How to Grow Chinese Cabbage USA

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
Documented problems	3 diseases, 6 pests

At a Glance

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.

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).

Chinese Cabbage, a Different Group from Pak Choi

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.

Sources

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.

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 3 sources behind this guide (Clemson Cooperative Extension, Royal Horticultural Society, Useful Temperate Plants) is in the references of our UK guide to chinese cabbage; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.