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When to plant
pak choi in the UK
Sow early spring or after midsummer — it'll bolt faster than you can blink in the heat. Worth it though. Fast-growing and very rewarding.
Work out your own dates
Starts from the recommended sow date for your area. Sowed on a different day, or planted out late? Adjust below and the harvest moves with it.
Using the UK-average last frost · 15 April · add your postcode to tune it
Growing journey
6 weeks from planting out to harvest · Start indoors 4 weeks before planting out
Get pak choi seeds
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What pak choi need
Partial shade. Moist soil. Slug protection is non-negotiable.
Spacing
25cm between plants
Give each plant room to spread. Overcrowding reduces yield.
Varieties worth growing
Joi Choi
commonBig, white-stemmed, and one of the most reliable pak choi for UK conditions. Slower to bolt than most, which in pak choi terms is the difference between a crop and a disappointment.
Stir-fried pak choi with oyster sauce
Halve the heads, sear cut-side down in a wok until charred, flip, add a splash of oyster sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil. Thirty seconds. The stems stay crisp while the leaves wilt.
Red Choi
uncommonPurple-red leaves with green undersides that look dramatic in the garden and on the plate. Same crisp, mild flavour as green pak choi but with anthocyanin-rich colour that makes everything it's added to look more interesting.
Red choi in miso broth
Dissolve white miso paste in hot dashi, slide in halved red choi, add silken tofu cubes and a few slices of spring onion. The purple leaves soften into the golden broth. Beautiful and nourishing.
Canton Dwarf
commonTiny, compact pak choi that's ready in about a month. Perfect for windowsills, containers, and impatient cooks. The whole plant fits in the palm of your hand and cooks in about thirty seconds.
Baby pak choi in garlic and ginger
Leave whole, sear in a hot wok, add sliced garlic and grated ginger, a splash of soy sauce. The baby heads cook in under a minute. Quick, fragrant, and the whole thing looks like a miniature garden on your plate.
Good companions
When to sow pak choi
Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.
Where to buy pak choi seeds
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Get your exact dates
Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for pak choi.