Q: Dear Daisy, 

My tomatoes were not doing well, so I asked my neighbor to look at them. She said they were bolting. Should I tie them down? Close the barn door? Put a nut on them? Attach a lightning rod?

A: What a wonderful old word bolt is, isn’t it? It’s been around for millennia. Today it means both the animal or person bolting for freedom, when the bolt on a door wasn’t fastened. It can mean a measure of cloth upright on a cardboard tube. It can mean a lightning strike. I can just imagine trying to tie a tomato via a stake to the ground. Wait a minute, that's called staking and you should do that. Tomatoes don’t bolt but other veggies and herbs do, usually right before you pick them!! To the disappointment of the grower it appears both quickly and the seed stalks grow straight up arrow-like. Think basils, cilantro and dill, leafy greens and the brassicas (broccoli, etc.), even root vegetables. 

Why? They are stressed that’s why! Something (or someone — you know who you are) has stressed them out! Too little water, too much heat. They transfer their energy from their leaves and roots and they go straight to setting seed (bolting) so that there will be a harvest next year. That leaves the remaining plant bitter and less pleasant to eat. Before your loved ones bolt, get them to help you water your veggies, or buy newer varieties that claim to bolt less frequently. Succession planting works too. Good luck.

Have a plant question for Daisy? Email them to [email protected].