Brassica chinensis var. parachinensis

Choi Sum

Choi Sum is easy to grow. Itcan be grown as a baby leaf for salads or left to mature with succulent stems for stir-fry. From seed to table in about 5 weeks. It is a plant that grows best in cool weather - prone to bolting in hot weather. Will need protection from slugs! Choi Sum is a thirsty plant and to ensure you grow big, fleshy leaves, water them twice daily.

Contributed by @leefiona

plant Features

Partial shade
Frequent watering
Not Frost hardy
Free draining and fertile

plant information

Common name

Choi Sum

Latin name

Brassica chinensis var. parachinensis

type

Vegetable

family

Brassicaceae

ph

5.5 - 6.8 Acid - Neutral

Light

Partial shade
Frost

Not Frost hardy

Soil

Free draining and fertile
Water

Frequent watering

Plant & bloom calendar

Best time to plant
When to harvest

full grown dimensions

The size of a fully grown Choi Sum is 0.08meters x 0.40meters

0.08 M 0.40 M

Brassica chinensis var. parachinensis

Propagating by seed

From Mid Spring TO Mid Summer

Sow seeds in a good seed compost from early spring to mid-summer. Seeds should germinate in 2 or 3 days if kept moist and covered. For continual cropping, sow seeds at weekly intervals. They will be ready to thin and plant out once the seedlings have produced a second pair of leaves.

Planting

From Mid Spring TO Mid Summer

Seedlings will be ready to plant out once they have a second pair of leaves. Plant them into a rich compost, ideally into a veg trug or into large pots that can easily be protected from slugs. Plant two or three seedlings in each pot or, space them out 8 inches apart in a trug. Leave them in partial shade having watered them well. For continual cropping, plant seedlings at least a week apart through to mid-summer.

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