Every single one of them has bolted.
I'm not giving up though. I have another lot coming on. Maybe they'll do better.
In fact, I have a third batch as well, though they seem to be fated too. I sowed the seeds thickly in some pots, and then thinned them out when they had formed their first pair of leaves. However, the day after I thinned them, one of the pots was decimated by birds (presumably pigeons), and then the second pot was attacked by slugs! Slugs and snails don't often go for Endives, on account of their bitter taste, but I guess sometimes they enjoy a change!
Over there on the left you can see my row of Spring Onions too (rather beaten down by recent heavy rain). I have never had much success with Spring Onions, but these ones don't look too bad. They are still very small, but doing OK so far, so you never know...
Prompted by the completion of this task, I also sowed a tray each of Radicchio and (more) Endives for growing in the Autumn. My successional sowing this year has been spot-on, hasn't it?!
I'm the same with spring onions nowadays but in the past they were just fine - what has changed?
ReplyDelete"I'm not giving up though. I have another lot coming on. Maybe they'll do better." would make a good gardening mantra,
It's an interesting point. Are you using the same technique for growing the Spring Onions? Are you growing them in compost or allotment soil? Are you buying your seeds from the same source? There are so many variables!
DeleteWe used to direct sow on the plot with success and then that became unsuccessful so we have tried filling the drills with compost, as we do for carrots. Then we tried growing in large pots using various composts and now in the Woodblocx filled with topsoil which look like yours. We've also tried different varieties of seed.
DeleteIt is the way of things. I've pulled some bolting lettuces. I can't seem to get them to mature in mid July - August. But I keep trying. I've got another succession growing indoors to plant out in about a week.
ReplyDeleteEndive and escarole always bolt in my summer garden. I think the difference between regular and bolt resistant varieties is like that of cilantro/coriander - difficult to detect.
ReplyDeletePerhaps endives are best left for growing through autumn and winter. My spring onions have done really well, I shall do a post about them soon but yours aren't looking bad, they do take some time to reach a decent size.
ReplyDeleteI've always struggled to grown spring onions, both in the soil & compost & using different varieties too but then they tale a lot longer to mature than I think they do! It's a shame about your endive I hope you get a good crop from your new plantings.
ReplyDeleteEverything bolts early here. Yours look like they got quite large before they did bolt though.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad about the endive - but it's great that your are not giving up. Sometimes it seems as if all it takes is a bit of a tweak in terms of timing for us to go from famine to feast.
ReplyDelete