{"id":2785,"date":"2020-04-10T06:51:52","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T06:51:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=2785"},"modified":"2020-04-10T06:51:52","modified_gmt":"2020-04-10T06:51:52","slug":"bok-choy-pak-choy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2020\/04\/10\/bok-choy-pak-choy\/","title":{"rendered":"Bok Choy, Pak Choy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brassica<\/em> <\/em>rapa<\/em> <\/em>var<\/em> <\/em>chinensis<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This ancient Chinese crop has been grown for at least 2000 years\nand probably a lot longer. Since that time its use has spread throughout most\nof temperate southeast Asia and to all parts of the world where Chinese people\nhave settled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though closely related to Chinese cabbage (it is the same species)\nit has a very different growth habit. Instead of producing a dense head of\nleaves, it produces leaves with characteristic broad white or green midribs.\nThese are responsible for it sometimes being called celery cabbage. Bok choy\ntranslates as white vegetable, which is also a reference to the stem..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bok choy is easier to grow than the heading\nChinese cabbages and deserves to be more widely used in this country. It is\nparticularly useful for cool weather growing and can be an important part of\nthe cool season vegetable garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This crop is somewhat temperamental and\nreacts in different ways to different circumstances. It is a good idea to\nexperiment with varieties and planting times until you find a combination that\nworks. Try planting it at regular intervals and record how it does in your\njournal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pak choy is cultivated in much the same way as Chinese cabbage and\nlike that plant it grows best as a fall or over-wintering crop. It isn\u2019t as difficult\nas that plant, but it is still prone to bolting in warm weather (even though it\nis supposedly a biennial). I have had plants bolt within a month of planting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content <\/strong>This crop is exceptionally rich in beta-carotene (much more than cabbage),\nas well as vitamin C, K and several B\u2019s, calcium and iron. It also contains\nvaluable antioxidants, including lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane and\nisothiocyanates which give it powerful anti-cancer properties. As an energy\nsource it contains about 60 calories per pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate<\/strong>: Pak choy is generally a cool season crop,\ndoing best at 60 to 65\u02daF. There are some varieties that are adapted to warm\nweather growing however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 6.0 – 7.5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This hungry crop grows rapidly and doesn\u2019t have a very vigorous\nroot system, so needs rich, moist, well-drained soil with lots of nitrogen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: Incorporate 2\u02dd of compost or aged manure into the top 6\u02dd of soil\nbefore planting. If the soil is poor then throw in some organic fertilizer mix\ntoo. If it is acidic add lime to raise the pH. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Pak Choy<\/strong> \u00a0<\/strong>
Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 45 (60 – 70)
Germ time: 3 – 10 days
5 days at 50\u02daF
3 days at 59\u02daF
2 days at 68\u02daF
1 day at 77\u02daF * Optimum
Germination percentage: 75+
Viability: 5 – 9 years
Weeks to grow transplants: 3 – 4 \u00a0<\/strong>
Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Very hardy
Growing temp: 55 (60 – 65) 70\u02daF
Plants per person: 10
Plants per sq ft: 2
Days to harvest: 30 – 60 days \u00a0

Planting<\/strong>
Spring start: 2 weeks before last frost
Plant out: 2 weeks after last frost
Direct sow: 4 wks before last fr
Fall start : 6 – 8 weeks before first fall frost \u00a0<\/strong>

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Yield per plant: 1 – 2 lb
Yield per sq ft: 1 – 3 lb sq ft <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: In cool\nweather put it in a sunny location where it will be sheltered from cold winds.\nIn warm weather you might try growing it in light shade. Don\u2019t plant it where\nany other Brassicas<\/em> were grown in the last\nthree years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Pak choy grows best in cool weather, so the best time to plant\nit depends upon where you live. In places with cool summers and mild winters it\ncan be grown almost year round (though the long days of midsummer may cause it\nto bolt quickly). In hot climates it can only be grown in spring and fall (and\nmaybe winter).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring<\/strong>: This plant can be made to work as a spring crop by starting it\nindoors and using an early maturing and bolt resistant variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sow the seed 2 – 4 weeks before the last spring frost and plant\nout 2 weeks after it. It is hardy enough to be planted earlier than this (it\ncan survive temperatures as low as 20\u02daF), but there is a danger that it will\nbolt as soon as the weather warms up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall<\/strong>: Bok choy does best as a fall crop, because it is less likely to\nbolt in the cooler and shorter days. It is started in late summer, when the\nweather starts to cool down (6 – 8 weeks before the first fall frost).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Succession sowing<\/strong>: This is a short lived crop, so succession sowing every couple of\nweeks is important. In most areas you should be able to get several harvests in\na season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indoors<\/strong>: Bok choy can be started indoors and transplanted. It is usually\ngrown in cell packs or soil blocks to minimize root disturbance. If the weather\nturns cold again after planting out, protect the young plants with cloches,\nuntil temperatures are above 50\u02daF. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outdoors<\/strong>: Bok choy seed germinates easily and the plants grow rapidly, so\nit is usually direct sown. Simply sow the seeds \u00bd\u02dd deep and about 3 – 4\u02dd apart.\nStart thinning when the plants have 4 or 5 leaves. As plants get bigger you can\nharvest thin, to leave the plants at their final spacing. Use the thinnings in\nthe kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: This depends upon the variety and type of crop required. It is\ncommonly planted in offset rows across the bed 6 – 8\u02dd apart each way (these can\nbe thinned later if you need a wider spacing). Plants may grow anywhere from 4\n– 24\u02dd tall,\ndepending upon the variety and growing conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intercropping<\/strong>: Pak choy is so fast growing it is frequently used as an intercrop\nbetween slower growing crops. In summer it is sometimes grown in the shade\nunderneath tall crops such as corn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolting<\/strong>: Pak choy (and most other Asian Brassicas)\nare fast growing and prone to bolting. Sometimes they may bolt within a few\nweeks of planting, which can be frustrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolting may be caused by a variety of factors, take your choice\nfrom: too hot, tool cold, too dry, long day length, low soil fertility,\nexposure to cold when seedlings (this may be the most important factor), extreme\nweather, any interruption in growth (such as careless transplanting) or simply\nbecause you look at it the wrong way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a plant threatens to bolt prematurely, you\ncan simply harvest what there is, or you can let it bolt and harvest the flower\nshoots for use like choy sum (see below). You could also let them produce\nseed and gather it for sprouting or replanting (if it is open pollinated and\nnot a hybrid). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tendency to bolt varies according to cultivar, some are much\nmore prone to it than others. It is the reason these crops are most often grown\nas a fall or winter crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeds<\/strong>: Keep down\nweeds while the plants are young, as they don\u2019t compete for nutrients very\nwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeding<\/strong>: If your soil isn\u2019t very fertile you should give the plants a\nfeed of compost tea or liquid kelp 2 – 3 weeks after planting and again 3 weeks\nlater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering<\/strong>: This is a\nfairly shallow rooted crop and it must have evenly moist soil. If the plant\ngets water stressed it will usually react by bolting. Regular watering is\nparticularly important in summer, as you want to delay the inevitable bolting\nas long as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: Bok choy benefits from mulch, as it helps to keep down weeds,\nconserves moisture and keeps the plants cleaner. Give it 2 – 3\u02dd of organic\nmatter such as compost or aged manure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: Most of the pests and diseases that attack cabbages may also\nattack these plants (slugs, snails, aphids, caterpillars, cabbage root fly,\ncutworms, flea beetles, cucumber beetles. See Cabbage for more on these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diseases<\/strong>: Clubroot, bacterial rot and damping off may all affect it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: A nice thing about bok choy is that it can be harvested at\nalmost any stage of growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the plants are mature you can pick\neither individual leaves or cut whole plants. When plants are a few inches high\nyou can cut the whole rosette of 5 – 6 leaves for use as baby greens. You can\nalso use them as even smaller micro-greens (these are often grown under cover\nduring the winter). How tasty they are will depend upon the variety and the\ngrowing conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: You can harvest individual leaves, but they\ntend to be quite small so it is more common to harvest whole plants. Simply\nuproot  every other plant in a bed,\nleaving the rest to grow bigger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\nalso harvest by cutting off the plants a couple of inches above soil level.\nWith luck the remaining plant will re-grow and give you another crop. This can\nbe especially useful in winter when it may be hard to get another crop\nestablished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flower stem<\/strong>: When the\nplant inevitably bolts and sends up a flower stalk you can eat it. Just harvest\nit before the flower buds open and use it like broccoli . Of course this is\nonly worthwhile if the plants have reached a reasonable size. See Choy sum below for more on using\nthese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: The\nplants can be stored for a few days in a plastic bag in the fridge. In China\nthe leaves are often dried for use in soups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: This crop\nis cross-pollinated by insects and will cross with any other B. rapa <\/em>crop (which includes turnip and broccoli raab) as well as other\nChinese cabbage varieties. You should save the seed from at least six plants to\nensure some genetic variability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These plants can produce a lot of seed which gives you plenty for\ngrowing cut and come again baby greens or micro-greens, making mustard, or for\nsprouting like alfalfa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing ideas<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple stages of use<\/strong>: A single planting can be eaten at various stages of growth. To\ndo this it is sown quite densely (1\u02dd apart) and then gradually harvest thinned.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first\nthinning takes place after all the seeds have germinated and evens out the\nplants. These seedlings are the first harvest and can be used in salads or\ncooked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thin the\nplants again (2 – 3\u02dd apart) when they only have a couple of leaves and no\nthickened midrib and are 3 – 4\u02dd tall. These are good raw in salads or can be\ncooked as baby greens. They are so good at this stage, that the plants are\nsometimes grown purely as a cut and come again crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the\nlarger seedlings reach 5 – 6\u02dd tall and have 5 or 6 leaves, thin them yet again\nby cutting the whole plants. This time to their final spacing of 4 – 8\u02dd. These\nlarger thinnings are also good to eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next\nharvest consists of the mature, fully grown plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If any plants bolt prematurely you can eat the\nflower stems like broccoli (before the flowers open). If the flowers have\nalready opened, you can let them produce seed (if open pollinated, rather than\nF1 hybrids) and start the cycle all over again.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby greens: <\/strong>These\nare used when 3 – 4\u02dd tall and only take 2 – 3 weeks to be ready for harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Containers: <\/strong>Pak choy is a good crop for growing in containers, either for full\ngrown plants, baby greens\nor microgreens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poly\ntunnels: <\/strong>Bok choy is one of\nthe best crops for winter growing in poly tunnels or cold frames. They are able\nto tolerate wider daily temperature swings (warm days and cold nights) than\nmost other crops. They also do well with less light (it even makes the leaves\nmore tender) and there are fewer pests at this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are quite a few varieties available and they vary\nconsiderably in their tolerance for heat and cold and when they grow best.\nSuccess often depends upon planting the right variety for the circumstances, so\nit pays to experiment a little. Some varieties are intended for planting at\ncertain times (warm weather, cold weather) and don\u2019t do well if planted at\nanother time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bok\nchoys are usually divided into three groups; white stem, green stem and baby\nbok choy. The babies could also go in the green or white stem categories too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

White stem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joi choi F1 – Heat and cold tolerant, productive (50\ndays)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White Stem – Has a (surprisingly enough) white stem<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long White Petiole – The standard type (45 days)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green stem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long Green Petiole – Tolerates heat, very fast (30 days)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taiwan bok choy – Tender, leafy and fast (35 days)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shanghai – Heat tolerant (40\n– 50 days)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hanakan F1 – Tolerates heat, but not cold (45 days)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tai Sai <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These\nvarieties are smaller, more tender and contain less stalk (as I imagine a baby\nwould) so are perhaps more useful in the kitchen. They include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Choi F1 – Used in salad mixes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mei Qing choi F1 – Tolerates heat and cold (40 – 50 days)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snowman F1 – Heat and cold tolerant (30 days)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toy Choy F1 – Small and fast (35 days)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Asia\nthese vegetables are usually cooked by steaming, stir frying or adding to\nsoups, etc. Some of the milder and more tender ones can be added to salads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Korea\nbok choy is a staple for making fermented kimchee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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