Advice about Pak Choi please

Ginger_Snap

A friend of mine (who has no internet access) has asked me if I can help him answer a question about the pak choi he is growing in his garden. He says that before he went on holiday last week it was small and purple leaved and he was using it a bit like lettuce. On his return from holiday he finds it has almost gone to seed, is much larger and has turned green. His question is: does he now treat it as more of a cabbage type vegetable, should he throw it out..or what? I haven't seen the veg in question so have only the info my friend gave me...

Thanks!

BOGOF_Queen

Hi - probably the reason it has gone to seed is that the weather had become too hot. I grew Pak Choi last year and had the same problem - I gather this vegetable is better grown in cool conditions so that it is less likely to go to seed. This year it has not yet gone to seed so far, but I will use the young leaves - steam them like spinach. Perhaps growing them earlier or later in the year will prevent the problem in future

Finefoot

Hi,
I use it for stir fry when it gets large, thats actually how we eat it in the tropics, as a cooked vegetable.
have fun!

skintdragon

I'd say, wash, chop and stir- fry with a bit of garlic and soy sauce. Really yummy.

dogstarheaven

i've just cropped my first batch which were sown a few months ago, but i've recently read that chinese veg such as chinese broccoli, kaillan, pak choi will need to be sown after the 21st June, something about the lengthening of the days will make them grow slower, apparantly. well, i've still a load to transplant so i'll just use use as minis instead..

lilham

I think it's the other way round. The long days will make them bolt too fast and go to seed. You should stop sowing for a few weeks around the summer solstice.

Ginger_Snap

Thank you all very much for your help, i will feed back to my friend all your ideas.

docp

http://igrowveg.com/how-to-guides/winter-vegetable-growing-guides/growing-pak-choi/

this may help? It sounds dogstarheaven is right, you only sow it later in summer and harvest in autumn/early winter.

Note to self: buy pak choi seeds! sounds like an easy one to grow, and I like it in stir fries.

NoelleV

I've had three crops from my pack choi plants in 10 days, the more I cut the more it grows!

but be warned the slugs and snails LOVE it!

dogstarheaven

mine's grown in my raised bed so i've never had probs with slugs/snails or any other poests (see my avatar, in amongst the herbs, salad leaves and swiss chard, i've about 20 pak choi still to crop and about 10 kaillan). i'm organic too.

dogstarheaven

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/20/gardening-this-week this was where i found the info... and here's another article in more detail on the growing method http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/apr/05/vegetables.growingyourown6