Chinese Cabbage
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Chinese Cabbage Brassica rapa var. pekinensis
Chinese cabbage has an upright head and is dark to pale yellowy green in color. A quick growing and mild flavored late summer and early autumn crop; Chinese cabbage is used raw in salads and is good for stir-fry dishes. This crop is prone to bolting if growth is checked by transplanting or drought. Heads may be dense or loose, short or barrel-shaped, or taller and cylindrical. Organic and heirloom varieties are difficult to find.
Ideal site- Chinese cabbage prefers humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil. It tolerates some shade in the summer. This is a good late season undercover crop. Prior to planting, prepare the site with a low to medium soil-improver or a Soil Optimizer. The ideal soil pH is 6.5-7 Seed to Harvest 8-10 weeks Cultivation- The minimum germination temperature is 50F(10C). When sowing undercover plant seeds in cell packs from May to August. Choose bolt resistant cultivars to sow before mid summer. Harden off before transplanting outside. Late crops can be planted out under cover in September. When sowing directly outside; station sow or sow thinly in rows from mid June to August. For best development, it is important not to interrupt growth, since Chinese cabbage seedlings are more sensitive to transplanting than cabbage seedlings.
Spacing- Rows: 12 x 18 in (30 x 45cm) Block Planting: 14in (35cm)
Plant Care- Water regularly in dry weather. Mulch plants with a low fertility soil improver to retain moisture. Grow under row covers Problems- Flea beetle, clubroot, slugs, and caterpillars,
Harvesting- Cut semi mature or mature heads. Stumps may sprout new leaves. Harvest before the seedstalks form in early summer and before hard freezing temperatures in the fall. Nutrients- Chinese cabbage is a good source of vitamin A, B6, C, dietary fiber, manganese, tryptophan, potassium, calcium, magnesium, molybderum, and phosphorus.
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