Bolting Brassicas

[amandaandherveg]

I overwintered some brassicas which were looking very healthy. On my usual 'wander around the garden in OH's dressing gown' this morning I noticed that a few of them have started to bolt.

This happened to anyone else? There have been some very mild days over the last couple of weeks but didn't expect this and don't have anything on standby to replace them.

[realfood]

Overwintering brassicas are bi-annual, and they bolt to complete their growing cycle of flowering and forming seed. Remember that the shoots are good for steaming. Very useful for early greens.

[zazen999]

Yeah, one of my pointy cabbages was taking ages to hearten up and just as it did, it grew a flower stem.

typical.

[amandaandherveg]

Overwintering brassicas are bi-annual, and they bolt to complete their growing cycle of flowering and forming seed. Remember that the shoots are good for steaming. Very useful for early greens.

So they won't heart up? All that TLC for a few leaves to steam?

(Shuffles off disappointedly with head down)

Sorry to hear about your Pointy Cabbages, Zazen.

[Snadger]

My PSB are now in full cropping mode. My red kale is sending up seed heads which are quite tasty. My spring cabbage seem to be fine along with my Tuscan kale which usually bolts but hasn't this year!

[Demeter]

The PSB is cropping nicely.
The kale is bolting but that's ok because we can still eat the copious leaves, and the "broccoli" bit on the flowering shoot is delicious even raw.
Apart from that the only brassicas I overwintered were caulis and they haven't done anything yet ("Maystar" might be more like June star lol)
Sorry to hear about your cabbages.

[Two_Sheds]

Welcome to the Hungry Gap ... when your winter crops are finishing and your summer crops aren't ready yet!

KFC, anyone?

[miffy]

Bolting Brassicas sounds like the name of a band! Mine have all been scoffed by either pigeons or bugs.

[SarzWix]

My various kales are all starting send up flower shoots, my savoy cabbages are looking suspiciosly like they're about to open up and flower, the brussels are long gone. Only the PSB is behaving like it ought to, but they're all complaining that they're 'bored of eating it now' Won't be long before the salad leaves start cropping, hopefully

[gojiberry]

My summer cabbages sown in Jan are as far on as some peoples overwintered spring greens. and they are not likely to bolt. I have some Westphalian kale which is doing well and no sign of bolting yet. It is more like spring cabbage but I have been cropping it for several weeks now.

Ian