Pak Choi

[wardy]

Hi everyone  :)  Someone gave me some little pak choi plants today and I planted them in three rows in a grow bag.  Does anyone know how they big they grow and how long before I can expect to be eating them?

Wardy

[wardy]

[kenkew]

In 3 weeks a 10' row will fill a large sack! I have loads of it, so much that I'm composting quite a bit to make room for other things. It's a sort of large leafy lettuce which is best picked at about lettuce size for adding to salads, eat the stems too. Beyond that size you could chop the stems for adding to stir fries.

[Rox]

Hi Wardy, depends on the type of pak choi it is - there are also dwarf plants that take up much less space.

[Mrs Ava]

That reminds me, must sow some this afternoon in modules in the greenhouse for planting once my early spuds have gone.  My early sowings last year all bolted and got MUNCHED to death by  flea beetles.  Doing oriental/asian greens later in the year to see how they go.  I understand they are hardier than we think!

[Icyberjunkie]

Grows to the size of a rugby ball I think (look at bok choi in supermarkets).  You can eat it as a baby leaf just a few centimetres long or leave to full size and eat it in stir fry, casseroles etc.  Great way to eat the full size plant is to cut into 1inch sqaures, heat some oil in a wok until smoking, throw in the pak choi with a glug of soy sauce and an inch of thinly sliced ginger.  Stir constantly and serve after a minute or two as a side dish.  Yum!

[Merry Tiller]

The Flea Beatles on my plot have a special taste for Pak Choi and Chinese Cabbage, not to mention the Mizuna, Enviromesh is the only solution that works for me

[Yuet_Lee]

Hi EJ,
You better sow them straight to the ground. They grow much better. It warm enought for them.I already eaten second lots. My third lot are coming up now about 1 inch tall. You can eat them from about 5 inch tall onward. Better eaten it before they start bolt. Once they short of water or over crowed will get bolt quicker. >:( The one you seen in the supermaket, actually we( chinese) don't call that Pak Choi. That is an other kind of chinese veg. It went softy when you cook them. But proper Pak choi will not go soft, still nice, crispy and tasty :P Pak is mean White. Choi is vegetable. so it mean white vegetable,but not mean full white.Only white in the stem that leading to the leaves.Here are two different chinese vegs.One is Pak Choi.Another one is Choi Sum.It's all green.See can you tell the different ;D ;D

[derbex]

I find the problem with all the oriental veg is that beasties love them even more than I do. If they get past the slugs the flea-beetles will have them. Still must try again. Maybe I'll plant some Rudebekias(?) next to them -slugs crawl over crushed eggshell to get to those.

Jeremy

[Mrs Ava]

Thanks for that Yuet.  I have started some in modules in the greenhouse today, but will also try a couple of rows direct.  These are the seeds you sent me, so have sowed some Choi sum, and a couple of others.....but of course, I can't remember their names!  Watering on the plot is the main problem, but I am planning to plant them in the dappled shade of my french beans to see if that helps slow down the bolting.

Will sow some tomorrow!  ;D

[Yuet_Lee]

EJ,I've the same problem of watering >:( never got enought of water!
The Choi Sum I sent to you. Should wait till it bolt with a little bud on. Cut it three leaves above the ground. Then new side shoots come up.Can be another meal there. :P
Don't forget Pak Choi cannot do that. But both Flowers were edible :) Is nice just blanch both a bit. Added soya sauce or oyster sauce. Very Health. ;)
Hope everybody enjoy its :P

yuet