what is bolting?

marcos simpson asked 15 years ago

what is bolting? i’ve seen it in a few answers relating to growing veg…

1 Answers

Gerry Daly Staff answered 6 years ago
‘Bolting’ is the traditional term applied to premature flowering. This occurs typically when a plant has been exposed cold weather, dry soil or transplanting shock. Instead of growing to full size, the plant ‘decides’ to go to flower and set some seeds.

Vegetables will all flower eventually when fully mature, but ‘bolting’ is when they flower early.

Usually when vegetables flower they shoot up a tall flower stem, and this is bolting, analagous to a horse that bolts.

Another term often used for plants that bolt is ‘running to seed’. 

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp