Cool-season produce

Bok choy

Brassica rapa Chinensis Group

Also known as Pak choi · Pak choy · Baby bok choy

Harvest the whole rosette or outer stalks. Sudden heat or stress can trigger bolting.

EdibleCool-season crop

Growing spaceVegetable bed

Climate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b

Crop familyBrassicaceae (mustard)

Life cycleAnnual crop

Phoenix planting windowSeptember–February.

How to plantDirect sow seed; transplants are also practical after summer heat.

Plant spacing6–12 in, depending on baby or full-size harvest

FrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.

Time to harvestAbout 45 days for full plants; baby leaves sooner

SuccessionSow every 2–3 weeks.

Special categoriesEDIBLE

Typical harvestFast fall, winter, and early spring stalks and leaves.

Right plant, right place

Will Bok choy grow at your Arizona property?

Harvest the whole rosette or outer stalks. Sudden heat or stress can trigger bolting.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Full winter sun; give leafy crops afternoon protection during warm fall and spring weather.

Water

Keep the vegetable root zone evenly moist with regular irrigation; adjust to rain, soil, and temperature rather than using a fixed summer schedule.

Planting & stewardship

1
Prepare a fertile, well-drained bed and keep seed or transplants evenly moist through establishment.
2
Thin to the final spacing; crowding reduces harvest quality.
3
Watch for aphids and caterpillars and protect sensitive growth from a hard freeze.
4
Harvest before sustained spring heat causes bolting or poor quality.

Read the growing reference ↗ Planting dates can shift with cultivar, weather, and your yard’s microclimate.