Ask Gerry

My Endive, and my Chard have bolted fiercely, and my lettuce also, recently. Have they been too dry?

We have grown chicory Witloof for many years. We bring the roots in pots covered with garden soil into a warmish , dark kitchen cupboard. We get lovely salad leaves after about 3 weeks but would love to know how to produce hearts. By mistake my husband planted a root upside down and this produced a perfect (upside down) heart! Is this the answer?!

It is recommended to tie together leaves of some vegetables. I tried that with Chin. L. as well as with End. But the C.L. started to rot in the heart, perhaps because of the water trapped inside. The End. became a victim of slugs, wilting and rot under the bucket I put over them. (Covering prevents a regular check for e.g. slugs.) How to go about with tieing up?