Pak Choi

[Plot69]

Just bought a packet of Pak Choi, average contents 200 seeds. Should I sow them all or will half be enough?

Never grown them before.

[Plot69]

[manicscousers]

we do ours 6 at a time, 2 weeks between  :)

[saddad]

1/4 should be plenty, unless they are out of date, all brassicas germinate well..
;D

[Plot69]

we do ours 6 at a time, 2 weeks between  :)

So that's 6 into 200, divided by 52, multiplied by 3.142, taking away the first number I thought of leaves me about 40 weeks worth.

Thanks Manic. I knew I was going to grow it this year but forgot all about it. It was only while perusing the shelves in Wilco's that I bought it... Along with 30 quids worth of other stuff I'd forgot about :)

[froglets]

Worth keeping some for after the longest day as some varieties will go to seed quickly in the first half of the year.  After half way, they are supposed to last longer and heart up better.  ( I'm told  :-\  didn't have much success last summer & then forgot to re-sow later.  Must try harder)

[manicscousers]

yes, we stop growing them in june and start again in september, they keep going as a cut and come again crop in the poly over winter for a salad crop or stir fries  :)

[Plot69]

1/4 should be plenty, unless they are out of date, all brassicas germinate well..
;D

I only bought them today so they should be fresh. I'll take MS's advice and plant a few every few weeks.

Thanks anyway.

[calendula]

I always save my pak choi for the late summer so it can be harvested as an autumn crop - the cooler conditions will be more suitable, much the same with the chinese cabbages and I am soon to stop sowing the oriental brassicas for salads not only because they too go to seed easily but there will be so many other summer salads to pick

but as we never know if the coming few months are going to be hot or not then I'd sow just a few just in case it is on the cool side

[cambourne7]

slugs love them so make sure you take precausions as the slugs go straight for it.

I have planted a stir fry mix this weekend which is a mix of various stuff (no idea expecting a nice surprise)

http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Chefs-Choice-Mixed-Greens/Siamese-Dragon-Stir-Fry-Mix

In a couple of weeks i will plant my pak choi out as a second crop on its own i just love it  ;D

[Plot69]

In a couple of weeks i will plant my pak choi out as a second crop on its own i just love it  ;D

Well I don't ever remember buying a Chinese takeaway that didn't have loads of it in and your right, it is lovely. Me and my Wife make a lot of our own stir fries which is what prompted me to grow it.

Bit upsetting about the slugs but thanks for the heads up. 

[tim]

And the Flea Beetle?

[debster]

can it be eaten raw as a salad veg then??? didnt know that

[calendula]

And the Flea Beetle?

oh absolutely Tim it needs fine netting or fleecing to prevent this at the time of the flea beetle

debster - it is lovely raw, stir fried, souped, almost anything really - quite versatile

[John_Pearce]

Stir fried, with oyster sauce and a little bit of sesame oil over the top  :o

[tim]

The best Oyster Sauce I've yet found is Wing Yip.

[allaboutliverpool]

A Chinese lady on my site insisted on giving me a packet of pak choi seeds 3 years ago when I gave her some asparagus seedlings. I had never grown them before.
The pack was from Hong Kong and had about 2 oz of seeds (seemingly half a million). I keep them in the shed and this year they have germinated again. It is important to keep them well watered otherwise they go to seed.
They are really easy to grow, and yes, a few seeds every 2 or three weeks will more than keep you going. They will transplant (watered well).

Good luck.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

[Biscombe]

No go here! bolt bolt bolt bolt bolt!!!!!!!

[gwynleg]

I didnt get one seed to germinate last year - will try again this year - with a different seed company I think!