what does bolting mean?

[nikiwitch]

I have seen the word on the forum but have no idea what it means?

[zazen999]

It means flowering too early.

Some say 'has my onion bolted' in the spring, when they put the sets in last autumn - which means the onion is in its second year - the year in which it flowers. So, it's not bolting, it is flowering. Not early, on time

Some plants, like lettuce, bolt if it is too warm, some before you have a chance to harvest them.

They bolt because the conditions that usually signal the end of the season come early, so a warm spell too early or a cold snap, can fool plants into thinking summer is here, or gone, and thus they bolt. In fact, it is just our rubbish weather that is the cause.

[nikiwitch]

thankyou, possibly what happened to my lettuce kit, suddenly salad leaves seemed to diappear and tall stringy plants with yellow flowers where there

[zazen999]

Yup, that's them!

Bolting!

[thecarnage]

ahhhh I see. Same happened to me with some lettuce (the sort you cut and then come back when it grows more) asnd they were really bitter.

[zazen999]

Yes, they get bitter as soon as they bolt. Pull it out and compost it.

[helanuels]

Is this the point at which you are supposed to be able to collect seed? Is it ever called 'going to seed'? I got confused when buying seed because people were talking about lettuce bolting and going to seed and I should harvest seed to sow next time... *confused*

[zazen999]

I'd only collect from, for example, lettuces that bolt early, if you want another crop of lettuces that bolt early.

If you want to save seed of good veg, you need to grow a few and leave the best and 'slowest to flower' specimens to go to seed...then collect from that.

[Two_Sheds]

Is this the point at which you are supposed to be able to collect seed?

the plant bolts (throws up a flower stalk) before it goes to seed (has seeds on it). Flowers come before seeds, obviously.
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You can collect the seed when it has gone brown and dried off. http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html

[helanuels]

aha! My rocket seems to be developing flower heads, where the leaves normally come from. I'll take a pic tomorrow and you can see if I'm on the right trail of thought. Thanks, Hx

[indigox]

Yes, rocket doesn't last long before flowering, usually there is time for 3 or 4 crops of leaves. Successional sowing is essential if you want to carry on harvesting rocket. (Meaning sow a new batch of seeds every 2 weeks or so)