Care
Pak choi is perfect for growing early in my climate. It is so wonderful to have fine pak choi ready for the grill in May!
Tips & lessons learned
One year I missed having pak choi entirely. Note to self for next season: try winter-sowing it directly in the bed.
Methods
Winter-sown (direct in the bed, February)
Sow directly in the bed in February. The seeds wait out the cold and get going as soon as the soil allows — early pak choi with zero indoor windowsill space spent.
Pre-grown (sown indoors, March)
Sow indoors in March and plant out for an early harvest. Same goal, more control.
From the log
Get the complete guide
The printable Pak choi guide goes beyond this page — everything you need to actually grow it well, start to finish. It hasn't been made yet — it's coming as a printable PDF. Sign up for the Vegocracy newsletter below and you'll hear when it, and every other new guide, is ready.
Join the Vegocracy newsletterStep-by-step notes for every stage — sowing depth, spacing, care and what to watch for.
What to think about when picking a variety for your own garden, not just which ones earned their place in mine.
Do's and don'ts — what worked, what I'd skip next time, and the mistakes worth avoiding.
Full sow, transplant and harvest calendar for pak choi.
The background knowledge behind the how-to — why it behaves the way it does, and what it actually needs.
Join the Vegocracy newsletter One newsletter for the whole site — you'll hear about every new guide there, not just this one.
A friendly reminder: every garden plays by its own rules. Zones, soil, weather and a hundred small things decide what works — so this is how I did it and what worked for me, not a promise. Try, learn, adjust, try again.. that's half the fun anyway.
Also grows well in these combinations
Outdoor cucumber + Dill + Pak choi — complete bed recipe
Full guide with layout, timeline and instructions for every plant in the bed — coming as PDF
Pak choi + Melon + Aubergine — complete bed recipe
Full guide with layout, timeline and instructions for every plant in the bed — coming as PDF
Spinach + Potatoes + Beans + Pak choi — complete bed recipe
Full guide with layout, timeline and instructions for every plant in the bed — coming as PDF
Tomatoes + Marigold + Basil + Pak choi — complete bed recipe
Full guide with layout, timeline and instructions for every plant in the bed — coming as PDF
Pak choi grows best with friends
This crop is part of 4 of my field-tested bed recipes — complete layouts with timing for every plant in the bed.
See all bed recipes