Bolting

Bolting in plants occurs when a plant rapidly produces a tall flowering stalk, often in response to environmental cues like longer daylight or higher temperatures. This process signals the plant to shift from leaf or foliage growth to reproduction, aiming to produce seeds. While beneficial for the plant's life cycle, bolting can cause leafy parts to become tough or bitter and reduce the harvest quality of crops like lettuce, herbs, or carrots. Essentially, bolting is a natural reproductive effort, triggered by environmental factors, that prioritizes seed production over the continued development of leafy or edible parts.