A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening pac choi/bok choy: what a worthless vegetable

I grew it this year for the first time. The package indicates not to plant out before last hard frost but can handle light frost. So I waited to start it. I planted it in early May as 2 week old seedlings or so and it did well. Then it bolts with any heat. So it can't be planted early spring and can't grow in summer. I will try again in fall. I ate some and gave some away and that is it for this season. The rest bolted and I pulled it. Even my little seedlings now (in a tray with more lettuce, napa and scallion seedlings for successive sowings) are bolted. They are teeny and have little yellow flowers. Broccoli raab was the same thing. Planted it as early as I could and it just was skinny and flowering the whole time and never able to be harvested at all. I pulled it all out and will try in fall. Both are quick growing but should be more cold tolerant if they are so heat intolerant!

Wow, you had a hassle.
I wonder what the commercial growers do to get successful crops?
You should see my apparently lifelong struggle with radishes-all I ever get no matter WHAT I do is red strings.
I at one time thought I'd sow ONE seed in a paper cup and baby it, but I abandoned this idea-it would probably get my friends worrying about my mental health...

Tamara, that sounds like cilantro. It bolts at the slightest heat. Thanks for sharing the info, I'll be sure to plant the plants you mentioned in the fall, only.

I grow pak choy successfully. It doesn't mind a bit of protection from afternoon sun and likes lots of water. The key is to keep it moving with regular feeds of organic liquid fertilisers, like fish emulsion at half the rate twice as often and the odd drink of seaweed or kelp extract. Ensure it doesn't get a load of afternoon heat, or in the cooler months, try it in a sunny window or out of cold winds and frost. It's really worthwhile and is packed with vitamins and minerals. I like it raw and often have a graze on a leaf or two when i'm in the patch. If you steam it, you can drink the 'juice' too. Also full of goodies.