Second-Year Cabbage: Bolting Means Game Over

Cabbage left in ground over winter, now flowering with yellow blooms and no head forming? It's bolted—game over for this plant.

What Happened

Cabbage is an annual. Overwintered plants treat spring as their second season: they flower, set seed, and die. No head will form now.

Action

1. Pull the entire plant, roots and all
2. Compost it (flowers and all)
3. Rotate: Plant cabbage in a different bed this year
4. Use this spot for a different crop family

Why Rotation Matters

Brassicas (cabbage family) build up soil pests/diseases (clubroot, cabbage worms). A 3-year rotation breaks cycles.

Start fresh with new seeds or transplants in a clean bed. That's the only way to get heads.