7 Tips to Keep Your Garden Greens from Bolting – GWC Mag

Growing greens in the garden is one of the most rewarding and easiest undertakings for beginners. Greens like fertile, rich soil. They like plenty of water. They like the sun. And, most of them like cool weather.

It’s the last of these traits that can sometimes cause issues. First of all, most greens— kale, spinach, chard, lettuce, cabbage, etc.— perform best when the temperatures cool, so they should be planted in early spring or late summer. Once the temperature gets too high, the plants tend to bolt.

Bolting occurs when a plant starts to flower and seed earlier than expected. It’s a reaction to the plant being put in a stressful situation like having to endure summertime temps as a cool-weather crop. Rather than spending energy on growth, the plant puts energy towards flowers and seeds so that it can reproduce.

The problem is that when greens bolt it typically means they won’t be producing any more leaves to eat, the leaves that they often turn bitter, and the plant is not long for the world. In short, we want to keep our garden greens from bolting. How do we do it?

Plant them with good timing

The first rule with planting most annual crops is to do so at the right time. If we try to plant squash in the early spring, it’ll never make it beyond the late frosts. Similarly, if we plant greens in the late spring, they’ll soon suffer under the summer sun. So, it’s important to plant them early if it’s springtime. Gardeners in milder climates might plant them in the fall and be able to harvest fresh greens throughout the autumn, winter, and spring.

Use a thick layer of mulch

The temperature of the soil getting overheated is much more problematic for causing bolting than the heat in the air. A good layer of mulch, about 2-4 inches, will help to keep the soil cooler because the sun won’t beat down on it. The soil temperature will be moderated, so the plants won’t panic and start going to seed as soon as things start to get toasty.

Provide summertime shade

Creating a more comfortable micro-climate for greens can help to keep them around for longer. Some people like to put up shade clothes over the garden bed. These should go directly overhead, blocking out the hot mid-day sun and allowing the less direct sun in the morning and evening. Another choice is to plant them beneath taller plants such as climbing green beans.

Fertilize appropriately

Different types of fertility promote different types of plant growth. Some nutrients encourage flowers while others will inspire more leaves. Since we are growing greens, we want to give our plants a nitrogen-rich environment. Green tea (water infused with grass clippings), compost tea (water infused with compost), and manure tea (you get it) are all good choices. They’ll pack a good dose of nitrogen.

Sow seeds directly

While most greens will transplant cooperative from seed pots to the garden bed, it is always the best choice. Moving plants around puts stress on their roots which have to reestablish themselves in the new location. For this reason, sowing seeds directly in the garden space can help prevent those greens from bolting. They’ll be comfortably at home where they are growing.

Choose the variety wisely

Most greens will eventually bolt as summer sets in, but for those living in warmer climates, some choices are slow-bolting. These varieties are valued for their ability to outperform other kales or arugulas when the heat gets turned up. Read up on the seeds you are choosing if early summer temperatures are possible, and there will be some heat-resistant options.

Harvest your greens regularly

Loose-leaf greens (as opposed to heading lettuces and cabbages) can be harvested a few leaves at a time rather than all at once. Harvesting the outer leaves regularly will prevent the plant from maturing too early and keep the plant a bit airier. Even better, it’ll mean you are eating greens more often!

Should all of these efforts fail, which in all likelihood they will eventually do, then a last-ditch effort to keep the greens going a little longer is to habitually pinch off the flowers and flower buds as they appear.

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