Cabbage plants gone to seed

Nicky14 · Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 11:22 am Post subject: Cabbage plants gone to seed

Hello , I planted cabbage plants last sept. which i expected to harvest
about now.They started of fine but then the snow came and when i checked
them at the end of Jan.all the leaves were eaten i think by woodpigeons.
So i covered them with netting and they started to recover but now they
appear to be going to seed,no hearts forming just growing tall.Anybody know
why this happened?

halliden2 · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 1

I have had the same issue this year. Is there any remedy for the future?

michael brenock · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:58 pm Post subject:

bolting or running prematurely to seed can result from a number of factors including wrong variety, severe weather conditions, sowing too early(not before end of July) transplanting too early or too late (early October is best). Older reliable varieties were and still are Flower of Spring Ellams Early, and Myatts Offenham. The plant must develop a minimum number of leaves before temperature drops to near freezing point. Where this number is not achieved the plant will turn to the reproductive stage with rise in temperatures. I would attribute the problem to the cold spell in November followed by the warm mild spell in March. There is nothing you could have done about the weather conditions. Check on the varieties you grew.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

Protein · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:15 pm Post subject:

Add me to the list of bolting cabbages.... all of mine have bolted (savoy cabbage and another variety too)

Question is, what is edible ? can we at least eat the leaves? or flowering heads?

56K Natas · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 8:30 am Post subject:

As far as I know anything that has bolted is suppose to taste bitter but you could still try and see if you like it ?

michael brenock · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:08 am Post subject:

bolting cabbages can be eaten, Sprouting broccoli is an example of one such type. The nutritional value would even be better but the texture could be tougher. Rather surprised to hear of the savoy bolting. If this was a big head then the mild weather in march was the culprit rather than the cold spell in November. If the head was small then growth was stopped by the cold spell in November. This is very rare occurrence in Savoys. Are you sure it was an over-winter variety of savoy.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

Protein · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 8:46 pm Post subject:

michael brenock · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 6:38 pm Post subject:

Protein if the Savoy was planted last Spring it was the normal thing for it to go to seed this Spring as it had completed it's life cycle.I thought you meant savoy that was planted in Summer that was meant to overwinter and be still fit to cut in march /April.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

fontodi · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:14 am Post subject: Cabbage plants gone to seed

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/warmsaladofwoodpigeo_12132

simonj · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:14 pm Post subject:

I have the same problem with what I think was savoy.

Plan to transplant them and at least save the seed to replant.

simonj · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:16 pm Post subject: Re: Cabbage plants gone to seed