Pak choi
Brassica rapa Chinensis Group · Easy
A fast oriental green that performs best in cool, moist spring or late-summer conditions.
Sow
Spring under cover, or direct from late spring with a particularly useful late-summer window.
Plant
Transplant modules carefully or direct sow.
Harvest
Baby leaves in about 30 days; fuller heads in roughly 45–75 days.
Practical growing notes
Give pak choi the right space.
- Plant spacing
- 8–10 cm for baby leaves, up to 25–30 cm for mature heads.
- Light
- Sun in cool weather; light shade in summer.
- Containers
- Yes, preferably at least 30 cm wide.
Why grow it?
Very fast and especially useful after early potatoes or peas.
Watch for
Temperature stress and dry soil cause bolting; flea beetles and slugs attack seedlings.
Keep the bed moving
What can follow pak choi?
A succession-friendly salad crop, especially useful as loose-leaf or cut-and-come-again types.
beet familySpinachA quick cool-season leaf crop for spring and autumn, with repeat pickings from small sowings.
onion familyGarlicA low-maintenance overwintering crop planted as named, disease-free cloves.
pea and bean familyBroad beansA hardy bean that provides an early harvest and can free a bed in time for summer crops.