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🔍 Click to enlargevegetableannual💧 Hydroponic-Compatible
Bok Choy
Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis
Mild, crisp Asian green with tender leaves and crunchy stalks. Extremely fast-growing.
Quick Facts
Sun:☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Partial Shade
Water:💧💧 Moderate
USDA Zones:Zones 3–11
Space:🪴 Container, 🌱 Small Bed, 🏡 Large Garden
Soil:Loam, Silty, Clay
Best Season(s):Spring, Fall
Experience Level:🌱 Beginner
Native Range:China
Bloom Color:Small yellow flowers if bolted (grown for leaves)
Bloom Cycle:Bolts quickly in heat
Days to Harvest:30–50 days
Harvest Pattern:Continuous / cut-and-come-again
Care Notes
Direct sow in cool weather. Harvest whole heads or cut outer leaves. Bolts in heat.
💧 Hydroponic Notes
One of the best brassicas for hydroponics. Grows fast in NFT or Kratky. Harvest baby bok choy at 30 days or full size at 45–50 days.
Growing Details
Mature Size:6-10 in tall, 6-10 in wide
Growth Rate:🐇 Fast
Zone Performance
In cool zones (3-6), bok choy can be grown spring through fall with careful timing around the shortest heat spells. In hot zones (8-11), it bolts almost immediately once temperatures exceed 75°F, making it best suited as a fall, winter, and early spring crop there rather than a summer one.
Companions & Wildlife
🦌 Deer Resistance
occasionally damaged
As a mild, tender brassica green, deer will browse it readily when other forage is scarce, similar to cabbage and other Asian greens.
🐝 Pollinator Value
low
Grown for leaves and harvested before flowering, though bolted plants produce small yellow flowers attractive to small bees and hoverflies.
Good Companions
Cilantro — Both are fast-maturing, cool-season crops with shallow roots that share bed space without competing.
Nasturtium — Nasturtium serves as a trap crop for flea beetles and aphids that would otherwise target the tender bok choy leaves.
Dill — Dill attracts parasitic wasps that help control the same cabbage worm and aphid pests that trouble this brassica relative.
Marigold — Marigold's scent can help deter cabbage moths from locating and laying eggs on nearby bok choy.
Troubleshooting
⚠️ Rapid bolting to flower
Direct sow only in cool weather and avoid transplant shock or root disturbance, both of which trigger premature bolting in this brassica.
⚠️ Flea beetle damage on young leaves
Cover seedlings with row cover immediately after sowing since bok choy's tender leaves are highly attractive to flea beetles.
⚠️ Slug and snail damage on leaves
Set out shallow beer traps or apply iron phosphate bait around the base of plants, especially in damp spring conditions.
✅ Pet Safety
Non-toxic to cats and dogs in normal amounts.
Informational only — always check with a veterinarian if you suspect your pet has eaten something it shouldn't have.