Pak Choi, Bok Choi Organic

This non-heading Asian member of the cabbage family has a white midrib and round, smooth leaves that broadening out into a distinctive “soup spoon” shape. Easy to grow, this vigorous growing variety grows to a height of 45cm (18in). The longer, whiter stalks have a delicate taste and a more tender texture than most other varieties.

China's most popular vegetable is easy to grow, of good flavour and with no waste: all parts of the plant are edible at all stages of growth. It can be cooked in numerous ways as an added ingredient to most dishes and, when young, useful for salads and can be used as a “cut and come again” vegetable.
Pak Choi can be used to enhance everything from soups to stir-fries and can be eaten young in salads or left to mature. It is used in won ton soup and chow mein. Young flowering stems can be used like broccoli or as a substitute for spinach.

• Organic Seed.
  This seed has been organically produced. The seed has been harvested from plants that have themselves been grown to recognised organic standards, without the use of chemicals. No treatments have been used, either before or after harvest and the seed is supplied in its natural state. It has been certified and is labelled with the Organic symbol.

Position:
Pak Choi grows best in a sunny position in a fertile soil. It can be sown directly into open ground or can be planted into grow bags. If grown for babyleaf it can be sown into small containers or even windowboxes.

Sowing: Can be grown all year
Pak choi is a cool-season crop typically grown in autumn and early winter, though in warmer climates harvest can continue well into winter. It will germinate at temperatures between 13 to 24°C (55 to 70°F).
These green stemmed varieties withstand adverse conditions than white stemmed forms. Some protection is required for winter harvesting. Phasing the sowing will extend the cropping period.

Sow thinly, direct into finely raked, moist, weed free soil 6mm (0.25in) deep in rows 30cm (12in) apart. Thin the resulting seedlings, leaving the strongest, by degrees to a final spacing of 20cm (8in) apart.

Tending:
It is important to water well in dry weather and to keep well weeded. Provide a weak liquid feed once a week.
It needs to be grown quickly and the roots must be kept moist. Checks to growth, brought on by overcrowding or drought, will cause plants to bolt. They are snail magnets, so plants need protection in the open garden.

Harvesting:
Plants reach a stage for ’baby leaf’ harvest in 28 days and mature plants take around 50 days. Chop off enough of the base of the bok choy plant before washing so that stalks can be cleaned individually.

Storage:
Pak choi generally keeps well and will stay fresh for more than a week, but should be used in four to five days for best flavour.

Culinary Use:
Pak choi stalks can be consumed raw, or cooked. It has a high water content and becomes limp very quickly so should be cooked very quickly over high temperature so that the leaves become tender and the stalks stay crisp.
In Chinese stir-fried dishes and soups, it is added toward the end of the cooking process. Since the leaves cook much more quickly than the stalks, it’s a good idea to add the stalks first and then the leaves about a minute later. Cut the stalks into 1/2-inch (1.25cm) pieces before cooking.