How to Grow Chinese Cabbages UK

When to Plant Chinese Cabbages in the UK

When to plant Chinese cabbages in the UK: in Southern England, sow early July to early August. Find your area in the table below.

Region	Sow
Southern England	early July to early August
Midlands	early July to early August
Northern England	early July to early August
Scotland	early July to early August

Southern England - detail & sources

Deep Green Permaculture: direct sow in July for a fall crop (best avoiding long summer days, which trigger bolting), or early spring for an earlier crop; the July window is used here as the more reliable of the two for heading quality. No UK-region-specific dates given by any source, so this window is applied across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the sources do not support.

Midlands - detail & sources

Deep Green Permaculture: direct sow in July for a fall crop (best avoiding long summer days, which trigger bolting), or early spring for an earlier crop; the July window is used here as the more reliable of the two for heading quality. No UK-region-specific dates given by any source, so this window is applied across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the sources do not support.

Northern England - detail & sources

Deep Green Permaculture: direct sow in July for a fall crop (best avoiding long summer days, which trigger bolting), or early spring for an earlier crop; the July window is used here as the more reliable of the two for heading quality. No UK-region-specific dates given by any source, so this window is applied across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the sources do not support.

Scotland - detail & sources

Deep Green Permaculture: direct sow in July for a fall crop (best avoiding long summer days, which trigger bolting), or early spring for an earlier crop; the July window is used here as the more reliable of the two for heading quality. No UK-region-specific dates given by any source, so this window is applied across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the sources do not support.

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil pH	5.5 - 6.8
Soil texture	chalk, clay, loam or sand (RHS)
Drainage	well-drained
Lifecycle	annual or biennial grown as an annual
Edible parts	leaves, leaf head

At a Glance

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: moist but well-drained (RHS)

Soil pH range

5.5 6.8

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing	0	Sow outdoors into deep, fertile, firm soil, or start in modules/seedtrays where space is limited (RHS).
Transplanting	1	Transplant once seedlings develop about 5 or 6 small leaves (RHS).
Head formation	4	Forms large, pale green, crinkled heads around 30cm tall; prefers cool conditions and short days (RHS, Deep Green Permaculture).
Harvest	8	Most modern varieties mature in 70-90 days; harvest promptly once heads feel firm and dense (Deep Green Permaculture).

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Harvest once heads reach a usable size and feel firm and dense, around 30cm tall; harvest promptly once mature as quality declines quickly (RHS, Deep Green Permaculture).

Diseases

White blister

low

Albugo candida

RHS names this directly: vulnerable to white blister.

Brassica downy mildew

moderate

Hyaloperonospora brassicae (syn. Peronospora parasitica)

RHS names this directly: vulnerable to brassica downy mildew.

Club root

moderate

Plasmodiophora brassicae

RHS names this directly: vulnerable to club root in previously cultivated areas.

Pests

Mealy cabbage aphid

moderate

Brevicoryne brassicae

RHS names this directly: susceptible to mealy cabbage aphid.

Cabbage root fly (US: cabbage maggot)

moderate

Delia radicum

RHS names this directly: susceptible to cabbage root fly.

Flea beetles

moderate

Chrysomelidae: Alticini (various spp.)

RHS names this directly: susceptible to flea beetle.

Caterpillars

moderate

Lepidoptera larvae

RHS names this directly: susceptible to caterpillars.

Pigeons

moderate

Columbidae (family)

RHS names this directly: susceptible to pigeons.

Snails

low

Gastropoda (snails, various spp.)

RHS names this directly: susceptible to snails.

Chinese Cabbage, a Different Group from Pak Choi

A different group from Pak Choi

Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa Pekinensis Group), also called napa cabbage, is a different group within the same species as the already-published Pak Choi (Chinensis Group) -- forming a heading habit rather than a loose rosette.

Large, pale green, crinkled heads

RHS: produces large, approximately 30cm tall heads of pale green, crinkled leaves with white midrib and veins.

Prefers cool conditions and short days

Chinese cabbage bolts readily in long summer days -- best sown for a July-sown autumn crop, or an early-spring crop, rather than at the height of summer.

Transplant at 5-6 leaves

RHS: start seed in modules or seedtrays where space is limited, transplanting once seedlings develop about 5 or 6 small leaves.

Harvest promptly once firm and dense

Harvest once heads feel firm and dense -- quality declines quickly once mature, so timely picking matters.

References

1. Clemson Cooperative Extension - Cabbage & Chinese Cabbage

   CABBAGE: spacing affects head size -- for 2-3lb heads space 9-12in apart in rows 36-44in wide. Soil pH 5.8-6.5, base fertiliser 5-10-10 at 3lb per 100 sq ft, side-dressed with nitrogen. Water to keep moisture uniform, moistening soil to at least 6in; establishment and maturation are the critical periods. Ready 60-80 days after transplanting; harvest when the head is firm and has reached adequate size. Head cracking or splitting is caused by excessive water uptake and growth near maturity. Pests: imported cabbageworm, cabbage looper, diamondback moth caterpillar, harlequin bug, maggots, aphids, flea beetles. Diseases: black rot, wire stem, damping-off, downy mildew, Alternaria leaf spot, soft rot. CHINESE CABBAGE: best sown in late summer and autumn rather than spring, since spring plantings risk bolting after frost or prolonged cold nights; thin to 12in for Michihili types and 18in for Napa types; more susceptible than ordinary cabbage to Alternaria leaf spot, less prone to wire stem and downy mildew.

2. Royal Horticultural Society - Brassica rapa Pekinensis Group | Chinese cabbage

   Cultivated for its edible leaves, bred as Chinese cabbage, sometimes also known as napa cabbage. Produces large, approximately 30cm tall heads of pale green, crinkled leaves with white midrib and veins. Originates from field mustard as a wild ancestor; not native to GB/Ireland. Hardiness H3 (-5°C to 1°C, coastal and mild UK regions). Full sun or partial shade. Soil: chalk, clay, loam or sand; alkaline or neutral pH; moist but well-drained. Height/spread 0.1-0.5m. Time to maturity 1 year. Propagate by seed sown outdoors in deep, fertile, firm soil; start in modules/seedtrays when space is limited, transplant at about 5-6 small leaves. Pests: flea beetle, cabbage root fly, caterpillars, pigeons, snails, mealy cabbage aphid -- damage typically minor once established. Diseases: brassica downy mildew, white blister, club root (in previously cultivated areas). Entire leaf head is edible; grown as an annual.

3. Useful Temperate Plants - Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis

   Mirrors FAO Ecocrop. Fetched and parsed directly for the numeric soil pH range.

3 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.