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Asian Greens / Brassica Greens · Cool-season greens

Green Bok Choy

Gardyn

SpringFall
Green Bok Choy — Young Young
Seedling / just planted

Young bok choy seedlings a week or two after transplanting into a garden bed (Forest & Kim Starr, Maui; CC BY 3.0 US).

Species-level Brassica rapa var. chinensis seedlings; not a named green-stem cultivar.

Photo: Forest and Kim Starr· CC BY 3.0 us

Green Bok Choy — Growing Growing
Established, filling in

Half-grown green-stem pak choi in a market-garden row, rosette filling out but well short of harvest size (Judgefloro, Bulacan; public domain).

Green-stem (Shanghai-type) pak choi, unnamed variety.

Photo: Judgefloro· Public domain

Green Bok Choy — Full grown Full grown
What you’re aiming for

Harvest-size green-stem pak choi rosette with pale-green midribs and dark spoon-shaped leaves (Jon Sullivan; CC BY 4.0).

Green-stem pak choi at species level; not a named cultivar.

Photo: Jon Sullivan· CC BY 4.0

Growing stages

What to look for, and what to do, at each point in its life

Green Bok Choy in Decatur's Zone 8a runs two seasons: a fall sowing in early-mid September that carries through the mild winter into a big harvest, and a shorter spring sowing in February-March that races the heat before bolting shuts it down.

  1. 1

    Sowing

    Early-mid September (fall crop) or mid-February to early March (spring crop)

    You'll see Seeds are small, round, and reddish-brown, showing nothing above ground for 4-6 days after sowing.

    Do Direct sow 1/4 inch deep in beds, or start in cell trays for a head start; keep the soil surface damp until sprouting.

  2. 2

    Seedling

    Days 4-16 after sowing

    You'll see Round seed leaves appear first, then true leaves show the plant's spoon shape with pale green midribs and dark green blades.

    Do Thin direct-sown rows to 8-10 inches apart, and watch for flea beetle shot-holes.

  3. 3

    Transplant

    3-4 weeks after starting indoors, when seedlings have 2-3 true leaves

    You'll see Transplant-ready seedlings are compact, 2-3 inches tall, with a small vase-shaped rosette and a root ball that holds together when lifted.

    Do Harden off over 5-7 days, then set plants at the same depth they grew, spaced 8-10 inches apart in beds or grow bags.

  4. 4

    Cut-and-come-again or whole-plant harvest

    Starting 25-30 days after sowing for baby leaves, or 45-50 days for a full vase-shaped head

    You'll see The rosette forms a loose vase of pale green stems and dark, smooth, spoon-shaped leaves reaching 8-10 inches tall at full size.

    Do Harvest outer leaves as needed, or cut the whole head at the base once it fills out.

  5. 5

    Bolting

    Late spring, typically May, once daylength lengthens and temperatures push past 75-80°F

    You'll see A central stalk shoots up from the middle of the rosette, leaves turn narrow and pointed, and small yellow four-petaled flowers cluster at the top.

    Do Harvest what you can before leaves turn bitter, then pull the plant or leave one to flower for pollinators and seed.

  6. 6

    Seed saving

    4-8 weeks after bolting, once seed pods dry from green to brown

    You'll see Flower stalks turn from yellow blooms to slim, brown, brittle pods that rattle with seed when dry.

    Do Cut dry seed stalks into a paper bag, finish drying, then crush and winnow to collect seed.

Techniques — transplant, prune, propagate, divide, seed

Sun

Full sun to part shade; cool weather.

Water

Consistent moisture.

Spacing

Hydro pods / tight in-ground spacing.

Feeding

Steady light feeding.

Care

  • Cool-season crops — spring and fall windows; they bolt in summer heat.
  • Wasabina mustard + tatsoi run permanently indoors in the 2nd hydro unit.
  • Giant Red + Southern Green mustard run outdoors in the wooden structure.

Harvest

Cut-and-come-again; harvest outer leaves.

Watch for

Bolting in heat; aphids/flea beetles.