- Bolting is a common issue where vegetables like lettuce and rocket prematurely flower and go to seed, rendering them bitter and inedible.
- This phenomenon is primarily caused by environmental stressors such as prolonged hot spells, sudden cold snaps, changes in day length, or dry soil.
- To prevent bolting, gardeners are advised to maintain soil moisture through regular watering, especially in the mornings, and by mulching with materials like woodchip or hay.
- Other preventative strategies include creating shade using intercropping with taller plants, incorporating fruit bushes, or deploying shade netting over crops.
- If vegetables do bolt, they can still be consumed, albeit with a bitter taste, or they can be broken down and used as a nutrient-rich mulch directly in the vegetable bed.
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