[Digger Tom]

 Sorry if this is a daft question, I have read a lot on here about crops "bolting" if not looked after properly.
 What does "bolting" mean? In a gardening contex obviously 

[Goldfinger]

I'm still new here, but Ithink it means going to seed early, sometimes due to the lack of watering.

Hope that's right  :blink:, I will be corrected if not

[Loubs]

Thats right - flowering and then developing seeds, basically. Might not be what you want for things like leeks or onions which'll develop a tough central core. Though they're very pretty, and you might choose to let some flower if you wanted to save the seeds for next year. Or bolting can make other plants (like lettuce, for example) taste bitter, if they flower.

[FERDY]

I had alot of spinach bolt due to prelonged drought.
Look out for bolt hardy varietys

[Goldfinger]

'Bolthardy' Beetroot!!!

[Digger Tom]

'Bolthardy' Beetroot!!!

 I come from an engineering background so "bolthardy" had an entirely different meaning to me. 

[unconcerned]

long hot days are a devil for bolting. I have limited success with putting shade over the crops...there are some varieties better than others for resisting this.

Last summer I had no bolting at all (except those I wanted to go to seed)

[blackbob]

Sorry if this is a daft question, I have read a lot on here about crops "bolting" if not looked after properly.
 What does "bolting" mean? In a gardening contex obviously 

ive always believed sowing too early is the main reason for bolting.its the cold snap late april early may that begins the bolting process.
basically the plant has ran to seed in its first growing season.this can happen for numerous reasons, pest or disease attack or enviromental conditions.
with onion sets too early a planting is nearly always the answer.buy a soil thermometer and keep checking the beds until the temps are favourable.

[kermit]

My understanding is that a plant will bolt (ie, run to seed before you expect it to) whenever it is stressed - lack of water, extreme changes in temperature, wind, etc.

[Loubs]

My understanding is that a plant will bolt (ie, run to seed before you expect it to) whenever it is stressed - lack of water, extreme changes in temperature, wind, etc.

That sums it up exactly. All plants are programmed to survive & procreate - any kind of stress and it'll go through that process sooner than you might otherwise have expected. Downside is that once it's done that you might not be able to harvest it as a vegetable to eat.

[Pinnock]

I planted Red and white onion bulbs a week or so ago and green shoots have just started appearing, does this mean they have "bolted" should I cut the green shoots off or will this kill the bulb ?

[JayG]

No!! Green shoots are just what you want (don't need to worry about flower heads for a long time yet.)