In Good Thyme - by Mariana Graham

July 4th Whidbey News Times

Gardeners throughout the Island are experiencing problems with vegetables and herbs bolting, as evidenced by recent questions at Master Gardener Plant Clinics. Plants bolt (flower and set seed prematurely) for a variety of reasons, but what Whidbey gardeners are experiencing now is mainly due to weather conditions. June was cool and wet, and July (at this writing, anyway) has been warm and dry. The rapid change in weather compressed the normal growth cycle for susceptible plants, stimulating seed production before they were harvestable.

Some vegetables and herbs are more disposed to bolting than others. Cool weather crops such as spinach and iceberg lettuce are notorious bolters. Spring-planted broccoli, chard and celery can mature too quickly when high temperatures follow cool springs. In my own garden, Italian parsley bolts every year as soon as the days grow long. Cilantro and arugula are other bolt-prone herbs. The opposite is true for some plants. Many cole crops and other vegetables in the mustard family will bolt when exposed to prolonged cold temperatures. Overwintered cabbages, kale, mustard, turnips and collards may bolt in early spring, as will some varieties of overwintered onions.

Spring-planted beets and carrots can be induced to bolt by sustained chilly weather, as one Coupeville couple learned to their dismay. Otis and Doris Kirkby have enjoyed a large, successful vegetable garden for many years and both come from veteran farm families. These home gardeners didn't just fall off the turnip truck, but this year, their spring-planted baby beets and carrots did. They had barely gotten started when June's cool, rainy days and nippy evenings caused both crops to set flowers before their time. Carrots and beets are biennials, which normally need two growing seasons to mature, and gardeners usually harvest after the first year. Unfortunately, biennials are particularly inclined to bolting.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Since nobody seems to be able to do anything about the weather, gardeners can minimize bolting by selecting seed or transplants which are slow to bolt. Next winter when you're cuddled in the La-Z-Boy perusing the seed catalogs, read the fine print. Look for plants that are touted as bolt-resistant varieties. Take lettuce, for instance. That sensitive iceberg lettuce (which I personally find tasteless and boring) is aptly named. This mother of all bolters gets hot flashes when the thermometer reaches 70 degrees. Choose instead the leaf lettuces, butterhead, Romaine or Bibb. Not only are they less liable to bolt, but they're tastier and more nutritious than that dull old iceberg. Older plants and those that are crowded are more inclined to bolt, so thin seedlings to allow enough room to grow and harvest regularly. If you have constant problems with spring-planted veggies, try planting in summer. Broccoli, for instance, matures more slowly and keeps longer in the fall garden.

If you prefer purchasing veggie starts at the nursery, select smaller plants. That six-pack of stocky seedlings may look appealing, but smaller transplants with stem diameters less than the thickness of a pencil aren't as likely to bolt if the weather heats up. Once you get them home, plant immediately rather than letting them languish in their plastic pots (as I too often do when I stash them somewhere until I " have time", and find the poor gangly things two weeks later). If you simply must have a known bolter such as arugula or Chinese cabbage, sow in early spring and make successive plantings every two or three weeks.
If, despite your best efforts, your veggies begin to bolt, all is not lost. Some bolted lettuces and other greens develop a bitter taste, but others may still be edible. Many vegetable and herb flowers are quite tasty, not to mention trendy. The tender green buds of onions and chives are crunchy and flavorful. Float a few arugula blossoms atop your tomato soup and voila! Campbell's is transformed into Canlis.

Garden questions or comments? Call 675-6611, e-mail wnt@whidbey.net. Mariana Graham is a Master Gardener and member of Garden Writers Association of America.

MASTER GARDENER CLINICS (click on picture)
Master Gardener plant clinics are being held at various Island locations throughout the summer. On the North end, bring questions and plant samples to The Greenhouse Nursery each Saturday in July from 9 a.m. to noon, Cenex on Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or the Navy Exchange Garden Shop June 30th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In Central Whidbey, it's at the Coupeville Farmers Market each Saturday through the end of July from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. South end clinics include Freeland Ace Hardware from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 23, July 28, Aug. 25 and Sept. 22. You can also find Master Gardeners at South Whidbey Tilth on July 7, Aug. 4, and Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Clinics are held at Bayview Farm and Garden June 30th, July 7, 14, 21, 28; Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25. Clinics may be scheduled at other locations when volunteers and resource materials are available. 'Can't make it to a plant clinic? Call the Master Gardener hotline (360) 679-7327 each Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the end of September.