How to Grow Pak Choi Plants, Chinese Cabbage

Chinese Vegetables

How to Grow Pak Choi Chinese Cabbage in Your Garden

Are you looking for something new to grow in your vegetable garden this year? You won’t be disappointed if you choose Pak Choi. It tastes good and is easy to grow. So, review this “How to Grow Pak Choi ” guide, Then, add it to this year’s garden plan. You’ll be glad you did! 

Pak Choi is a leaf-type Chinese cabbage, with a crisp texture and sweet flavor. Native to Hong Kong and southern China, it is closely related to Bok Choy.

It is an easy to grow, quick-growing, cool weather crop, and a compact plant with uniform growth. It produces a loose-leaf bulbous plant, with white midribs.

Pak Choi is great in salads, soups, and stir-fries.

Other Names: Pak Choy

Botanical Name: Brassica Rapa

How to Grow Pak Choi - Plant Propagation

Pak Choi is grown from seeds. Directly sow seeds into your garden, early in the spring. You can make successive plantings for spring and fall crops. Sow seeds, and cover with 1/4″ of fine garden soil.

Seeds germinate in 7- 10 days.

How to Grow Pak Choi Plants

Pak Choi plants thrive in cool weather. Spring and fall crops are best, leaving the summer months to the hot weather crops.

Succession planting, spring, and fall will produce continuous harvests during cool weather seasons.

Plants prefer full sun, and rich, loose garden soil.

Fuel fast growth with an early application of fertilizer.

Keep the soil moist, not wet.

Weed plants regularly, especially when young.

Thin plants to avoid overcrowding. Thin plants to 12″ – 18″ apart.

Plants will bolt quickly, going to seed in hot, weather, or if under stress.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5.  Ideal Soil pH by vegetable.

Also, see:

Plant Problems

Soil Temperatures – Ideal germination temperature by vegetable

 

How to Grow Pal Choi - Insects and Pests

Insects can be a problem. Because this is a leaf crop, avoid using chemical insecticides. Use garlic sprays or organic repellents, only if problems arise

How to Grow Pak Choi - Plant Disease

The plant is susceptible to rotting during hot and humid weather.

To minimize plant disease, do not plant in an area where other members of the cabbage family have been grown in the past two years.

Harvest Time

Days to Maturity: 30-45 days.

As a loose-leaf cabbage, Pak Choi can be harvested as soon as the leaves reach a size large enough to use. Pick outer leaves, as needed. Or, harvest the entire plant at maturity.

Garden Tip: The center stalk can also be harvested, to help force growth to the outer leaves.

Plant Hardiness

Members of the cabbage family, including Pak Choi, prefer cool, and even cold weather. They are among the last garden plants in the fall. The plants can survive freezes, below thirty degrees.

 

Related Articles

  • Bok Choy – it’s also a Chinese Cabbage.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

    Please support our site. Shop for:

    Scroll to top