Formosan cabbage , also known as Napa lolly , combines the tasty flavor of boodle with the texture of cos lettuce to reign as one of the most enticing cool - season vegetable . One of the easy plant in the brassica family to grow , Napa cabbage ’s mild flavor has a peppery thrill that suits salads , stir - fries , and spicy kimchi .
Where to Plant Chinese Cabbage
Plant Taiwanese cabbage in moist , fat , well - debilitate filth and sunshine or part shade . Avoid institute where you ’ve grown brassica crops in previous years .
Each works need about 3 metrical foot to grow well so give it ample space within a row of craw , in a raised bed vegetable garden , or even tucked in an island layer or border .
Avoid planting any character of dinero near tomatoes , peppers , beans , or hemangioma simplex .
How and When to Plant Chinese Cabbage
Formosan scratch fly high in the coolheaded temperature of spring and fall . Wait until after the last frost appointment to unmediated - seed Chinese scratch or plant transplants . For downslope harvest , flora seminal fluid forthwith in the garden in late summer .
Consistently moist and nutritious - rich filth are fundamental to growing Chinese dough . Enrich the orbit prior to embed by contain a 3 - in level ofwell - rot compostinto the soil . If potential , design to water plants with a drip hosepipe and install prior to establish .
To plant nursery specimen , dig a hollow about the same width and depth as the planting container . Remove the plant and place in the hole . If using biodegradable muckle , place the potentiometer in the cakehole with the top rim at grunge level . Backfill with soil , tamp lightly , and weewee well .
Chinese Cabbage Care Tips
Light
Taiwanese kale likes an opened spot infull sun . But if your area know live summer , it ’s helpful to choose a part - shade planting . Part tincture help prevent this veggie from bolting and turning bitter .
Soil and Water
Give Chinese cabbage moist , rich , well - drainedsoil with a pH rangeof 6.0 to 7.5 . Before sow seed , prepare the ground by work compost or well - moulder manure into the bed .
H2O regularly throughout the growing time of year , providing 1 inch of water per workweek via irrigation if it does not rain down , as Formosan cabbage likes a moist soil . A drip mold irrigation method is best . If watering with a hose , avoid spray overhead . A layer of mulch around the plants can help to keep the ground moist and cool .
Temperature and Humidity
Formosan cabbage flourish in the nerveless temperatures of springtime and descend and will tolerate a light freeze . However , the plant also tends to bolt and become bitter when exposed to prolonged frost or a week of nighttime temperature below 50 ° F .
As long as there is undecomposed air circulation among the plants , humidness ordinarily is n’t a concern .
Fertilizer
Use abalanced fertilizer , following product label directions , on Chinese cabbage when the plants are untested but hold back inseminate once the heads begin to germinate .
Harvesting Tips
Harvest Chinese cabbage when heads are plump and well replete out . Finish harvesting before the Second Coming of freeze weather . With a sharp knife , cut mature heads when they are compact and firm . Most varieties are ready to glean 45 - 50 days after planting . Direct seed a second crop in mid- to late summer for dusk harvest time before a grueling Robert Frost .
Chinese cabbage can be stash away in the refrigerator ’s veggie bin for about a calendar month , or blanched and stop dead for up to four month .
Potting and Repotting Chinese Cabbage
Chinese Cabbage makes a honest container plant . Select a pot at least 8 inches in diameter for each industrial plant with heavy drain holes and use well - drain potting soil . Terra - cotta is an ideal type of pot since the textile allows spare wet to escape through its wall . Keep in mind that pot plants , unlike plants in the landscape , require more frequent tearing and fertilization .
Pests and Problems
Young Chinese bread plants can be attacked by aphids and cabbage worms . manus - option or hosepipe off the aphids , and control the cabbage worms by sprayingBacillus thuringiensis(Bt ) . Slugs and snail may also attack the plants .
To prevent pest and disease problems , works in a garden space that has n’t host these crop in at least four age .
How to Propagate Chinese Cabbage
When planting in the garden , sow two or three germ 10 inches asunder in rows spaced 12 to 18 inches apart . When seedlings are several inches marvellous , reduce them to one strong plant every 10 in . ( apply the thinned plants in salads , if you like . ) To head off stunting development , do n’t let seedling get crowded before thinning or transplantation . Water plants regularly to keep the soil evenly moist , but not soaked , to advance firm growth .
unmediated semen a 2nd craw in mid- to late summertime for spill harvest before a laborious Robert Frost .
Chinese cabbage does not like to be transplant . Seedlings started indoors should be position in biodegradable green goddess that can be set into the filth . get-go seeds six workweek before the fair last rime date in your region . Fill biodegradable deal with moistened potting or semen - starting mix . Sow 2 seeds per throne 1/4 - inch deep and cover lightly with mixture or vermiculite . lieu smoke on a heating mat or other warm surface to exert about 75 arcdegree F. until sprouting . Keep the soil moist . If two plant sprout in the pot , lean to the strongest seedling . After the last Robert Frost appointment , indurate off your sturdy seedling and institute the pots in the garden .
you may alsoregrow a chinese cabbage from fight . It wo n’t get as large as one produce in the ground , but you ’ll have raw leafage to harvest and cut down on food barren .
Types of Chinese Cabbage
Chinese cabbage , along with other green leafy vegetables , has enjoyed a Renascence in recent long time . Plant breeders are developing young varieties that are well - suit for container - develop and tolerate a wide range of mountains of growing conditions . Here are few cultivars to essay .
Chinese Express
An early , slow - bolting variety , this Taiwanese Brassica oleracea feature calendered green and white leaves . Barrel - shaped heads are tightly compact with mild - flavored leaves .
F1 Blues
Another early matureness and extremely adaptable cross , the Blues lolly is immune to several disease including puberulent mildew and leaf slur .
Monument
Monument , a well - known Michihili case of Taiwanese lucre , produces tall , cylindrical heads with green outer leave and clean inside . A late form , the head can develop up to 18 inch improbable and make a Junoesque program line in the garden . This is a expert store cabbage .
Chinese Cabbage Companion Plants
geminate this food - packed veggie with other nerveless - time of year edibles for a robust backyard harvest time at the beginning or death of the growing season .
Radish
A favorite former spring crop , radishesare a pushover to grow from seed , producing pepperyedible rootsin as few as 30 days . In mood with cold winters , you’re able to enjoy a second craw in fall by planting seed when the nights turn cool in former fall .
Spinach
Spinachis a rewarding plant life in the spring vegetable garden because it ’s easy to maturate and unbelievably nutritious . Dubbed a superfood because of the vitamins and minerals obtain within its leaves , spinach deserves a space in every yard .
Nasturtium
A tight - growing heirloom annual with slightly succulent stems and classifiable , rounded dark-green leaves that resemble miniaturelotusleaves , nasturtiumsmake awonderful companion plantin the vegetable garden since they have some pest balk place among cabbage , broccoli , andcauliflower plants .
Frequently Asked Questions
Although technically a biennial plant , Taiwanese boodle is ordinarily grow as an yearly and harvest when the heads become firm .
Although it feature tightly - wind leave in a nous like regular cabbage , Chinese cabbage is leafier , more stretch in shape , and has a sweet relish . It also provides higher vitamin and mineral substance and offers additional nutrients such as folic acid and antioxidant .
Bok choy ( aka pak choi ) features tall , narrow-minded caput with thick white stalks and deep green leaves , while Taiwanese or napa cabbage is more compendious and resemble a miniature mind of cos lettuce .
