Proven Ways to Grow Bok Choy Successfully

Bok choy is a cool-season vegetable grown for its crisp white stalks and deliciously tender leaves. Also called Chinese cabbage, bok choy appears in many classic Asian recipes. Read on to learn how to grow bok choy for the best possible harvest.

Bok choy plants grow best in fertile, well-draining soil with full sun to partial shade. They prefer cool temperatures between 55℉ and 75℉ and may bolt in dry or hot weather. Therefore, bok choy is an excellent spring and fall crop in most climates.

The bok choy growing season depends on your climate. Verify your region’s first and last frost dates to determine when to plant bok choy in the spring and fall. This fast-growing and nutritious veggie will make an outstanding addition to your home garden. Are you ready to discover the best tips and tricks for growing bok choy at home? Let’s dig in!

Essential Tips and Tricks for Growing Bok Choy

Bok choy grows in a round rosette of dark green leaves with thick white stems. Depending on the variety, the plants measure six to 18 inches wide and six to 24 inches tall. Baby bok choy leaves are ready to harvest approximately 30-40 days after sowing seeds. The full-size heads mature in four to eight weeks.

As a member of the Brassica family, bok choy is related to other cole crops like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. This leafy green vegetable has a mild, fresh flavor similar to cabbage and Swiss chard. Additionally, bok choy is a superfood rich in vital nutrients like calcium, potassium, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K.

Although they’re usually grown as annuals, bok choy plants have a biennial life cycle. Their leaves and root systems develop in the first growing season, and they produce flowers and seeds in the second year.

Bok choy plants are remarkably cold-hardy and can survive down to 20℉. In fact, a light frost gives fall-grown bok choy a sweeter taste. However, spring freezes that are quickly followed by high temperatures often lead to premature bolting.

Brassica rapa var. chinensis is a plant with many common names. Alternate spellings like bok choi, bak choy, pak choi, and pak choy all refer to the same leafy green vegetable. Tatsoi (Brassica rapa var. narinosa) is a similar veggie with a slightly more pungent taste.

How to Grow Bok Choy

Since bok choy plants grow quickly, sowing seeds directly in your veggie garden beds or containers is usually best. However, if you live in a climate with late spring frosts, or want to get a head start for your first bok choy harvest, start seeds indoors several weeks earlier.

Sow bok choy seeds in groups of three or four spaced one to two inches apart. Once your bok choy seedlings grow three or four inches tall, thin them out to a plant spacing of six to 12 inches apart, depending on the variety. You can use the culled seedlings for microgreens in salads or incorporate them into your compost pile.

Whether you’re planting bok choy seeds indoors or directly in your garden beds, it’s beneficial to pre-moisten the soil before planting to avoid disturbing the seeds. Sow bok choy seeds a quarter-inch deep, then lightly cover them with an equal mixture of soil and organic compost.

Bok choy seeds germinate best at a soil temperature between 55℉ and 65℉. Germination usually takes five to ten days, or possibly longer in cold soil. However, the seeds won’t germinate below 40℉. To protect the developing seeds from cold temperatures, cover your planting site with a thick layer of compost or dark-colored mulch to warm the soil for several days before planting bok seeds.

DIY Bok Choy Fertilizer

Bok choy plants are heavy feeders. Before planting bok choy seeds, amend your soil with a generous amount of organic compost or well-rotted manure. Or, incorporate a slow-release, all-purpose fertilizer when planting bok choy seeds or seedlings. Alternatively, try this simple recipe for DIY bok choy fertilizer.

• 4 cups alfalfa meal
• ½ cup bone meal
• ½ cup garden lime
• ½ cup kelp meal

Thoroughly mix the ingredients in a small, lidded container or bucket. Spread one tablespoon of DIY fertilizer around the base of each plant and gradually water it in. Store any leftover fertilizer mix in a sealed plastic bag or container.

When to Plant Bok Choy Seeds in Spring

Many gardeners wonder when to plant bok choy in spring. The best time to plant bok choy seeds is one or two weeks after the last frost date for your zone. If you’re starting seeds indoors, plant them about a week before your last spring frost. Then, transplant bok choy seedlings outdoors about two or three weeks later when the plants are about three or four inches tall.

If your region tends to get late spring frosts, protecting the young plants with a cold frame or floating row cover is beneficial. In cool climates, bok choy plants grow well in full sun. However, they benefit from getting afternoon shade in warmer regions.

When to Plant Bok Choy in the Fall

Bok choy also makes an excellent fall crop. Sow bok choy seeds from late summer to early fall or once daytime temperatures consistently stay below 75℉.

These plants are remarkably cold-tolerant. In fact, many growers report that bok choy leaves taste even sweeter after one or two light frosts. In milder climates, bok choy can grow in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse throughout the winter.

What Is Succession Planting?

Succession planting is a gardening practice that allows you to extend the growing seasons of many of your veggies and enjoy a continuous harvest of various short-lived crops. This practice works well with bok choy, as well as other cool-season crops like arugula, basil, beets, carrots, cilantro, lettuce, parsnips, radishes, spinach, sweet peas, and turnips. Succession planting also helps you use your garden space most efficiently throughout the growing season by optimizing each plant’s growth period.

Starting in early spring, plant bok choy seeds once every three to four weeks from your last frost date until temperatures are consistently above 80℉. Once the larger plants are ready to harvest, your bok choy plants will start to mature and need more space. In addition, bok choy plants have shallow root systems and grow well between other plants. Companion planting bok choy between other crops also reduces weed growth in your veggie garden since a productive crop will occupy the extra space. Sow seeds between other early spring crops like chives, green onions, and radishes.

Once the hot summer weather arrives, use that area of your veggie garden for growing warm-season crops like tomatoes, peppers, and squash. Then, plant more bok choy seeds and other cool-season crops in late summer or early autumn.

Harvesting and Storing Homegrown Bok Choy

When to harvest bok choy depends on your intended use. Harvest baby bok choy leaves when they measure between four and six inches long. Pick the outer leaves first, leaving at least half of the plant to continue growing.

Bok choy plants have a loose, upright growth habit. Standard varieties usually grow one to two feet tall, while smaller cultivars reach about eight to ten inches.

When your bok choy grows to its full size, cut the whole plant about one inch above the soil level. If the temperature stays cool enough, a second, smaller crop of baby bok choy leaves might regrow. For succession planting, remove the plants after harvesting to make space for new seedlings to grow.

Use your homegrown bok choy within a week of harvesting. For best results, store fresh bok choy leaves in a ventilated container or perforated plastic bag in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer. Excess moisture will cause them to wilt quickly, so refrain from rinsing bok choy until you’re ready to use it.

Troubleshooting Common Bok Choy Growing Problems

Healthy plants are more resilient against attacks from pathogens and insects. Therefore, giving your plants appropriate levels of light, nutrients, and water is their best defense.

The most common bok choy pests include aphids, cutworms, cabbage worms, flea beetles, leaf miners, and slugs. Cutworms and cabbage worms are moth larvae that feed on cabbage plants’ stems, leaves, or roots. Protect tender young seedlings with a floating row cover for the first several weeks of spring to deter insects from laying eggs on them. If you notice a severe pest infestation, spray all plant parts with insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, or neem oil to kill eggs, larvae, and adult insects. Spread diatomaceous earth over the soil around the base of the plants to deter cutworms.

Fungal diseases like leaf spot, powdery mildew, and rust thrive in damp conditions and are often caused by overwatering. Water early in the morning, try to keep the leaves dry by watering with drip irrigation or a soaker hose and provide adequate drainage, especially during heavy rain. Most fungal diseases can be treated using organic copper or sulfur fungicide. To learn more about using organic fungicides safely, check out this article from the Purdue University Extension.

Another commonplace issue when growing bok choy is premature bolting. Maintain consistent soil moisture during especially hot or dry weather to help prevent your bok choy plants from bolting. When planting bok choy seeds in late summer for a fall crop, provide extra shade for the young plants until the cool weather of autumn arrives.

Bok choy is a delicious and nutritious leafy green vegetable that grows best in the cool weather of spring and fall. The plants grow quickly and are ready to harvest in one or two months, depending on the variety. As such, succession planting is an outstanding way to lengthen your bok choy growing season and make the most of your available garden space.

Have you ever tried growing bok choy in your home veggie garden? Feel free to share your success stories or ask any questions you may have in the comments below! If you enjoyed learning how to grow bok choy, please share this article with your fellow gardeners.