Bok choy was first mentioned in the 16th century by the Chinese pharmacologist Li Shizhen in his “Compendium of Materia Medica” for its medicinal properties. Since then, bok choy has spread throughout Southeast Asia, reaching Europe during the mid-18th century and America in the late 1800s. Today, it’s grown worldwide and you can grow bok choy in an apartment.
Bok choy makes a tremendous complimentary vegetable to many dishes because of its mild flavor and slightly peppery taste. It also adds a great crunch and packs a punch of vitamins and nutrients. If you’re looking to grow this excellent upside-down cabbage in your home as a hobby or to save money, we’ve got the information you need.
What Is Bok Choy?
Bok Choy, also called pak choi or Chinese cabbage is a member of the Brassica family. The stems of bok choy are crunchy and white, while the leaves are broad and green. Most cruciferous vegetables have a head that grows on top, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage. But, in bok choy, the “head” is on the bottom of the plant, and its leaves sprout out of it. Some say the plant’s leaves appear to “dance” gently above the soil.
Its flexibility in cooking makes bok choy a very popular addition to meals. In fact, you can cook and eat almost every part of the plant, including the stalk. It is also a great source of fiber, beta-carotene, and vitamins C, K, and A. Bok choy offers calcium and vitamin B6, as well. Different varieties vary in flavor, size, and color.
Deciding Where to Place Your Indoor Plant
When deciding where to place your bok choy, keep in mind that it grows best with about five to six hours of direct sunlight each day. It is a hardy plant, so it will do okay in cooler spots around your home, but you should be careful exposing it for too long in very cool or very hot areas. On warmer days, you may need to provide extra watering.
When watering bok choy, aim to moisten the soil without oversaturating it. Typically about one inch of water a week will do, but this may vary in different areas. Keeping the soil wet and well-drained during growing seasons is vital to the plant’s health.
Failing to water bok choy consistently or exposing it to extreme heat or cold could result in bolting–a process that causes the plant to go to seed and die.
Growing Bok Choy From Seed
Growing bok choy from seed is relatively simple. You’ll want a container or pot that’s 8 to 10 inches wide and offers sufficient drainage to prevent soil over-saturation. Fill the container about two-thirds full with a well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Plant the seed about a half-inch deep in the center of the container, using just one seed per container. Water the seed after planting it to help the soil settle around it. Germination should occur 7 to 10 days after planting.
One of the pitfalls of seeding is the higher possibility of bolting. As mentioned, this happens when the plant is not getting the resources it needs or during periods of extended cold or heat.
Transplanting Bok Choy
If you want to transplant bok choy, either from your own garden or from purchased seedlings, you should transplant it when it begins to grow its first set of true leaves. The leaves themselves will be small, but the entire plant will run about 2-3 inches at that time and have multiple leaves on it. As you transplant, be careful not to damage the roots and only plant one seedling per pot.
If using larger indoor planters, you can plant bok choy about 6 to 12 inches apart and about ¼ to ½ inches deep. Water after transplanting to help settle the soil. You should place your seedlings about 4 to 6 inches under your grow lights or in full sun. If using grow lights, you should start the grow lights closer to the plant and then move them further back as the plant grows. The grow light should be kept about 18 inches away from the plants about four weeks in.
Caring for Bok Choy
It grows best in full sun but tolerates shade. Bok Choy should be watered at least once a week, maintaining consistently moist soil. It’s also a heavy feeder, meaning it requires rich soil with plenty of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. If available, use organic indoor fertilizer and compost at the time of planting.
Bok choy is relatively resistant to disease, but there are some to look out for. Most diseases will develop from the plant taking on too much moisture, and the best way to prevent disease is to keep the leaves dry and well-aired. Bok choy should also not be planted too close together.
If the leaves do become wilted, yellowed, or stunted, adjust your water or fertilizer amounts and be sure to keep the top of the plant dry while keeping the soil moist.
Harvesting Bok Choy
Bok choy is ready for harvest between 50 to 80 days after sowing. You can harvest the entire plant by cutting the head off at the soil, or you can get at least two harvests out of it by pruning the leaves and leaving the bulb. Baby bok choy varieties will mature 10 to 14 days sooner than standard varieties.
Bok choy is considered a biennial but is usually grown as an annual.
Depending on the environment, bok choy can be ready to harvest about in as little as 45 days after planting or when it reaches 12 to 18 inches tall. It’s important to harvest the bok choy soon after it’s ready, or it could begin rotting or go to seed and die.
As soon as its leaves are usable, bok choy can be harvested. Small varieties are mature at six inches or 15 centimeters tall. Standard varieties can grow up to two feet or 61 centimeters tall. To harvest the leaves, prune them right before the plant’s bulb. Leaving a bit of stem encourages regrowth. If you harvest the entire plant at the bulb, the bok choy will not regrow.
One large head of bok choy can provide up to two pounds (450 g) of fruit. Baby bok choy varieties will provide less.
How to Use Bok Choy
Bok choy is excellent in soups, stir-fries, salads, or fillings in potstickers, dumplings, and steamed buns. When cooking with bok choy, its mild flavor pairs well with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, or ginger. You can also enjoy bok choy in the same ways one enjoys celery or lettuces. It can provide crunch to sandwiches or in fresh salads. You can enjoy it raw or cooked.
How to Store Bok Choy
If you are storing bok choy, do not wash it right before placing it in the fridge. This can cause moisture, which promotes rot. Instead, it’s best to put the unwashed vegetable in a plastic zipper bag with holes for circulation. It should be eaten within 3 to 4 days. Wash before eating.
To wash before cooking:
- Cut off the base of the bok choy and separate the stalks of the vegetable while submerged in cold water, either in a bowl or your sink.
- Rinse the leaves thoroughly, then dry them by blotting the leaves with a paper towel. If you wish to store leftovers after washing, you can roll the bok choy in paper towels and place them in a Ziploc bag.
- Store it in a crisper or vegetable drawer in the fridge.
You can also store bok choy by filling a jar with ice-cold water, placing the stalks upright in the jar, and then placing it in the fridge. Vegetables should be consumed within two days.
If you want to freeze your bok choy, you have two options that work best. First, you can use the methods above to clean, but then you’ll want to blanch your leaves in boiling water for about two minutes. You must dry your leaves thoroughly before placing in freezer bags and storing them in the deepest part of your freezer. The other option is to avoid water altogether (which can help reduce rot). Clean your vegetable with paper towels, then cut off the base and separate the stems before placing them in a freezer bag and storing them inside the freezer.
Benefits of Growing Bok Choy Indoors
Besides the beautiful green and white leaves and their unique shape, the benefits of bok choy are in the extra nutrients offered by the vegetable. It’s also a fun ingredient to experiment with, especially if you enjoy Asian cooking.
Bok choy can be grown next to just about any other plant but thrive especially around beets, bush beans, or carrots. There are claims that planting bok choy next to fragrant plants like chamomile, garlic, or mint will provide extra flavor. Rosemary, thyme, sage, cilantro, and nasturtiums can protect your bok choy against aphids and flea beetles.
Things to Look Out For
Of course, planting bok choy indoors naturally protects against some pests and diseases. Still, the main ones to watch out for (especially if transplanting from the outside) are aphids, cabbage loopers, diamondback moths, and flea beetles.
The most common diseases include black rot, downy mildew, damping off, and turnip mosaic virus.
Bok choy does not have a distinct smell unless it has turned bad. When cooking, bok choy does not smell like most cabbage. When your vegetable turns or spoils, the leaves become soft and discolored and smell bad.
To enjoy bok choy all season long, sow seeds in two-week intervals. When you harvest the leaves, leaving the bulb in the soil can also promote regrowth.
Growing bok choy indoors is a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your cooking without too much hassle or taking up much space. Because of its hardiness and adaptability, bok choy makes a great addition to anyone’s eco-friendly indoor garden!