Beetroot bolting

[steveg1966]

My beetroot is starting to bolt and the beetroots are about the size of golf balls is they anything I can do to stop them going to seed so the beetroots will get bigger.

[steveg1966]

[ed dibbles]

You can try pinching the bolting flower stalks off but I would suggest eating what's usable and re-sow. There's still about three weeks left for a decent chance of autumn beets.

[ancellsfarmer]

My beetroot is starting to bolt and the beetroots are about the size of golf balls is they anything I can do to stop them going to seed so the beetroots will get bigger.

The tendency to bolt (flower prematurely) is indicative of the plants reaction to a stress of some kind, ie it feels the need to reproduce before its dead (anybody know the feeling...?) Could be drought, stony ground, too close to a competitor,disease, virus,damage,  climatic intolerance and I guess , inbalance to nutrients

[Ian Pearson]

Were they Boltardy? Any other variety, and early sowings are liable to bolt if they experience cold weather once they come up.