Bolting Arugala

Delicate white flowers of a bolting arugula plant.

I love growing lettuces in my garden in the winter.  The rain and the cold create the perfect combination along with sunny afternoons to foster the tender plants along.  Sometimes, though I get a little ambitious and plant more than I can use.

Before you know it, the plants, which have not been harvested regularly, decide they have had enough of all of the components (sun, rain, cool weather) and wham, bam: bolting.  After lettuces bolt, they typically are too bitter or in arugula's case, too hot, to consume.  I just let nature take its course: the flowers will produce seeds and repopulate the garden with new arugula plants.  Because these plants have bolted now, I think they might possibly reseed before the end of lettuce season, if we don't get an early hot (think too much sun) spring.