again, I would hazzard a guess to early planting being the culprit. Boltardy beetroot is bolt resistant as the name implies. The only problem I have with bolting is red onions grown from sets. I am growing red onions from seed this year to try and combat this. Sometimes its best to grow your own plants from seed as you have no control over what has happened to plants before you recieve them.
Anyway, hope this hasn't put you off and use it as learning experience. Being 'up north' sometimes its best to delay planting a little bit and try not to let plants go short of water if we have a hot Summer

[fredtbad]

Pah, under lyme lot
Geordies born n bred (that's AND not IN btw)
The lettuce and spinach did bolt when the weather got very hot and sunny. The broccoli was purple sprouting and we perhaps should've harvested earlier, but were perhaps naively waiting for it to look like it does in the shops
Nevermind, live n learn. Thanks for all the help guys, it's much appreciated. Everytime we go over the allotment everyone else looks like they know what they're doing, whereas we look like numbnuts. When does that change?
I bought my first pair of wellies today for a fiver, haven't had wellies since I was 8 I think. I christened them with mud

[nick the grief]

...........Everytime we go over the allotment everyone else looks like they know what they're doing, whereas we look like numbnuts. When does that change?

You'll know Grasshopper when you can dig with your inner spade

The only difference is you look like a Numbnut & they don't, You don't actually know what you're doing just look as though you do

[rustylady]

Hi Snadger, I'm new to the site, but on reading your post I had to say my red onions from sets did better this year than the yellow ones. Overall I think the onions were my best crop.

Too many courgettes (or marrows if I turned my back for too long), runner and french beans were pathetic (too hot and dry here in Suffolk and by the time the rain finally came it was too late) -early potatoes were good, but maincrop were got by slugs(?)

Never mind, all I've got to do now is clear the lottie and wait for spring

[rustylady]

Hi Fredtbad

Unlucky about this year's crops. Remember that supermarket veg has been treated with all sorts of baddies and sorted for maximum size and pretty colours. I've found that veg off the lottie is better smaller, tastier, and needs to be watched carefully. Broccoli and calabrese need to be picked when the heads are still green and tight (even if small) otherwise they make lovely yellow flowers which are absolutely **** useless for eating. PS I hate wellies cos they make your feet sweat - Charity shop walking boots for me

[Snadger]

Hi Snadger, I'm new to the site, but on reading your post I had to say my red onions from sets did better this year than the yellow ones. Overall I think the onions were my best crop.

Too many courgettes (or marrows if I turned my back for too long), runner and french beans were pathetic (too hot and dry here in Suffolk and by the time the rain finally came it was too late) -early potatoes were good, but maincrop were got by slugs(?)

Never mind, all I've got to do now is clear the lottie and wait for spring

Hi rustylady and welcome to the vine. I think vegetable growing is a very personal thing, what works for one doesn't work for others!
I had a good crop of onions as well but the few that went to seed were the red ones (usually all my red ones go to seed!) Loads of courgettes but also loads of French beans and Pink Fir Apple potatoes were excellent but other tatties just mediocre. The type of soil, micro climate and which part of the country we garden in all play a part.
Wouldn't it be boring if everyone had the same succes or failure with everything!

[Snadger]

Hi Fredtbad

Unlucky about this year's crops. Remember that supermarket veg has been treated with all sorts of baddies and sorted for maximum size and pretty colours. I've found that veg off the lottie is better smaller, tastier, and needs to be watched carefully. Broccoli and calabrese need to be picked when the heads are still green and tight (even if small) otherwise they make lovely yellow flowers which are absolutely **** useless for eating. PS I hate wellies cos they make your feet sweat - Charity shop walking boots for me

I'm a welly man meself! Had them on all day! Look a bit like compo, but what the heck!

[Spuds up]

Hi Fretbad

I am not quite as far north as you but I have to agree with the comments of planting too early. Most guide books tend refer to climates to the southern end of the country.

It is better to be a little bit more patient and plant that little bit later to allow for being to the north.

It may take a bit of trial and error but you should find the most appropriate time for your crops. Unfortunately each year is different so you have to allow for earlier or later springs as necessary before timing your planting.

[Skipper]

This has been our first season growing anything at all and apart from a very successful crop of peas, as well as some onions, everything else has 'bolted'.
One of our allotment neighbours told us this but didn't say why or what this means. Could we have done something to prevent it, or is it something we did?
Broccoli, sprouts, lettuce, rocket have all been ruined. We live near Newcastle in case that makes things clear.

Thanks for any advice, we'd dearly love to avoid this next year.

Yo Fredtbet.
I had the same trouble with my spinach this year, although the leaves were small I still used them even though the plant was in flower,I think they could have been in the sun too long so next year I will try growing them in semi shade and see what happens.I have lived up here near the border (Carlisle) for ten years now and find that things tend to happen a bit later than what they do (DAN SOWF) good luck

PS. Sometimes I give my plants a severe talking to and although they dont always listen to what I say it does sometimes make me feel better. I threaten them with the compost as a last resort. Skipper

[Alice]

Hello Fretbed, I don't think bolting is your fault. If the weather is too hot and dry then plants will bolt. Some are famous for it - SPINACH just bolts. I grow leaf beat to get round this problem.
Try to work out how much of anything you can eat - lettuce, how many can you eat in a week. Plant in small quantities that you can use, or if you are going to freeze the produce harvest before it bolts. Otherwise, it's trial and error. Good luck.

[Two_Sheds]

It's all gone and bolted! My leeks, PSB, leafbeet and kale...all now rushing to flower. So looks like I'll be hungry until my first broad beans in about a fortnight.