Harvest & storage
Decide what to do when a crop bolts or finishes
Identify what changed: a tall flower stalk may mean bolting in lettuce or spinach, while flowers are essential for tomatoes and beans.
When to do it
When flowering begins early or harvest quality declines.
What you need
- Plant guide
- Harvest and planting record
How to do it
- Identify what changed: a tall flower stalk may mean bolting in lettuce or spinach, while flowers are essential for tomatoes and beans.
- Harvest remaining usable parts only if appropriate for the species. Removing a flower stalk does not reliably reverse bolting.
- Choose whether to keep a suitable healthy plant for seed or habitat, or clear it for the next crop.
- Check the next crop’s window before resetting. If no suitable planting is due, cover the bed and record the likely trigger such as heat, day length or stress.
What success looks like
- The bed has a deliberate next use and sound produce is not wasted.
Watch out for
- Calling every flowering vegetable finished.
- Eating an unfamiliar part because the usual harvest is over.
Related help
Reset a bed after a finished crop
Clear the finished crop, keep useful plants, and prepare for the next one.
Save, store and test suitable seeds
Start with a correctly identified healthy open-pollinated crop that is simple to save, such as peas or beans.
Sources and review
Checked 24 September 2026. Source-checked editorial guidance; not field-tested or independently reviewed by a horticulturist.