Edible plant · Growing guide
Bok Choy
Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis · Brassica family
Bok Choy is a rosette edible plant grown for leafy green, succession, and container. Use this guide to match its light, water, soil, space, seasonal care, and safety needs.
- Reliable light
- Part sun
- Water pattern
- Consistent
- Mature size
- 16 × 12 in
- Final spacing
- 10 in
- Season
- cool
Plant identity, types & settings
One plant guide. Clear details underneath.
Bok Choy is the plant identity. Container, landscape, cutting, indoor, hydroponic, and harvest labels describe ways to grow it; they are not additional plant or cultivar names.
Plant types and varieties
These are real planning-distinct types or varieties attached to Bok Choy. Named cultivars can still vary, so confirm the packet or plant label.
Bok choy · baby
A quick compact bok choy harvested as a small tender rosette before full-size petioles develop.
- Mature size
- 8 × 6 in
- Spacing
- 5 in
- Support
- Usually none
Bok choy · full-size
A larger bok choy grown for a broad crown of thick crisp petioles and green leaves.
- Mature size
- 18 × 12 in
- Spacing
- 11 in
- Support
- Usually none
Ways to grow it
These are garden or production settings—not cultivar names and not extra plants.
Baby Leaf
Sow densely only for an early baby-leaf cut and maintain airflow.
- Mature size
- 7 × 9 in
- Spacing
- 5 in
- Container
- 3+ gal · 8+ in deep
Cut And Come Again
Keep the crown intact and retire plants when quality or sanitation declines.
- Mature size
- 11 × 11 in
- Spacing
- 9 in
- Container
- 4+ gal · 8+ in deep
Full Size Head Or Bunch
Thin to the full mature spacing rather than seedling spacing.
- Mature size
- 14 × 12 in
- Spacing
- 12 in
- Container
- 5+ gal · 8+ in deep
Indoor Hydroponic
Use a food-safe reservoir, uniform grow light, and crop-specific nutrient label.
- Mature size
- 11 × 10 in
- Spacing
- 7 in
- Container
- 3+ gal · 8+ in deep
01 · Light & site
Give it the light its growth depends on.
Part sun, with roughly 3 to 5 hours of useful light. Cool spring or fall conditions
02 · Water & soil
Keep roots supplied without trapping water.
Keep the active root zone evenly moist while preserving drainage.
- Soil
- Loose, organic garden soil
- Drainage
- Moist but drained
- pH
- Species-dependent, commonly mildly acidic to neutral
03 · Spacing & roots
Make room for the mature plant.
Space plants about 10 inches apart. Expect a mature plant around 16 inches tall by 12 inches wide.
A branching root system needs the stated depth plus aerated soil around the mature spread.
04 · Start
Begin with the method that protects establishment.
Direct sow or transplant according to crop-specific temperature and root-disturbance guidance.
05 · Care
Support healthy growth through the season.
Usually self-supporting at the stated mature size. Add a discreet stake only if wind, bloom weight, or an exposed site makes it necessary.
- Upkeep
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Moderate
- Watch for
- Flea beetles, Cabbageworms, Bolting
06 · Flower or harvest
Harvest and maturity
30 to 55 days. Use the seed packet or plant label for cultivar-specific timing and harvest cues, then adjust for temperature, light, and the stage you intend to pick.
07 · Safety
Know the cautions before you place or use it.
- Confirm cultivar, regional timing, and toxicity or food-use details with local extension guidance.
- Keep unknown plant parts away from children and pets.
08 · Sources
Check the evidence behind the guide.
Guide record: July 20, 2026. Region, cultivar, regulations, and current product labels can change the right decision.
Working checklist