Question 1

What is bolting and how do I stop it?

Accepted Answer

Bolting is when a plant switches abruptly from producing leaves to producing a flower stem and seed. In a crop grown for its leaves or roots it ruins the harvest — leaves turn bitter and tough, and roots become woody.

It is not a fault. It is the plant doing exactly what it evolved to do: reproduce when conditions suggest its time is limited.

The triggers vary by crop but fall into two groups.

**Stress**, particularly heat and drought. Lettuce, spinach, rocket and coriander bolt when temperatures rise or when they dry out. The plant reads the stress as a threat to survival and prioritises setting seed.

**Day length and cold.** Onions, beetroot and brassicas respond to day length, and several respond to a cold period — a spell of cold after sowing can convince a biennial that it has been through winter and should now flower. This is why sowing too early in spring often causes bolting later.

Practical prevention:

**Sow at the right time** for the crop rather than as early as possible. Much spring bolting is caused by impatience.

**Keep moisture consistent.** Mulch and regular watering prevent the drought stress that triggers it.

**Provide shade** in hot weather for leafy crops, or grow them in spring and autumn rather than midsummer.

**Choose bolt-resistant varieties**, which exist for most susceptible crops and are labelled as such.

**Harvest promptly** — a mature plant left in the ground is far more likely to bolt.

Once a plant has bolted it cannot be reversed. Coriander and rocket flowers are edible, and letting a few plants bolt gives you seed and feeds pollinators.

Question 2

Why does my fruit tree crop heavily one year and not the next?

Accepted Answer

It is biennial bearing — a self-reinforcing cycle in which a heavy crop in one year prevents flower bud formation for the next, producing alternating years of glut and almost nothing. The mechanism.

Question 3

Why did my seeds fail to germinate?

Accepted Answer

Almost always one of five things, and the order below is roughly how often each is the culprit. Temperature. This is the most common cause and the least visible. Every species has a soil temperature

Question 4

What is crop rotation and does it matter in a small garden?

Accepted Answer

Crop rotation means not growing the same family of vegetables in the same ground year after year, moving them around a sequence of beds instead. What it is actually for. Two distinct problems, and

Question 5

Why do some seeds need a cold period before they germinate?

Accepted Answer

Because they have a built-in dormancy mechanism that prevents germination until the seed has experienced winter — an adaptation that stops seedlings emerging at the wrong time of year and being

Question 6

What are the best practices for seasonal planting?

Accepted Answer

Implementing best practices for seasonal planting enhances crop yield and health. Key strategies include soil preparation, crop rotation, and proper timing.

Question 7

What are the most common vegetable gardening mistakes?

Accepted Answer

Avoiding common vegetable gardening mistakes is essential for successful gardening. Key errors include poor soil prep, improper watering, and neglecting pest control.

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