my Chinese cabbage all bolted

I am in southern Colorado, zone 6b according to the maps. This is the first year I have tried Chinese cabbage, it was looking great and then it bolted. Not sure what I did wrong?

Chinese cabbage covers a multitude of types, but all are programed to bolt on increasing daylight when reaching maturity. You have a pretty short harvest window in the spring especially for the small leafy ones. Even some of the heading NAPA types bolt quickly in the spring.

They never headed. Is it better to try in the fall? Any better varieties to try?

You still did not identify. Only NAPA actually heads. I grow in the fall with no problems I am cuurently growing Green Rocket which invariably bolts in a spring planting. Have not grown it but Blues is recommended for spring planting.

I tell you 3x it makes it true! Chuckl. Snip the flowers and try it for eating anyway..

Looks like you have one of the non-heading, more like mustard related Chinese Cabbages. (There are dozens, at least).

The whole family that includes Chinese cabbage will have a tendency to go to flower as the days lengthen.

What I do:

1) Research the type, and grow 'heat resistant' types (It is not heat, but some packages are labeled that way)

2) Plant them in a slightly shaded area, especially from hot afternoon sun. Less stressful for the plants, so they stay tender and mild.

3) Start them early, perhaps under a cover, or in pots, so they do most of their growing in the shorter day lengths.

4) Treat them as 'cut and come again'. By removing most of the leaves they will grow more leaves before flowering.

5) Give up trying to make them do something they cannot do.

in my experiences, i have only gotten small-ish harvests of any kind in a spring planting, concerning most cool weather loving crops, basically i have decided not to try unless you are intentionally doing it for seed collecting, or something that matures mega fast like a radish, lol.

Autumn plantings always work out a heck of a lot better for me.

thank you to all who replied. the best way to learn is to ask questions of those with experience. I bet my goats and chickens will love them as to not waste anything :)

Kinda' funny-lookin' leaves for a real Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa (Pekinensis Group) type Napa or Michihili ).

Could it be an atypical, loose-headed Chinese cabbage like 'Chirimen Hakusai' or 'Fun Jen' shakushina ?

Or could it perhaps have been cross-pollinated last year with Yu Choy Sum (flowering Bok Choy: they are SUPPOSED to bolt quickly).

Many online sources suggest that in many parts of the country, these are fall-mostly crops, demanding shortening day-length. If you push for a spring crop, they suggest starting indoors and planting out ASAP ... then good luck.

I agree with JMC and Diana: cut-and-come-again, start indoors, fall crops, or just harvest them young and tender as an early spring salad green.

How about substituting Bok Choy, tatsoi, komatsuna or 'Tyfon' Holland greens for spring Brassica greens? Tatsoi and 'Tyfon' are very cold-hardy, so you can start them or harden them off unusually early.

Say, if you are feeding chickens and goats, try out 'Tyfon'! It was bred as a fodder crop. Very productive in a small space. No "mustard oil" at all, so it doesn't make milk taste weird.