Planting Bok Choy
Bok Choy is a cool season vegetable in the Brassicaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
Transplant young plants outdoors 0–2 weeks before your last frost — Bok Choy tolerates cool conditions and benefits from an early start.
You can sow Bok Choy directly into the garden 0–2 weeks before your last frost.
For a fall crop, sow 8–10 weeks before your first fall frost so plants mature as the weather cools.
Bok Choy can be grown by direct sowing and transplanting. Direct sowing avoids transplant shock, while direct sowing is simplest where the season is long enough.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Bok Choy room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 6 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 12 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 2 |
| Planting depth | 0.25 inches |
| Sun requirement | Partial sun |
Days to Maturity
Bok Choy reaches maturity in 40–55 days from sowing.
For a continuous harvest, sow a new batch every 14 days. Use the succession planting scheduler →
Bok Choy is ready to harvest after about 48 days. Harvest before summer heat or, for fall crops, before a hard freeze, to keep quality high.
Conditions and Care
As a cool-season vegetable, Bok Choy does its best growing in the cooler weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. It is half-hardy — it withstands light frost but should be protected from a hard freeze.
Bok Choy grows well in partial sun and tolerates some afternoon shade, which can help slow bolting in warm weather. Sow seed about 0.25 inches deep — small seed is sown shallow and barely covered, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Bok Choy belongs to the Brassicaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Because it matures relatively quickly, Bok Choy rewards succession sowing: small, repeated plantings keep a steady supply coming rather than one short glut.
Companion Plants
Pairing Bok Choy with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.