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Pak Choi has bolted :(
Paul H
Posts: 8
in Fruit & veg
Hi all
My Pak Choi has flowered little yellow flowers. Ive got around 8 of them, and over half of them have done this. Im sure they were not like that 2 days ago, but I guess thats all it needs
They were planted in a small greenhouse (seed tray) in late March and then potted about 6 weeks ago where theyve shot up
Question, are they now not edible? And could I harvest the seeds from them for next season?
If they are edible, should I get them out now? They are nowhere near as bushy as the supermarket ones, which I kinda was expecting!
Additional question, can I still sow Pak Choi in seed trays at this time of year, or is it too late?
Thanks in advance!
0
Posts
I grow green revolution, pak choi. Its sown in March, & already harvested , I sow again late july. This early & late planting avoids the the bolting. Pak choi doesnt like warm weather and bolts
I always start in deep seed trays.
I gave up on pak choi for this very reason. For weeks and weeks it was too small to cut and then wham! - bolted.
Hi Paul,
I am pretty certain that Pak Choi is one of those crops that needs to be sown where it is to grow. Transplanting makes it very prone to bolting.
Bolted Pak Choi are perfectly edible. If you snap off the flowering shoots you will get a flush of secondary shoots.
Don't bother planting the seeds from your plants, you will probably get very inferior plants.
The flowering pak choi is lovely in a stir fry
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I always use seed in plant cells, 2 seeds to each cell. Grow them on into seedlings, then plant out, usually the weaker of the two grows on as well if I have space. I sow a tray about every 3 weeks, never had a problem with bolting, but then my raised beds do seem to be very good at hanging on to moisture. (Prob the clay soil it's mixed with.) If yours have bolted you can basically eat the plant still, just might be a little tougher. If you aren't happy with this, just sow some more, they don't take long to grow from seed anyways.
Thanks for all the advice
I harvested the lot, and yesterday used two of them in a stir fry. They were still pretty good, on par with supermarket bought Pak Choi anyway.
Ive also sown some more in place, I think I may have to sow them every 4-6 weeks for a constant supply!
Mine have done the same, this hot last week has done it.. which is why we are having tai green curry with pak choi for dinner tonight
It grows so fast it's not a big deal just sow some more. I view them a bit like raddishes as catch crops as they germinate easily and grow quickly.
And tasty it was too...