Chinese cabbage (Pe-tsai): Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow Chinese cabbage (pe-tsai) outdoors?
To grow full heads of pe-tsai, adjust outdoor sowing time to the variety and your climate. Late-summer sowing often reduces the risk of bolting; earlier sowing requires a suitable variety and favourable conditions. Prepare fertile, well-drained soil with a fine, weed-free surface.
Sow about 1 cm deep, or as directed on the packet, then keep the soil moist without waterlogging it. After germination, thin to the recommended spacing for mature heads rather than leaving plants 5–10 cm apart. Watch for slugs and caterpillars; mulch reduces evaporation and weeds but does not guarantee protection against slugs.
For standard-sized heads, around 30 cm between plants and 40 to 45 cm between rows is a useful guide, adjusted to the variety. Baby-leaf crops use different spacing and do not produce the same heads. Moisten a dry drill before sowing. Young plants can bolt after marked cold, but also in hot, dry weather, so monitor conditions rather than the month alone. In warm periods, light shade and steady moisture reduce this stress. These instructions concern heading napa cabbage rather than pak choi.
How do you plant Chinese cabbage (pe-tsai)?
How to care for this plant
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Maintain the mulch
Once the plants are established and the soil has warmed, check the mulch and top up bare patches if needed. Keep the stem bases clear and remove weeds before covering them.
How do you harvest Chinese cabbage (pe-tsai)?
