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.

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

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

Gardening

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.

The free tool tailors timing to your climate and lets you save this plant.

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.

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.