Vegetable · Brassica
Bok Choy
Brassica rapa subsp. chinensisA crisp, quick-cooking green that thrives in the cool, even conditions of a shoulder season. Long days and heat send it to flower almost overnight, so timing matters more than for most greens. The one rule: keep it growing fast — any check invites bolting.
Sow depth
½ in
Spacing
8 in · rows 12 in
Sun
Sun or part shade
Germination
4–7 days
Time to harvest
45–55 days
Difficulty
Easy
When to sow bok choy
- Sow from about 2 weeks before your last expected frost until about 1 week after your last expected frost.
- Sow from about 9 weeks before the first expected autumn frost until about 5 weeks before the first expected autumn frost.
Direct sow shallowly — bok choy resents the root disturbance of transplanting.Sow into moist, fertile soil once the sharpest cold has passed.Cover lightly and keep evenly damp until seedlings emerge.
Thin early to 8 in — crowded plants bolt sooner and stay small.Water consistently; drying out stresses plants into flowering.Mulch to keep roots cool through any warm spell.
Cut whole heads at the base once they reach usable size.Or harvest outer leaves individually for a longer picking window.Use promptly once a flower spike appears — leaves turn bitter fast.
Companion plants
Keep fromStrawberries
Strong-scented companions like onions and mint help mask bok choy from cabbage-loving pests.
Watch out for
Flea beetles — Perforate leaves with small holes in warm, dry spells. Cover with fine mesh from the day of sowing.Bolting — Triggered by long days or a cold snap after a warm spell. Choose slow-bolt varieties for uncertain seasons.