How to Grow Pak Choi
'Rubi' from Seed
Deep purple-tinted leaves over pale, crisp stems, with colour that holds through cooking. Baby leaves in about a month and full heads in six to eight weeks.
'Rubi' is a pak choi with deep purple-tinted leaves over pale, crisp stems, as good-looking in a border as in a vegetable bed. The colour holds through cooking, unlike many purple brassicas that turn green in the pan.
It is fast from seed: baby leaves in about a month and full heads in six to eight weeks. Both stems and leaves are used, stir-fried briefly or added to soup at the last moment. Its one habit worth knowing is a tendency to bolt if sown too early or checked by cold or drought.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Crop Type
Oriental brassica, quick crop
Sowing Time
April to August
Harvest
June to October
Days to Harvest
About 30 days baby leaf, 6 to 8 weeks heads
Spacing
20 to 25cm
Difficulty
2 out of 5, easy
Understanding the Crop
Pak choi, Brassica rapa var. chinensis, is a fast-growing oriental leaf brassica. It forms loose heads of broad, spoon-shaped leaves on thick, juicy stems.
It grows best in the cool, even conditions of late spring and late summer. Cold snaps, dry soil and long midsummer days all push it to flower early.
Avoiding bolting
Sow from late spring onwards, never let the soil dry out, and avoid transplanting stress. August sowings are the most reliable and crop well into autumn.
When & How to Sow
Sow from April to August. For a steady supply, sow a short row every three weeks.
Pots and containers
Pak choi grows well in pots and troughs at least 20cm deep. Harvest as baby leaves for the quickest returns.
Sow direct or in modules. Sow 1cm deep in rows 30cm apart, or two seeds per module under cover. Seedlings appear in about a week.
Thin or plant out. Thin direct sowings to 20 to 25cm for full heads, or 10cm for baby leaves. Plant module-raised seedlings out while young to avoid checking growth.
Keep moist. Water regularly so growth never stalls.
Growing On Tips
Steady watering
Dry soil is the main trigger for bolting. Water little and often.
Mesh cover
Fine insect mesh keeps off flea beetles, caterpillars and pigeons.
Light shade in summer
A little afternoon shade helps midsummer sowings.
Cut and come again
Cut heads 2cm above the base and they often resprout for a second, smaller crop.
Container friendly
Grows well in pots and troughs near the kitchen door.
Sow little and often
Small sowings every three weeks give a continuous supply.
Common Problems & How to Fix Them
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Plants run to flower | Early sowing, cold, drought or check | Sow from late spring, keep watered, harvest young. |
| Tiny holes in leaves | Flea beetle | Cover with fine mesh and keep soil moist. |
| Leaves eaten | Slugs, snails or caterpillars | Protect young plants and cover with mesh. |
| Tough, stringy stems | Left too long or dry soil | Harvest promptly and water regularly. |
| Wilting, stunted plants | Cabbage root fly | Cover with mesh from sowing. |
When to Harvest
Pick baby leaves about a month after sowing. Full heads are ready in six to eight weeks, from June to October depending on sowing date.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Sow | ||||||||||||
| 🥬 Harvest |
Crop Specifications
Purple pak choi in six weeks
Sow from late spring, keep it watered and covered, and you will be cutting colourful, crisp heads for the wok from June to October.
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