Pak Choi

[Alice]

I'm growing Pak Choi for the first time this year, but running into very conflicting instructions. The seeds have germinated quickly and easily and rushing to make real leaves. Great looking wee seedlings, but

How hardy is it - know it can be grown under glass in winter, but are the seedlings hardy now once hardened off)

How much sun does it want - I can give it full sun, partial shade or shade

I can give these babies whatever they want - I just need to know what they want. Can anybody speak for the Pak Choi.

[Alison]

Never managed to get it much bigger than that myself as the slugs made a beeline for it and that was that. Keep meaning to try again in pots but not sure I've got the space this year.

[Alice]

I'll watch out for the slugs Alison.

[JennieAtkinson]

Thankfully mine are sitting on the bedroom windowsill! Sowed them two days ago, but no sign yet. It had occurred to me Alice as to where I might plant them. Wondered about the polytunnel?

[Lesley Jay]

I sow my Pak Choi seeds direct into the ground and always get a fabulous row of the stuff. I wait till the weather warms up but I don't do anything special with it. The allotment is very open and windy.

[smallblueplanet]

Alice what variety of Pak Choi? In Joy Larkom's 'Oriental Vegetables' she has pages of them!



Hope you can read the attachment?

[Alice]

Thanks Lesley, they look to be pretty hardy - well I hope so as I've left them outside in a pot in a sheltered position (my doorstep!)

SBP, thanks for that but I can't read the attachment. The variety is Mei Qing Choi F1. I'm really wondering about how much sun and heat they will stand, rather than how much cold. Would I be better to plant them in the kitchen garden, which is open and sunny, or in a container on the south terraces which can be very hot. From their performance so far I'm inclined to go for the kitchen garden.

[Lesley Jay]

Alice I think I would go for your kitchen garden.

[Alice]

I think your right L J. Thanks for the reassurance.

[smallblueplanet]

In the second column, under the heading 'the bolting problem' Joy says - pak choi has a tendency to bolt prematurely from Spring sowings......to minimize bolting.....choose cold tolerant varieties where known and she names 'Mei Qing' as one.

[Two_Sheds]

Mine germinated fine, but the slugs loved them...every leaf was nibbled and pooed on, yuk. They also bolted. I wouldn't bother with them again, didn't like the flavour that much.

[JennieAtkinson]

I think the polytunnel might be too warm then. Mine are the same sort Earthbabe, so I'll try a row outside as well and see how I get on.

Really looking forward to tasting them (if I ever get that far). Cant say I have ever seen them for sale in the shops here.

[muckman]

HI, i sow direct when its nice and warm and they do fine ,apart from the flea beetle mine go in a sunny spot.

Unless somone can tell me its not the flea beetle, But it sure looks like it.

[Nicos]

We grew them last year for the first time and they were very easy to grow.
We did put them under fleece however as they do look rather delicate- at first to keep them warm and later to retain moisture in the really hot weather.
We steamed or stir fried them. Will give it a miss this year, but would grow it again.
We had no probs with slugs but we had used the nematodes.

[Nicos]

Ours were in a sunny patch, and although we get very bad flee beetle, we had no problem with it- because it was under fleece!!!!! Well there you go! Problem avoided even though we we unaware of it!!!