Chinese cabbage (Pe-tsai)
Chinese cabbage (Pe-tsai): Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Pe-tsai Chinese cabbage, also called napa or Peking cabbage, belongs to Brassica rapa, Pekinensis Group, in the Brassicaceae family. Originating in China, it is grown for leaves gathered into a generally elongated head. This distinguishes it from the heading cabbages of Brassica oleracea, although both have an important place among leafy vegetables.The leaves grow upright and draw together into a tall head, often resembling a small barrel. Their tender blades can be crinkled, with green outer leaves giving way to pale green or creamy yellow towards the centre. Broad, light-coloured main ribs contrast with the leafy sections. The head is therefore a collection of leaves rather than a fruit, with a structure quite different from a solid root or bulb.Bok choy also belongs to Brassica rapa, but to the Chinensis Group. It usually forms an open clump of leaves with thick stalks instead of the tightly packed head of napa…
