I read you could try this under glass now, as well as sowing in late summer/autumn for winter goodies. It sounds a scrummy vegetable...
So I put a growbag on the unheated greenhouse staging, and sowed the seed direct into this a couple of weeks ago. Despite the intervening freezing temperatures, they've all germinated as of the last 48 hours, so I'm surprised and delighted.
Anyone got results doing this before? Rough estimates of time to crop? Being only 1/2" high, will they peg-it at another frost, or are they stout, sturdy & hardy from birth?
Well done you!
Never done it - usually a late sowing - but, since they last into the Winter, you should be OK?
Hi
Been thinking about Pak Choi myself. The packet says june onwards for planting but i was wondering whether to try a few under glass.
Might pot up a few cells and give it a go, keep us updated
Dicky
My packet says March direct sow.
I think it's Spring for harvesting leafy plants this season & June for overwintering to get bulby plants.
Have grown Pak Choi in the greenhouse. I start them in cells (60's) and plant on into any spare pots I have (3 - 5 inches normally) when about one inch tall. They grew well and were lovely to eat. However, the dreaded Flea Beetle have attacked mine both on the lottie and in the greenhouse.
I am giving Chinese Leaves ( 1 kilo) a try this year too. Anyone tried these in the greenhouse?
Good luck.
Did Pak Choi, so did my slugs! :'( Mine has yet to make it in the past 3 years of trying, but I WILL suceed!
Doh ! More seeds to buy now :D
I have some up now, I want to prick it out into my greenhouse beds -but I noticed this am that the slugs have been at the cabbages :(
I do have a lot of saved up eggshells and a box of slug-stoppa, this has worked in the past.
Who on earth said that slugs like letture, they go straight past mine.
Will Pak Choi make it to useable size in 3" pots? I feel a greenhouse trial may be necessary
Dear glow777, I have grown them in 3 inch pots. The bases were a good 2 inches and they were approx 6 inches high. 5 inch pots are better as they are more stable.
This year I am thinking of growing some in a section of guttering in the greenhouse (after starting them off in cells)
Pak Choi update:
13 seeds sown direct into growbag on greenhouse staging on 14th March. All seeds germinated. Took my first pick of leaves today.
As a comparison, I sowed Forellenschuss lettuce in exactly the same manner, on the same start date.
The lettuce is nowhere near 'pick leaf' stage, had much poorer germination (despite more seeds sown), and looks a little lank; meanwhile, the Pak Choi is sturdy, growing fast, looks very healthy, & seems well adapted to this grow-bag/greenhouse approach. Can definitely recommend giving this a go for getting a crop of winter/spring greens.
Economical too, probably about 80p tops for both the small number of seeds, & the growbag space.
Will try and post a picture tomorrow.
i guess i took the risk again, I planted directly into the ground and bob's ya uncle there about 10mm high but there alive and breathing !!!
carl
Given up growing it on my plot, fleabeatles ruin it no matter what I do, in the greenhouse in a pot looks like a good call
Comparison pictures of the Pak Choi and lettuce...
Gadfium,
How many do you plant in a growbag?
There are 13 Pak Choi plants in the half-growbag, they were sown in a diagonal arrangement as follows:
X X X
X X
X X X
X X
X X X
Thanks, might try that
Hi, Bit late here but I've just found this photo which may be of interest to you. If you look by the path you see Pak Choi intercropped with lettuce infront of peppers and cucumber. This pic is dated 15/07/2004 and as far as remember we treated it just like lettuce. As the greenhouse wasn't erected until the 17 May I can only presume they we sowed the seed around then - dairy failure. Give it a go and good luck.
(http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e335/moyler/IMG_0726.jpg)