Name:  Baby Pak Choi aka Brassica rapa var. chinensis

Type of Plant: A vegetable that grows well in cool weather.  This small pak choi usually grows to 6 to 8 inches tall.

Why I Love this Plant:  Since this plant grows quickly and thrives in cool temperatures, it’s the perfect vegetable to grow for fall harvest. We plant the seeds in mid August or even early September for cutting from early October into early December, depending on the weather.

Brassica rapa var. chinensis is a great vegetable that doesn’t have to be used in Asian dishes. You can put the greens into pesto with basil, add the greens and stems into any soup, chop it fresh for salads, or brush with olive oil and throw onto the grill.

A Word to the Wise: Plant seeds about 6” apart anytime from the first week of August on, depending on your region and the current temperatures. Keep the soil evenly moist as it grows to prevent bolting, aka flowering.

Dust with diatomaceous earth if slugs start to eat plants, especially if the weather is damp.

I get seed for my baby pak choi from Johnny’s Seeds. 

One of my dependable fall vegetables is the baby pak choi.

Recently the slug population exploded in my garden, and started to feast on the pak choi. I dusted with DE and the damage has stopped.