Want to start Growing Bok Choy In Your Vegetable Garden? Just Follow These Methods
Growing Bok Choy, Brassica Rapa This versatile vegetable can be eaten raw or cooked and is used in numerous Asian food preparations. Bok Choy, also known as Chinese cabbage, is the main ingredient in the Korean staple food that is Kimchi. As a cruciferous vegetable belonging to the cabbage family, the consumption of 2 to 3 servings of this weekly will serve to lessen cancer risk. The high fiber content of Bok Choy will aid the digestive system. Description A non-headed cabbage that can grow to a size of 18 inches long with a compact straight head composed of wide off white tough stalk centers that narrow toward tip with light to dark green slightly curled leaves. Planting 
Growing Bok Choy is done through seeds. The seeds germinated for a period of 7 to 10 days. These seed can be sown directly to the ground and covered lightly with soil. You can also grow the seedling indoor for two weeks before transplanting outside. With a short growing period, planting time is early in the spring and in the fall so you can get two crop harvests in a year. This plant flourishes in loose loam type composted soil. Soil amendment should be done before planting to make sure that the nutrient level is high. Fertilize regularly and keep the soil moist. Though it prefers cool weather, it is heat tolerant. The spacing among plants is from 18 to 30 inches but since the roots system does not spread out too wide, this can also be planted in large containers.Harvesting Harvesting a growing bok choy plant is done 40 to 50 days after planting. The size of the head should be at least 12 inches long. Remove the dark green outer leaves and discard. Wash well before storing or consuming. Spring planted crops should be harvested before the heat of the summer sets in and fall crops are to be harvested before the cold. Pests and Diseases Slugs and snail usually feast on the tender leaves of the Bok Choy. To eliminate them, you have to handpick them out and discard. To prevent slugs and snails from going to your plant, you can surround it with crushed eggshells. Their soft bodies will not crawl over the sharp edges of the eggshells. Cabbage worms can also infest your Bok Choy, creating holes in the leaves and lodging inside the vegetable. To eliminate these pests, you can spray it with the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis. This plant will rot easily in hot and humid weather conditions. Planting earlier in the spring can be done as this plant can tolerate cold conditions. _________________________________________________________________ Top of growing bok choy page
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