Pac choi is a type of Chinese cabbage that’s often used in stir fries and is just as delicious in soups and added to a salad.

One of the secrets to growing pac choi is knowing when to plant it. Pac choi doesn’t like heat, so sow it in the spring and late summer or early fall.

Here’s how you can plant, grow, and harvest pac choi from seed.

Preparing To Plant Pac Choi      

Choosing A Location And Preparing Your Soil   

Pac choi likes to grow in full sun and might tolerate a partial sun location.

The best soil for planting pac choi is a well-drained, loose soil that’s high in nitrogen. Add organic matter that is rich in nitrogen or apply an organic fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen. I add aged chicken manure to our compost.

If you can, grow pac choi near celery, dill, potatoes, onions, peas.

Don’t grow pac choi next to corn, strawberries, tomatoes, and pole beans.

Planting Pac Choi                                           

When To Plant Pac Choi

Plant pac choi in early and mid-spring and late summer or early fall. Pac choi thrives in cooler weather and doesn’t grow well in heat. Pac choi will bolt and flower if the temperature is too warm.

You can start growing pac choi indoors, then harden off and transplant outdoors. I started my pac choi inside in the middle of February.

For a continuous supply, sow pac choi seeds every 2 or 3 weeks until mid or late spring.

How To Plant

Seed depth: plant seeds ½ inch deep

Seed spacing: 2–3 inches between seeds and later thin to 6 inches (eat the seedlings that you remove in a salad)

Row spacing: 10–12 inches between rows

Pac choi likes consistent moisture, so water it regularly. Don’t let the soil dry out.

Label the rows with the name of the pac choi variety and the date you planted the seeds. Consider writing this in a garden journal, too. 

Growing Pac Choi                           

Within 45 to 60 days, you will be harvesting pac choi.

How To Fertilize Your Pac Choi

Add compost rich in nitrogen to the base of your pac choi plants when the plants are about 4 weeks old.

When To Water Your Pac Choi

Keep pac choi’s soil moist. Pac Choi doesn’t like dry soil.

Remember To Weed Your Pac Choi

Remove weeds growing around your pac choi plants. Remember, pac choi needs nitrogen to grow, so removing weeds means more nitrogen for your pac choi.

Harvesting Pac Choi

When To Harvest Pac Choi

You can harvest pac choi any time around 45 to 60 days. If you want a small pac choi, harvest the plants closer to 45 days.

How To Harvest Pac Choi

To harvest, slice the base with a knife (leave the roots in the ground to rot).

Experimenting 

Get creative with the ways you cook and eat pac choi. Grill it. Toss the leaves in a salad. One of my favourite veggie sides is stir fried pac choi with garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.

And then, when late summer or fall arrives, plant and grow more pac choi from seed.