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How to Grow Pak Choi UK | Regional Planting Calendar

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How to Grow Pak Choi UK | Regional Planting Calendar guide thumbnail

Pak Choi (Brassica rapa Chinensis Group)

A bed of leafy pak choi plants growing in a garden — “Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis - Pak choi from lalbagh 2289” by Rameshng is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

11 sources cited · Verified

The short answer

Plant
Early March to mid August
Ready in
28–70 days
Site
soil pH 6–6.4
Biggest risk
Brassica downy mildew

In the UK, pak choi go in the ground early March to mid August, and are ready to harvest 28–70 days after planting.

Pak choi (Brassica rapa Chinensis Group) — annual/biennial, grown as annual.

Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: there are 4 separate regional sowing windows, ranging from early March in Southern England to early March in Scotland.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.

Regional Planting Calendar

Rows of young pak choi seedlings growing in a field — “Starr-090421-6291-Brassica rapa var chinensis-crop-Pukalani-Maui (24325571703)” by Forest and Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0 us. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Starr-090421-6291-Brassica rapa var chinensis-crop-Pukalani-Maui (24325571703)” by Forest and Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0 us. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Region Sow
Southern England early March to mid August
Midlands early March to mid August
Northern England early March to mid August
Scotland early March to mid August
Southern England - detail & sources

RHS: sow indoors from spring, or outdoors from late spring once frost risk has passed, through midsummer, avoiding hot dry conditions which trigger bolting; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient, and the crop grows best in the cooler bookend seasons regardless of region.

Midlands - detail & sources

RHS: sow indoors from spring, or outdoors from late spring once frost risk has passed, through midsummer, avoiding hot dry conditions which trigger bolting; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient, and the crop grows best in the cooler bookend seasons regardless of region.

Northern England - detail & sources

RHS: sow indoors from spring, or outdoors from late spring once frost risk has passed, through midsummer, avoiding hot dry conditions which trigger bolting; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient, and the crop grows best in the cooler bookend seasons regardless of region.

Scotland - detail & sources

RHS: sow indoors from spring, or outdoors from late spring once frost risk has passed, through midsummer, avoiding hot dry conditions which trigger bolting; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient, and the crop grows best in the cooler bookend seasons regardless of region.

Quick Facts

Top-down view of a pak choi rosette with broad green leaves — “Starr 080607-7271 Brassica campestris var. chinensis” by Forest & Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Starr 080607-7271 Brassica campestris var. chinensis” by Forest & Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6 - 6.4
Optimal growing temp 20-25C
Minimum survivable temp 10C
Time to harvest 28-70 days
Drainage Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand; fertile soil, cool damp conditions preferred
Lifecycle annual/biennial, grown as annual
Edible parts leaves, petioles

At a Glance

Bunches of harvested pak choi with white stems tied for market — “Chou de Chine (Brassica rapa L. subsp. chinensis) (26009285028)” by gérard from Nouméa, (Nouvelle-Calédonie) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Chou de Chine (Brassica rapa L. subsp. chinensis) (26009285028)” by gérard from Nouméa, (Nouvelle-Calédonie) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Brassica rapa Chinensis… Pak Choi Brassica downy mildew White blister Club root Slugs Cabbage root fly (US: c… Cabbage caterpillars Flea beetles Mealy cabbage aphid DISEASES PESTS

Soil & Growing Conditions

A bed of leafy pak choi plants growing in a garden — “Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis - Pak choi from lalbagh 2289” by Rameshng is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis - Pak choi from lalbagh 2289” by Rameshng is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Soil pH range

6 6.4

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

Growth Stages

Rows of young pak choi seedlings growing in a field — “Starr-090421-6291-Brassica rapa var chinensis-crop-Pukalani-Maui (24325571703)” by Forest and Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0 us. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Starr-090421-6291-Brassica rapa var chinensis-crop-Pukalani-Maui (24325571703)” by Forest and Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0 us. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Stage BBCH Notes
Sowing and germination 0 Sow thinly about 2cm deep, in rows at least 30cm apart, indoors from spring or outdoors from late spring once frost risk has passed; germinates in around a week (RHS).
Seedling thinning 1 Thin to 8-10cm apart for a baby-leaf crop, 20cm for semi-mature plants, or 25-30cm for full-sized heads (RHS).
Baby-leaf harvest window 3 Baby leaves are ready to harvest in as little as 30 days from sowing; keep consistently moist to help avoid bolting (RHS).
Semi-mature to full-sized maturity 5 Semi-mature or full-sized heads take 45-75 days from sowing; harvest promptly once flowering begins to avoid bitterness (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

A single harvested pak choi plant with crisp white stems and green leaves — “Brassica rapa var. chinensis (leaf)” by おむこさん志望 is licensed under CC BY 2.5. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Brassica rapa var. chinensis (leaf)” by おむこさん志望 is licensed under CC BY 2.5. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: Cut-and-come-again baby leaves from 4 weeks; semi-mature to full-sized heads take 8-10 weeks; bolts (flowers prematurely) in hot summer conditions

Diseases

Top-down view of a pak choi rosette with broad green leaves — “Starr 080607-7271 Brassica campestris var. chinensis” by Forest & Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Starr 080607-7271 Brassica campestris var. chinensis” by Forest & Kim Starr is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Brassica downy mildew

Hyaloperonospora brassicae (syn. Peronospora parasitica)

White blister

Albugo candida

Plasmodiophora brassicae

Pests

A cabbage white caterpillar feeding on a pak choi leaf — “Pak Choi (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis) mit Pieris brassicae-3” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Pak Choi (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis) mit Pieris brassicae-3” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Slugs

Gastropoda (slugs, various spp.)

Cabbage root fly (US: cabbage maggot)

Delia radicum

Cabbage caterpillars

Pieris brassicae; Pieris rapae; Pieris napi; Mamestra brassicae; Plutella xylostella

Flea beetles

Chrysomelidae: Alticini (various spp.)

Mealy cabbage aphid

Brevicoryne brassicae

References

  1. country=USA

  2. country=INTL

  3. country=UK

  4. country=UK

  5. country=UK

  6. country=UK

  7. country=UK

  8. country=UK

  9. country=UK

  10. Directly fetched and verified (canonical URL differs from requested URL /biodiversity/slugs -> redirects to /biodiversity/slugs-and-snails). RHS explicitly advises against slug pellets (even organic) due to wildlife harm, and cites RHS's own controlled trial finding no damage reduction from physical barriers (copper tape, bark mulch, eggshell, grit, wool) -- while also noting some other studies have shown copper barriers to repel slugs, a preserved disagreement rather than a silently resolved one. Details Nemaslug (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) biological control including application temperature range and its lack of effect on snails specifically.

  11. country=USA

11 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I sow pak choi in the UK?

In Southern England, from early March. In Scotland, wait until early March. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.

When do I sow pak choi?

Sow early March to mid August.

How long do pak choi take to grow?

Typically 28–70 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.

What soil pH do pak choi need?

A pH of about 6–6.4. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect pak choi?

Our data links 3 diseases and 5 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.

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Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real UK growing conditions, and reviewed against Royal Horticultural Society growing advice and Met Office climate data before publication.

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Last verified 2026-08-30

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