Bolts to flower before heading

Heat or a cold snap on young plants. Grow in cool seasons, keep soil moist, and choose slow-bolt varieties.

Tiny holes peppering the leaves

Flea beetles, a major pest of brassicas. Cover seedlings with insect netting from day one and keep them growing fast.

Slimy trails and chewed edges

Slugs and snails in cool, damp conditions. Hand-pick at night, set traps, or use iron-phosphate bait.

Green caterpillars eating leaves

Cabbage worms from white moths. Handpick or apply Bt; floating row cover keeps moths off.

Gardening

How to grow Bok choy (Brassica rapa (Chinensis))

A fast, crisp Asian green for spring and fall. Quick to harvest but quick to bolt, so it loves the cool shoulders of the season.

When to plant bok choy where you live

Open in the tool →

Free, no signup. Your zone and saved plants stay in this browser.

Sun

Part shade

Hardiness zones

Zones 2–11

Spacing

6–10 in apart for full heads, 4 in for baby leaf; rows 12 in apart.

Soil

Rich, moisture-retentive, well-draining soil; pH 6.0–7.0. Plenty of compost and nitrogen fuels fast, tender growth.

Watering

Keep consistently moist with about 1 in/week. Drought or heat triggers fast bolting and bitterness.

Plant / sow (typical)

Mar – Apr

Harvest (typical)

May – Jun

Starting

Direct-sow or start indoors 3–4 weeks early. Sow mainly in cool spring and again in late summer; midsummer heat makes it bolt.

Companions

Good with Onion, Beet, Carrot, Dill, Nasturtium. Keep apart from Tomato, Pole bean, Strawberry.

🛒 What it needs

Seeds Veggie food Compost Soil pH test

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Common problems

Bolts to flower before heading. Heat or a cold snap on young plants. Grow in cool seasons, keep soil moist, and choose slow-bolt varieties.
Tiny holes peppering the leaves. Flea beetles, a major pest of brassicas. Cover seedlings with insect netting from day one and keep them growing fast.
Slimy trails and chewed edges. Slugs and snails in cool, damp conditions. Hand-pick at night, set traps, or use iron-phosphate bait.
Green caterpillars eating leaves. Cabbage worms from white moths. Handpick or apply Bt; floating row cover keeps moths off.

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How to grow Bok choy (Brassica rapa (Chinensis))

A fast, crisp Asian green for spring and fall. Quick to harvest but quick to bolt, so it loves the cool shoulders of the season.

When to plant bok choy where you live

Open in the tool →

Free, no signup. Your zone and saved plants stay in this browser.

Sun

Part shade

Hardiness zones

Zones 2–11

Spacing

6–10 in apart for full heads, 4 in for baby leaf; rows 12 in apart.

Soil

Rich, moisture-retentive, well-draining soil; pH 6.0–7.0. Plenty of compost and nitrogen fuels fast, tender growth.

Watering

Keep consistently moist with about 1 in/week. Drought or heat triggers fast bolting and bitterness.

Plant / sow (typical)

Mar – Apr

Harvest (typical)

May – Jun

Starting

Direct-sow or start indoors 3–4 weeks early. Sow mainly in cool spring and again in late summer; midsummer heat makes it bolt.

Companions

Good with Onion, Beet, Carrot, Dill, Nasturtium. Keep apart from Tomato, Pole bean, Strawberry.

🛒 What it needs

Seeds Veggie food Compost Soil pH test

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Common problems

Bolts to flower before heading. Heat or a cold snap on young plants. Grow in cool seasons, keep soil moist, and choose slow-bolt varieties.
Tiny holes peppering the leaves. Flea beetles, a major pest of brassicas. Cover seedlings with insect netting from day one and keep them growing fast.
Slimy trails and chewed edges. Slugs and snails in cool, damp conditions. Hand-pick at night, set traps, or use iron-phosphate bait.
Green caterpillars eating leaves. Cabbage worms from white moths. Handpick or apply Bt; floating row cover keeps moths off.

How to grow Bok choy (Brassica rapa (Chinensis))

🛒 What it needs

Common problems

Related guides

More guides

How to grow Bok choy (Brassica rapa (Chinensis))

🛒 What it needs

Common problems

Related guides

More guides