Cabbages are a big family, where alongside the great classics of the garden, such as cauliflower and savoy cabbage, there are other very interesting crops. less known including pak choi which we now discover in detail.
In ancient horticultural texts, which devote a small section to it in the treatment of all the other well-known cabbages, it is also called » celery cabbage “. Until recently it was not easy to find this vegetable in supermarkets or fruit and vegetable stores, but for some time it has started to spread in the market and also in private gardens, although it is still rare.
Bok choy ( Brassica rapa spp. chinensis ) is one of the oriental vegetables , such as kale (kale), mizuna and Chinese cabbage. Like other cabbages of the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family, it is easily grown organically by both amateurs and professionals, and it is a convenient plant because it is practically waste-free.
In appearance, it resembles Swiss chard, with wide ribs, a light greenish-white color and green leaves, and it is not bulky: it does not reach the size of other cabbage plants. Bok choi can be cooked whole, discarding only the roots, so the plant it is ideal to be grown in small orchards where we want to optimize the space by growing the most profitable species.
Contents [Ocultar]
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Where to plant pak choi
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How and when to sow
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planting period
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Transplantation and distances
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How to Grow Bok Choi
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Diseases and pests of pak choi
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fungal diseases
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harmful insects
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Collection and use
Contents
Where to plant pak choi
This cabbage is a very adaptable crop and can be grown in a good or bad part of the year throughout Italy . Let’s take a closer look at the ideal climate and soil characteristics that Pak Choi needs.
Climate
Bok choi has no special needs and can be considered similar to other cabbages in this regard. We can grow it throughout Italy for the spring-summer and autumn-winter seasons. since we can also use greenhouses or non-woven fabrics to extend their seasonal possibilities and have plants to harvest for a long time.
Does not like dry heat : Certainly, during spring and summer harvests, there is a greater risk that the plant will go to seed if it is not harvested in time.
Form
Bok choi can be grown well in many types of soil, although those with near-neutral or slightly alkaline pH and a texture that is not too compact are ideal.
As always, when gardening, you need to consider the overall soil fertility , continued with the distribution of organic matter by mature compost or manure. Organic matter is fertilized in the physical, chemical and biological sense, even if heavily used soil takes time to regain a sufficient state of fertility.
To prepare the soil, the best plowings are those that do not completely turn over the layers, so using the pitchfork instead of the shovel is an ideal option, followed by the hoe to break up any remaining clods and level the surface with the rake .
How and when to sow
It happens to be seen in pak choi orchards planted directly in the ground, but in these cases the seedlings often remain very dense and do not develop to the optimum level, small. To obtain beautiful strains of pak choi, the best option is undoubtedly that of from seedlings for transplanting, purchased or sown by us in the nursery .
planting period
To plant pak choi in nurseries, you can start from February, staggered depending on the number of times we are interested in doing transplants of this species. As always, it is advisable to choose a good soft soil for sowing, and to make the cuttings in case the seedlings are born very thick. As for the number of seedlings that will go to the garden, for the spring-summer season it is better not to exaggerate and estimate a need, just to avoid the waste caused by a possible pre-flowering.