Bolting vegetables: more than a runaway plant

After working in the garden today, I noticed that some of my Bok Choi are bolting, which means to prematurely flower. Most plants bolt when the hot weather hits, the hours of daylight lengthen and the ground temperature reaches a certain temperature. They rapidly switch from producing leaves to flowers and then seeds in an attempt to produce the next generation as quickly as possible. Plants that are known for bolting are Cilantro, broccoli, lettuce and cabbage. Once a plant bolts, it turns its energy to seed production so the rest of the plant will get woody and bitter, changing the flavors. If you catch it early, you can snip off the flower heads and continue harvesting for a short time longer. To try and prevent bolting: choose varieties that are more resistant to bolting; abide by the Maryland planting calendar so that cool crops are planted early (cool crops are more prone to bolting); add mulch and water regularly to keep the soil temperature down. Working to alleviate any stress on the plants can help prevent bolting.

Joyce Browning Horticulturist, Master Gardener Coordinator
Video credit: Bethany Evans Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener Program Alumni; CPH

The University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center's mission is to develop and deliver science-based, sustainable gardening information and solutions through outreach education for better human and environmental health.

[christinaayres]

I love how informative this was and how u explain things. Please dont take this wrong, because to me it means a lot of positive, but you are like the Scotty Kilmer of gardening. I love it. His car fixing videos have been such a huge help to me and i love his style. ;)

[kryptonitekittee]

Lol. Thanks for being real and for saying not everyone has a perfect garden. :)

[janicejurgensen]

Great video! I laughed, learned and now I know what to do, other than panic!

[mujaeva]

Thank you so much for this video! I planted veges for the first time this year (I live in Sydney Australia) and my chinese cabbage and broccoli bolted. I didn't know what was happening when I saw the flowers and thought "How pretty! Not realising that the horse has bolted and I wasn't going to get any veges!! Im learning all the time and will try again.

[windsunho]

Love your passion for your garden. Great video!

[wonderfulherennow]

Bang on! Now I know why my erroneously cluster grown broccolini is flowering while still in it's sapling stage. It's probably, also the fact that I attempted sowing the seeds in spring-summer.

[TheVampiregirl]

My kale is bolting too. I need to know when do I harvest the head to get to the seeds? Are the seed in the green pods? OR do I wait until the yellow flowers appear? Sorry, so many questions. I'm a newbie at gardening.

[CaglGumus]

Love the format. Quick and informative. Great video!