Allotments 4 All

Hi All,

After spending a fortune on Pak Choi at the grocers ( ok supermarket) I've decided to try growing my own - after all, it's a vegetable, how hard can it be?

Any hints, tips etc.

For this experiment, I have a sunny patch with well drained tending to sandy soil, occasional additional watering as it's under the washing line whirlie thing, so ideal for low growing salads.

TIA

Froglets

If I can.....................................!

But fleece it against flea beetle.

As Tim suggests, pak choi is pretty tough. I've had mine growing in window boxes all winter - frozen solid at least a dozen times and still good to go. I even planted some in a big pot last autumn but the slugs had it. Forgot to empty pot and look out there this afternoon: baby pak choi plants already going for it!

I'd go for an F1 variety like Riko they're more compact and tidier. I've got about 6 varieties now - they all taste the same.

The only downside is that the kids won't touch it. But you can't have everything... If you and yours do like it try tatsoi aka rosette pak choi. It tastes similar but is even prettier...

Blimey Tim, that's neat.  Fingers crossed they also grow in a random weed infested chaos sort of way, with the off clothes peg for decoration.

Thanks TM - I tried them a couple of years ago in a pot, but the slugs must have had them - I though they didn't even germinate.

Thansk too Wardy, confidence is up now, roll on April.

They're good as a sacrificial crop, like most oriental veg. everything loves them. I did manage to get some once by growing them in a mound of slug-stoppa.

Jeremy -who's going to try again this year.

I never seem to have had much luck with pak choi and have rarely managed to get them to grow to any size-  I'll keep trying though- have ordered a different variety for this year.

As Tim sees flea beetle are a big problem from day 1 and the slugs really really lurve them
Cheers

Hi all,  :D
             I have tries pak choi, canton dwarf, several times in the last 2 years, every time hopeless :'( , they seem to germinate ok then just as they get going they bolt & run to seed :o  any tips on avoiding this ???
                                                                       Adrian.

I read in Joy Larcombe's book on oriental veg that many of the cabbagey things grow best when the days are getting shorter, not longer (i.e. they bolt in heat and when the days are lengthening). When did you plant yours? I'm keen for advice too  :P, as I plan to grow them for the first time this year. Sacraficial crop - hope not  ::)

I seem to get best results sowing in autumn, and letting them grow under a bit of protection (fleece cloche) during winter. Sown then, they provide greens for the winter period. Never tried them in spring for summer really.

Got home last night to an envelope of seed packets - I have Riko - reading the back of the packet it implies thy should have been sown by September last year for harvest this summer. 

I'll sow some in March and hold some back until August.

Thanks for all the info.

Watched this thread with interest.

Pak Choi-and other similar things are easy-so grow them.

Fleece is great cos flea Beetle love them,keep them moist but not water logged(same goes for most crops). Sow early or late for `greens`/stems but a summer sowing is good as well -those `bolted` flower stems are heaven lightly stir fried.

Cleo

Frustrating aren't they.... I had good results the first year I grew them, in pots, and failures ever since.  I can only echo the advice to not let them dry out for a moment or they will bolt, if they don't get eaten by aphids, slugs, caterpillars etc.  That said, if I had room and time to spare I would be tempted to keep trying as they are so delicious.
Feel that resolve not to grow them this year weakening already..

It may be a bit cold from them yet!
You better off start them in around March or April.

What a great picture Yuet Lee! Are they outside or under cover? It really helps to have an idea of what they should look like as they grow - how old are these please?  ::)

Yes, details please!  They look magnificent.

Hi
I tried growing pak choi last year but had no joy,  I am new to gardening, if it grows tall does that mean it's bolted?  Does it grow like lettuce, or does it need pinching????   I've had some in my organic vegie box a while ago and it was s o yummy i really want to grow some.

Pakaba

What would I do with Pak Choi if I grew it and successfully?

Oh don't get me started grawc ... stir fry or thrown into soup at the last minute as babies :'( or stirred into hot spaghetti for winter greens, steamed with oyster sauce and garlic when mature ;D, small sprouts harvested and treated likewise if they bolt. Like most Oriental vegetables, you get the best from them after other crops have been lifted, so your plot is never idle. How virtuous is that!  8)

Not an offer one makes often-fancy coming over to cook for us? I`ll roast a duck,Jen will make something good and my wok is yours :P