Your 2024 Garden

[JacinLarkwell]

Yes. Both in pots and in the garden. It never does very well. So why do I keep planting it???

So when people talk about it Bolting, what does that mean? I only see it mentioned in spinach and similar plants

 

[Sally PB]

Last year's spinach barely sprouted even though the seeds were only a year old, and quietly died in sprout form. Couldn't get a single one to stick.

Well, that is discouraging. Better luck next time.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So when people talk about it Bolting, what does that mean? I only see it mentioned in spinach and similar plants

Increase in temperature causes some plants to shoot upward (hence bolting) and set flowers. Generally causes the greens to become bitter, like it's quite noticeable in lettuce, as the plant puts its energy in producing flowers and seed.

 

[Sally PB]

So when people talk about it Bolting, what does that mean? I only see it mentioned in spinach and similar plants

Bolting means the plant has flowered and is now in the "setting seed" phase of its life. It's a term used for greens, especially, because when it happenes, the leaves often become bitter, or tough. So something that is referred to as "slow bolting," that's a good trait.

 

[Sally PB]

She types faster than I do, and had more/better info.

 

[Sally PB]

I have some cilantro that is called "Slo-Bolt," as a variety name. I can absolutely attest to the fact that it doesn't taste nearly as good once it starts to bolt.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have some cilantro that is called "Slo-Bolt," as a variety name. I can absolutely attest to the fact that it doesn't taste nearly as good once it starts to bolt.

I have to say Slo-Bolt cilantro seems to bolt just as fast as regular cilantro...

As much as I enjoy cilantro I find myself simply buying it rather than growing it, it grows quickly but it's just too bolt happy to have a reliable amount when I need it.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Interesting. Probably wouldn't do well here then we typically get sudden heat rises in the summer out here

 

[gtaus]

Planning to get some compostable pots for my much earlier starting plants that way they don't have to be replanted so old when the outside is safe to go in

In theory, I like the idea of compostable pots. In practice, I ended up with compostable pots that were growing mold on them before they got planted. Probably, totally, my fault. But the pots had so much mold on them that I would not bury them in transplanting.

After watching some YouTube videos on this issue, I switched over to potting up my early plants into 3 inch net cups....

The net cups worked much better for me, bottom watering them in a tray, and at the end of 8 weeks growing inside the house, none of them had any mold. Those net cups come in both smaller and larger sizes, depending on what you are starting to grow inside the house and how long you want to grow them indoors.

A big part of me wants to reduce the amount of plastics I use in my gardening. However, if you buy the heavy-duty net cups, you can reuse them year after year. So that made me feel better about using plastic again in my gardening efforts.

Because of those slits in the net cup, the roots air prune themselves and do not develop that spiral of death and get root bound in a typical starting pot. My transplants were much healthier after transplanting last spring, even compared to the compostable pots I had used in the past. The air pruned root structure is just better if the plant is started in these net cups.

Given, I'm not the greatest gardener, and maybe those compostable pots are just fine if you know what you are doing, but I'm just saying that I had much, much better luck with the net cups and bottom watering.

If you are interested in learning more, here is one short video on using net cups...

 

[gtaus]

My step dad told me that spinach grows where it likes to grow. If it doesn't grow well for you, that is in NO WAY a reflection on your gardening skills.

Can that be extended to other plants that fail for me? Anyways, love the thought.