Planting Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) 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 — Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) tolerates cool conditions and benefits from an early start.
You can sow Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) 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.
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) 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 Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 8 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 12 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 1.5 |
| Planting depth | 0.5 inches |
| Sun requirement | Full sun |
Days to Maturity
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) reaches maturity in 50–70 days from sowing.
For a continuous harvest, sow a new batch every 14 days. Use the succession planting scheduler →
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) is ready to harvest after about 60 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, Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) 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.
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 0.5 inches deep, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) 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, Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) rewards succession sowing: small, repeated plantings keep a steady supply coming rather than one short glut.
Companion Plants
Pairing Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.
Grows well with: Onion, Celery
Keep away from: Tomato