🥬 Pak choi

Pak choi is a fast, mild-flavoured Asian cabbage with crisp white stems and smooth green leaves, ready to eat from only four weeks. It is one of the best crops for a small space, thriving in pots, window boxes and between other vegetables.

It prefers cool conditions and can bolt in hot weather or after a cold snap in spring, so sow from late spring to late summer. Autumn sowings can be protected for winter pickings, filling a gap when there is little salad around.

Varieties to try

Joi Choi (reliable F1, bolt resistant)Canton White (classic white-stemmed)Red Choi (purple-red leaves)Baby Choi (compact and quick)Tatsoi (a related spoon-leaved type)

Sow outdoors from April to August in shallow drills 1 cm deep, in rows 20–30 cm apart, in fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Avoid sowing too early, as cold nights can trigger bolting. Sow thinly and thin to 10–20 cm for full-size heads, or leave closely spaced for baby leaves.

Make successional sowings every two to three weeks for a continuous supply. Pak choi grows well in containers at least 15 cm deep, or in modules for transplanting after three weeks. Sow hardy varieties in late summer and early autumn, covered with a cloche or fleece, for winter crops.

Top tips

• Wait until late April to avoid bolting.
• Sow every two or three weeks.
• Use fine mesh immediately to block flea beetle.
• Grow in containers for balcony cropping.

Water regularly, because dry soil leads to bolting and tough leaves. Mulch to retain moisture and keep the roots cool. Feed with a liquid fertiliser every two weeks if growth slows. Pak choi has shallow roots, so weed carefully by hand.

Flea beetle, slugs and caterpillars are the main pests; cover with fine insect mesh from sowing. Keep plants well spaced for air flow and rotate with other brassicas to avoid clubroot. Overwintering plants benefit from a cloche or fleece in hard frosts.

Top tips

• Water consistently to avoid bolting.
• Cover with fine mesh from sowing.
• Pick off slugs on damp evenings.
• Protect winter crops with fleece.

Watch out for

Flea beetleSlugsCaterpillarsBolting in heat or cold stress

Harvest baby leaves from about three to four weeks, cutting them with scissors about 2.5 cm above the base so the plant regrows. Full-size heads are ready in six to eight weeks, cut at the base with a knife. Harvest when the stems are plump and the leaves are smooth and glossy.

Do not let plants stand too long, as they bolt quickly and the stems become tough. A bolted plant can still be used: eat the flower shoots, which are tender and sweet like tender-stem broccoli. In winter, pick leaves from plants under cover as needed.

Top tips

• Cut baby leaves for repeated pickings.
• Harvest whole heads before they bolt.
• Eat bolted flower shoots too.
• Cut in the morning for crispness.

Pak choi cooks in minutes: halve it lengthwise and steam, stir-fry or grill, or add it to soups, noodle dishes and broths at the last minute. The leaves are tender and the stems stay crisp, so cook them for a little longer. Baby leaves are delicious raw in salads.

Unwashed heads keep for up to a week in the fridge in a bag. Pak choi does not freeze well, so it is best eaten fresh. Sow small amounts regularly rather than a big batch, and harvest only what you plan to eat.

Top tips

• Stir-fry with garlic, ginger and soy sauce.
• Halve and char on a hot grill pan.
• Add to noodle soup at the end.
• Eat raw as baby leaf in salads.