Plants That Bolt

Pot them up

Herbs must be the most versatile of all the plants we can grow.

As well as providing the cook with an assortment of tasty flavourings, many are also very attractive. In addition, they are usually very easy to grow.

What could be better than that?

Although herbs will grow well in the borders, alongside other purely decorative plants.

Herbs, in general, grow best in well-drained conditions. If your garden soil is on the heavy side, you’ll be more successful with container-grown plants.

Pot-grown herbs can be moved about the garden as required. Plants for cooking can be placed near the door; decorative ones will look well on a patio.

Pots are also ideal for keeping some of the more rampant herbs under control. Many mints have attractive foliage, but they spread quickly and their roots will soon become entangled with other plants.

Containers should be at least ten inches in diameter. Any smaller and they’ll dry out too quickly.

For a decorative display, select pots of varying sizes and shapes. If you use terracotta containers, remember they won’t retain moisture as well as plastic ones. In summer, they may have to be watered daily.

Even experienced gardeners suffer setbacks!

If a vegetable crop is put under stress, it may start to “bolt” or run to seed, before it can be harvested. For example a sudden cold snap at a critical stage in their growth will prompt the plants to produce flower stalks several weeks later.

Early varieties are more likely to bolt than later ones. If there is a cold spell in late spring, young plants, which are already growing away quite strongly, can often suffer this sort of stressful check.

Plants raised inside under protection are also more susceptible than those sown directly outside. When the temperature falls steeply soon after they have been transplanted, they can later react by bolting.

Obviously it helps if plants can be protected when the weather turns chilly. Cloches are ideal – or a covering of horticultural fleece.

Later in the year, the same thing will happen if the plants suffer a severe shortage of water. If they feel their growth is threatened, their natural reaction is to try to reproduce themselves – they set seed so the species will survive.

So how can you prevent a row of flower stalks shooting up from your favourite vegetables? Beetroot, celery, lettuces, onions, spinach and brassicas will all bolt easily.

The answer is quite simple. Make sure they are never short of water. And, remember, a mulch over the soil will help conserve the precious moisture.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-23