Bok Choy Seeds,
Suzhou Baby

Suzhou Baby bok choy is ideally planted during cooler seasons - early spring or late summer into fall. Spring sowings tolerate light frost once established, but avoid exposing young plants to sustained nights under 50 degrees F, which can trigger bolting; direct sow around the last spring frost rather than several weeks before it, or wait for settled conditions. In regions with mild winters, bok choy can even be grown throughout autumn and into winter. For continuous harvest, stagger plantings every two weeks during these periods. This approach ensures a steady supply of fresh bok choy throughout the growing season. If you're not sure how to find your first and last frost dates, consult our blog post 'Our Experts Answer Questions, Share Resources.'

• Direct sow after last frost or start indoors about 4 weeks before last frost date and transplant out after last.
• Sow seeds 1/4-1/2 inch deep.
• Ideal germination temperature is 75 F, though they can germinate between 50-80 F.
• Seeds germinate in 4-7 days.

• Prefers full sun to part shade.
• Average moisture needs.
• Soil should be well drained and ideally amended with well-rotted compost.
• Plant spacing will depend on the variety; large varieties can be spaced or thinned to 12 inches apart, while the small-headed varieties can be spaced 6 inches apart and micro varieties will only need about 2-4 inches. Rows should be 18-32 inches apart.
• Bok choy is fairly heat tolerant, but it should be noted that frost or sustained nightime temperatures under 50 F may cause the young plants to bolt, so resist the temptation to plant them out too early. Cold temperatures typically will not cause mature plants to bolt. Sow again in late summer for fall harvest. When sowing in fall, be sure to mulch plants and provide consistent moisture.

PESTS/SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Weevils can be a pest of bok choy during winter/spring/ fall crops (they go dormant in summer). Use floating row cover at time of planting to prevent weevils if they are a pest of bok choy in your region.

Bok choy is an annual, completing its life cycle in one year. To avoid selecting bolt-prone plants, don't save seeds from prematurely bolted ones. Let plants mature fully, harvest the dried pods, crumble the small round seeds into a jar or bag, then seal and store the seeds in a cool, dark, dry place. Bok choy cross-pollinates with other rapa species but not with different species of Brassica, so it's safe to grow it next to mustard greens (Brassica juncea), for example. To ensure seed purity, isolate your bok choy from other blooming B. rapa by about a half mile or use caging techniques. Allow your healthiest plants to flower for a strong, diverse seed pool.