Bok Choy

🌿 Grow Guide: Bok Choy & Pak Choy

Bok choy and Pak Choy are wonderfully generous greens that almost always give back more than you expect. They are fast-growing, nutrient-rich, and happy to grow through much of the year in many parts of Australia. Whether you’re tucking it into a small space or giving it a starring role in your veggie patch, these crops that suits beginners and seasoned growers alike.

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🌱 Sowing: Trays vs. Direct

📦 Sowing in Trays (Recommended for Controlled Start)

Starting bok choy in trays gives you better control, especially in areas with unpredictable weather or hungry slugs.

How to do it:

• Use small cells or seed-raising trays with a good quality seed-raising mix.
• Sow 1–2 seeds per cell, about 5 mm deep.
• Keep trays in a sheltered spot with dappled sunlight.
• Germination takes about 5–10 days.
• Thin to one strong seedling per cell.
• Transplant out when seedlings are about 3–4 weeks old or have 3–4 true leaves.

🧑‍🌾 Tip: Harden off seedlings before transplanting by exposing them to outdoor conditions gradually over a few days.

🌿 Direct Sowing (Great for Quick Crops)

If the soil is soft and moist, and pests are under control, they perform beautifully when direct sown.

How to do it:

• Sow seeds 1 cm deep, spacing them 20–30 cm apart.
• Rows should be about 30 cm apart.
• Water in gently and keep moist.
• Thin out seedlings once they’re a few cm tall, using the thinnings as microgreens in your salad!

🦌 Note: Slugs, snails, and birds love their tender leaves, so keep an eye out in the early days.

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🌾 Soil & Position

• They thrive in full sun to part shade.
• Prefer well-draining, fertile soil with lots of organic matter.
• Add compost and aged manure before planting.
• Ideal soil pH is between 6.0–7.5.

🪱 Pro tip: Mulch with straw or sugarcane to keep soil moist and prevent weeds. This also helps protect shallow roots from temperature swings.

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🌸 Companion Planting Guide

They are part of the brassica family, so they play well with some plants and not so well with others.

✅ Best Companions:

• Carrots – help break up soil and don’t compete for the same nutrients.
• Beetroot – similar growing needs, compatible root depths.
• Alliums (onions, garlic, chives) – naturally deter pests like aphids and cabbage moths.
• Herbs like mint and dill – great for confusing pests with their strong scents.
• Lettuce – grows well alongside and helps shade soil.

🚫 Avoid planting near:

• Other brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.) – they compete for similar nutrients and attract the same pests.
• Strawberries – they don’t get along well, and spacing needs can clash.

🐛 Tip: Plant nasturtiums or marigolds nearby to act as sacrificial decoys for pests.

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💧 Care & Maintenance

• Water regularly as they like even moisture. Dry spells can trigger early bolting.
• Feed with a seaweed or fish emulsion fortnightly, especially in poor soils.
• Watch for white butterflies and cabbage moths using insect netting or spray neem oil as needed.
• Remove any damaged or yellowing leaves to keep the plant healthy.

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✂️ Harvesting

You can harvest in stages:

• Baby choy: ready in 4–6 weeks.
• Full size: ready in 6–8 weeks.

To harvest:

• Cut the plant at the base with a sharp knife.
• Or pick outer leaves as needed for a “cut-and-come-again” style.

🌞 Tip: Morning harvests help the leaves stay crisp longer.

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🌼 Seed Saving

Bok choy and Pak choy are biennials, but in most of Australia they will flower and go to seed in its first year if exposed to heat or stress. Saving seeds is doable and rewarding—just follow these steps:

🧬 Isolation:

• They are insect-pollinated and can cross with other Brassica rapa varieties (like turnips and mizuna).
• If you’re saving seed, grow only one Brassica rapa variety at a time, or isolate by distance (ideally 1–2 km in open areas).
• Alternatively, use exclusion cages.

🌱 How to Save the Seed:

1. Let a few healthy, disease-free plants bolt and go to flower.
2. The flowers will attract pollinators and produce long, thin seed pods.
3. Wait until the pods dry and turn beige on the plant.
4. Cut the entire seed stalk and place it upside-down in a paper bag or on a tray to finish drying.
5. Once fully dry, crush pods by hand or gently with a rolling pin to release the seeds.
6. Winnow or sieve to remove chaff.
7. Store in a cool, dark, and dry place. Label with variety and year.

🌱 Seed Viability: The seeds last 3–5 years if stored properly.

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🥬 Common Issues & Fixes

Problem	Likely Cause	Fix
Bolting early	Too hot or too dry	Sow in cooler seasons, mulch, water regularly
Holes in leaves	Caterpillars (esp. cabbage moth)	Use insect netting or neem spray
Yellowing leaves	Nutrient deficiency or overwatering	Add seaweed feed, check drainage
Plants stunted	Crowding or poor soil	Thin seedlings, add compost

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🌟 Final Thoughts

Bok choy and Pak Choy are one forgiving, rewarding greens that can become a real staple in your home garden. Whether you’re growing a quick baby crop for stir-fries or letting a few go to seed for next season’s supply, it’s an ideal plant to build your skills with.

Don’t stress if a few bolt early or get chewed—it’s all part of the learning. The more you grow it, the better you’ll get at reading what it needs.

Happy growing, and may your garden be full of lush, leafy greens! 🥬💚

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