I've had less bolting than usual with the cool spring. My cabbages are so pretty they could be entered in a fair!

I am intrigued by bolting broccoli being considered undesirable, as the "bolting" part is the part that's usually eaten. Using broccoli strictly for greens would make sense, as that part of the plant is massive compared to the florets.

Yes, broccoli should be forming heads, but what caught my attention is that the plants have all shot up so tall it appears that they're going to bolt. I shouldn't have included broccoli on the list. However, the cabbage isn't showing any signs of head producing, just tall plants.

The swiss chard is beautiful in it's tall crooked way, but so different than before. There are at least 6" between leaves and the stem leans this way & that. I'm sure I picked outer leaves from the young plants because I usually harvest this & that as soon as possible for the table. The plants are so bizarre looking that a friend thought I had a new vegetable type growing. These were direct sown Feb.16 in SFG.

Perhaps, it is all just because of the cool wet giving more growth early on.

Anyone know what's going on?

Yes, I am experiencing exactly the same thing! I built and planted my 4x8 greens bed on fEb. 14th. Everything came up okay but my bok choi, spinach and mustard all bolted early. Grew very tall with inches between leaves. I ended up pulling it all up and planted more lettuce in its place. I did get several good meals from all of this before it bolted.

I think the erratic weather with warmth early on followed by WET and COLD just threw everything for a loop!

My lettuce is all doing very well and I am eating greens from it daily.

dottyinduncan, I've had a lot of trouble getting cabbages to head up. Can you give details on varieties, when planted, fertilizers?

I have been under the impression that some cole plants have to be planted after the summer solstice when days are getting shorter in order not to bolt. Collards, kale, and turnips for greens will overwinter for me if planted by July 15 to get big before frost, and one year I had lovely large bok choy planted in mid summer for a fall crop. There is also an overwintering variety of broccoli that is grown to flower in spring, Territorial carried it.

Yes, we had a bunch of lettuces bolt and my friend had broccoli and a bunch of other stuff bolt, we were just talking about it yesterday.

Hemnancy I bought starts and I don't remember the variety. I know they were "early". Planted them in good soil, spaced quite far apart, fertilized with a little 6-8-6 around May 1st. I think they liked the cool weather and I haven't even got much insect damage.

I finally found out why when I read Backyard Bounty by Linda Gilkeson. It's called vernalization and is caused by low temps in spring when old enough or big enough. She warns about large cabbage family transplants or ones held in the seedling packs too long as well as larger than a nickel onion sets. Smaller is better!

Here is a link that might be useful: specifics how to avoid bolting cabbages & onions