🥬 Chinese cabbage

Chinese cabbage forms tall, tight, crisp heads of pale, frilly leaves with a mild, sweet flavour. It is faster and juicier than ordinary cabbage, and is a staple for stir-fries, kimchi and salads in East Asia.

Sow in July and August, not earlier, since long days and cool nights in spring cause bolting. Plants are not frost-hardy, so harvest before hard frosts, in October and November.

Varieties to try

Nikko (reliable, bolt-resistant)Blues (large heads)Wong Bok (traditional)Kasumi (compact)Yuki (autumn)

Sow from mid-July to August, 1 cm deep, directly where plants are to grow, in rows 40 cm apart, in rich, moist, firm soil. Thin seedlings to 30–40 cm apart. Chinese cabbage hates root disturbance, so avoid transplanting unless using modules.

Cover with fine mesh at sowing time to keep off flea beetles, which attack young seedlings. Water the row before sowing in dry weather.

Top tips

• Sow only after midsummer.
• Sow in place or in modules.
• Cover with fine mesh at once.
• Thin to 30–40 cm.

Keep the soil constantly moist, as dry spells cause loose, bitter heads and bolting. Mulch to hold moisture, and feed with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser a month after sowing. Keep weeds under control.

Slugs, flea beetle and caterpillars are the main pests. Fine mesh is the best defence. Rotate with other brassicas to avoid club root. Plants tolerate light frosts but should be harvested before hard ones.

Top tips

• Mulch to hold moisture.
• Use mesh on the whole crop.
• Feed a month after sowing.
• Rotate with other brassicas.

Watch out for

Flea beetleSlugsCaterpillarsClub rootBolting

Cut heads when they are firm and heavy, usually 8–12 weeks after sowing, from October. Cut at the base with a sharp knife. Loose heads can be harvested early as greens.

Harvest before hard frosts. Heads store for several weeks in a cool, frost-free place. Leave the stump in the ground; it may produce a few loose leaves.

If a hard frost is forecast and the heads are not quite solid, tie the outer leaves loosely around the heads with soft string to give extra protection. Pulled whole with the roots and hung in a cool shed, heads often keep for a month or more.

Top tips

• Cut firm, heavy heads.
• Harvest before hard frost.
• Leave stumps for leaves.
• Check weekly in autumn.

Use Chinese cabbage shredded raw in coleslaw and salads, stir-fried with garlic and ginger, in soups, dumplings and spring rolls, or fermented as kimchi. The leaves are sweet and tender, cooking in just a couple of minutes.

Whole heads keep for 2–3 weeks in the fridge, wrapped loosely. Ferment as kimchi or sauerkraut for long storage. It does not freeze well raw.

Top tips

• Ferment as kimchi.
• Stir-fry briefly.
• Wrap heads loosely for storage.
• Shred raw for coleslaw.