Kitchen Garden Forum

I grow Pak Choi very successfully in the winter months which according to the info on the seed packets is not the done thing. It is one of a small but valuable collection of salad crops that grow rapidly and either tolerate or need winter cropping and grow fast enough, Pak Choi can often be ready in 3 weeks.
I shall get a list of varieties together to add here or on the forum elsewhere but for now Mei Quing Choi is the one to go for. Sow in modules or pots and plant out under cover. You only need one seed per pot, failure to germinate is rare and it avoids the setback of thinning, one packet goes a long way
Allan
Mon.a.m.
thanks to Tigger I looked up in Joy Larcom's Oriental Vegetables. There is lots of info there but Mei Quing Choi is unique. It is a a green-stemmed variety. Joy also mentions its tolerance of -10C but goes further that the Americans grow it at much higher temperatures. I do know of another F1, Riko from Mr Fothergill, not the same at all.

I have grown Pak Choi successfully in a polytunnel over the last few winters. Prior to this I tried outdoors but most pak choi, except perhaps for Pueblo, is definitely NOT hardy - killed by first hard frost, but brilliant till then.
I sow at the very end of August, 1 seed per module, and plant out about a month later. I usually use Mei Qing Choi and also Ivory (F1) and Canton Dwarf (not F1) - both very white stemmed - from www.edwintucker.com.
Growing under cover ensures that even hard frost is not damaging and plants keep going until flowering shoots appear - very tasty.

I have checked my Mei Qing Choi and it is definitely (light) green stemmed - certainly not white.

Having gone into it I think you are right, that the Joi Choi is the white-stemmed one with dark green leaves, that is why there are no seeds left here, so I used MQChoi rather than go without. Anything sells and MQC is by nature not so big which may be an advantage to some customers.

Mar 4th
A "google on Pak Choi is quite enlightening. Note especially Nicky's seeds and Mr Fothergill for other varieties.I grew Riko but didn't get any great conclusions.


















Allan