Understanding the concept of bolting is crucial for gardeners cultivating Brassica plants like kale, broccoli, turnip greens, and collards, as well as lettuce. UT Extension Area Speciaist Walter Battle explains bolting marks a pivotal phase in the plant’s lifecycle, transitioning from vegetative growth to seed production, rendering its edible parts less desirable. While the leaves remain technically edible post-bolting, they often become tougher and potentially bitter. This natural progression is irreversible, emphasizing the importance of timely harvest and attentive garden management.
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[Music] – This is a great example of bolting. That’s what we call it. It basically is getting ready to put on seed. It’s done all that it’s supposed to do. It has supplied us with a lot of delicious kale to eat over the winter months. And so it’s just ready to go to seed. Can you still eat these leaves? Yes, you can still eat ’em, but some people call think they’re a little tough. Some people, you know, think they’re a little bitter at this point, but you can still eat it. And of course, kale is not the only plant that will bolt. Most of your Brassica plants, in that group, they will bolt. Such as your broccoli, your turnip greens, your collards, all of those type of plants will bolt. Even lettuce will bolt. And of course, once a plant starts to bolt, you really can’t stop it. There’s no, there’s not any kind of chemical you can put out there to make it stop bolting or whatever. Once this process starts, it’s going to complete. So at that point, that’s when I pull ’em up in my garden, and send ’em over to the compost pile. [upbeat country music] [Music]
4 Comments
Now I know why my lettuce looks like this. Can you do a video on seed harvest?
Depending on if you need the space, you can always leave them to flower for our bee friends
You must live in the south where kale survives well during the winter. This gives it enough time to go to seed. Up north, it is difficult to get kale to go to seed because of winter kill. We had a warmer winter up north and this year I spotted two old kale plants that regrew and went to seed. First time ever. I'm a seed saver, so this was welcomed.
Up north I can get lettuce seeds in one season, but broccoli is difficult. I did get broccoli seeds last year. These plants do not survive our winters so they must produce seeds near the end of the growing season.
It is also easy for us to get cilantro and mustard seeds. Radish seed is collected, but many pods don't have seeds. I also collect bean, squash, and pea seeds. Keep squashes far apart from each other or you will get junk plants from the seeds.
With brassicas, be sure they are far enough away from other brassicas so they do not cross-pollinate.
Thanks for sharing this great information 😂 1:21