Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Sowing
Pak choi produces typical 'brassica' seeds, quite small and round. This can make
them difficult to handle as they roll very easily - it's a bit like trying to handle a
pile of very tiny marbles. Sow one or two seeds per 6cm pot, 0.5-1cm deep in a
free-draining soil. Germination is best at around 20°C but results will be reason-
able from as low as 10°C.
If you want to harvest pak choi through the winter, sow it in modules from late
June at two-week intervals until late August. Later sowings are unlikely to estab-
lish well enough to be worthwhile before growth ceases in the colder weather.
For an early summer harvest, sow in modules indoors in mid-January and plant
out in early March.
Growing
Once the first true leaves are well developed, plant out allowing 15-30cm between
plants and rows, depending on how large you want them to get. While the shallow
roots of pak choi make it prone to drying out, they make it an ideal container
plant.
As the days lengthen and the weather begins to warm, overwintered plants will
bolt, usually beginning in early to mid-February with 'Tatsoi' and smaller-leaved
varieties, with the larger-leaved plants following in March.
Harvesting and storage
Leaves can be harvested as soon as they are considered large enough, poten-
tially making this a very fast crop indeed - as little as three weeks from sowing.
As with many plants, you can take a 'cut and come again' approach to harvesting
pak choi. Rather than taking the entire plant, just pick an outer leaf or two from
each one until you have enough for your meal. You can also cut the entire plant
off about 2.5cm above the ground and leave it to sprout again.
Most hearting varieties of Chinese cabbage (such as Wong Bok) are suitable for
freezing as wedges, slices or individual leaves, provided that they are blanched
for about a minute and a half. In cooler months, cut heads will keep well for a
week or two wrapped in newspaper on racks in an airy, frost-free shed or garage,
but they tend to develop a strong smell so do not store them indoors.
Problems
Slugs , flea beetles , cabbage root fly and caterpillars . Most pests will take up
residence right in the centre of the plant where the leaves are the most tender
and easy to damage. A small, long-handled spoon is a good tool for getting to the
heart of the problem without wrecking the plant in the process.
 
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