Plant · P-344

Pak Choi

Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis

Pak choi is a fast, upright leaf crop - some varieties are ready in as little as five weeks - which makes it a good candidate for sowing every two to three weeks for a steady supply rather than one big harvest. It bolts from cold, not heat: a cold snap on a young spring-sown planting sends it straight to flower, so it does best sown from late summer through winter and only cautiously in spring. Leaves are eaten raw or cooked at any stage, sweet with a hint of mustard, and a planting left to flower gives a second harvest of immature flowering stems cooked like broccoli.