I planted the variety "Michihili" this spring and too had loose leaves without a head by the time it bolted due to the heat. Even though the leaves were not a head, the flavor was still very nice in stir fry. I am trying it again this fall, we'll see if we have enough time.

John

In Texas you should be able to do both a spring crop and a fall crop. Transplanted at last frost and a fall crop transplanted in late August. Apollo, Blues, Optico come to mind. The barrel headed varieties are earlier and seem to do better than the cylindrical headed Michili types.

For spring planting, it is best to pick a variety designed for it, ie the kind that is bolt resistant. I grew Rubicon in the spring this year. 4 plants all formed nice heads even though they went through some fairly cold weather and then over 90 degrees later on.