Bolting
Encyclopedia
Bolting is the growth of an elongated stalk with flowers grown from within the main stem of a plant. This condition occurs in plants that are grown for their leaves, such as cabbage
, lettuce
, spinach
, and other leafy greens. Bolting is induced by plant hormones of the gibberellin
family.
Bolting occurs because of the photo period. Some plants are long day plants (LDP) while others are short day plants (SDP) and some are day neutral. When an LDP, such as spinach, receives light for a longer period than it is dark, then it will bolt, otherwise known as flower. This is why you cannot grow spinach through the summer in many temperate climates such as the Midwest.
In the gardening of vegetables and herbs, bolting refers to a plant switching--often suddenly--from mainly leaf growth to the production of flowers and seeds. This behavior is usually undesired, as the rest of the plant withers as it focuses all its resources on passing on its genes through plant reproduction
.
Bolting is generally triggered as soil temperatures rise in summer, and is a natural and inevitable outcome, though in many plants it can be delayed or prevented completely. Plants that are well known for bolting include basil
, cilantro, lettuce, cabbage and other leaf-based edible plants.
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
, lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
, spinach
Spinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
, and other leafy greens. Bolting is induced by plant hormones of the gibberellin
Gibberellin
Gibberellins are plant hormones that regulate growth and influence various developmental processes, including stem elongation, germination, dormancy, flowering, sex expression, enzyme induction, and leaf and fruit senescence....
family.
Bolting occurs because of the photo period. Some plants are long day plants (LDP) while others are short day plants (SDP) and some are day neutral. When an LDP, such as spinach, receives light for a longer period than it is dark, then it will bolt, otherwise known as flower. This is why you cannot grow spinach through the summer in many temperate climates such as the Midwest.
In the gardening of vegetables and herbs, bolting refers to a plant switching--often suddenly--from mainly leaf growth to the production of flowers and seeds. This behavior is usually undesired, as the rest of the plant withers as it focuses all its resources on passing on its genes through plant reproduction
Plant reproduction
Plant reproduction is the production of new individuals or offspring in plants, which can be accomplished by sexual or asexual means. Sexual reproduction produces offspring by the fusion of gametes, resulting in offspring genetically different from the parent or parents...
.
Bolting is generally triggered as soil temperatures rise in summer, and is a natural and inevitable outcome, though in many plants it can be delayed or prevented completely. Plants that are well known for bolting include basil
Basil
Basil, or Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum , of the family Lamiaceae , sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries....
, cilantro, lettuce, cabbage and other leaf-based edible plants.